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Mooring in Northern Chesapeake Bay?

6K views 31 replies 11 participants last post by  Donna_F 
#1 ·
I am from Canada and just bought a used 44' sailboat (5.5 draft) in Annapolis. Rather than take her back to the Lake Ontario we have decided to keep her on northern part of the Bay. (8 hour drive from home) We find Annapolis too expensive.
We need to find a place to keep her that is well protected, with an active sailing cruises that we can learn the "local knowledge" of the Bay. We have looked at White Rocks and Maryland YC, Bowley's on the West side. Rock Hall - Swan Creek and Great Oak Landing and Worton creek on the East side.

Looking for a friendly, clean place with laundry that won't nickel and dime you to death with some reciprocals.

Any recommendations ?

Thanks - Shawn
 
#2 ·
Are you looking for a liveaboard situation.
How important are amenities

We were 10 years at MYC . 6 now at Whitehall Marina . We love where we are now, safe, no restaurant, 90% sailboaters. Cheaper than all the above you have visited. Great sailing grounds .

MYC great facility. Not cheap. Politics. Open to being accessed for major club projects.
All the others good places but not cheap either.

Chech Castle Rock Marina- Chester River, hartge on West River and us, Whitehall Marina

PM me for more info
 
#3 ·
Check out Oak Harbour Marina on Rock Creek in Pasadena. Not sure of costs but you can do your own work, close to highways and marina supply. No fancy amenities but clean, well run and good people.

Tod


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
Your request made me think of the two Canadian families that own boats nearby us and have a similar drive. One is from Montreal, the other from London, if you can imagine that drive. Cornwall to the center of RI is under 7 hours, according to google. The sailing in the Chessy is best in the shoulder seasons. Our locals there may disagree, but I suspect the won't. If you are focusing on the summer, you may consider New England. Closer and probably more options.
 
#6 ·
Castle Rock has a shallow area, but one of the SN members T37chef keeps is Tartan there and has a similar draft , you could ask him for first hand info.

MYC....nice facility, yes they have a membership issue and have had for the last 15 years of declining membership. We were there when it was full (141 slips) , now maybe 80 slips filled with quite a number which cannot be used due to silting or disreapair, or electrical issues. and that’s why the discounts. You have to commit for future years.

They have a cash flow issue. Every repair or large scale project must be shared amongst the boaters only. The 200 social me,bears don’t share these e lenses. When you sign a contract with them ( and it is a contract) you agree to be accessed for any additional improvements to the facility. This can include and has...fuel dock up grades and tanks, bathrooms, pier repair as well as grounds , clubhouse and pool. The infrastructure is old and needs updating, but they have no reserves to Adequately do this. They are facing two large looming expenditures, the septic field for the clubhouse is crumbling, and the pool foundation is suspect.

So their rates appear to be cheap for two years with the 50% and 25% discounts but there is that unknown fee.

Many of the places you looked at are similar but the fees aren’t. We are $2000 cheaper than say MYC , Rock Hall,
But we don’t maintain a pool, restaurant or fuel dock. We however have a marine repair onsite, are owned by a sailor, and have an unbeatable location while at the same time much more storm protected than Rock Hall ( unless in HRbor Haven ) . You have to decide which amenities you want and are necessary. We are sailors and prefer to be out vs at the dock, so we don’t need or want a restaurant/ pool. We like being around sailors who use their boats. Our location is premium in terms of all the rivers of the Chesapeake. North -40 miles gets you to Still Pond/ Worton, Rock Hall and Chester -25 miles, St Micheals and Wye River 25 miles, Annapolis and Severn - 6 miles, Choptank - 30 miles, Solomon’s - 42 miles.

We love our 10 years in the Northern ChesapeKe, but moving south of the Bay Bridge has meant greater cruising opertunities and more wind.
 
#7 ·
No doubt New England is great June! July and August. We cruise up there sometimes then.

Chesapeake is sailable for 9-10 months. We start in March and end the end of November. Many marinas slips are yearly, and you don’t have to pull your boat as it doesn’t freeze. We pull ours ever 3 years. The prices for a marnina up north are much greater with a very limited number of them. Many keep their boats on moorings.

NE is a great sailing ground. Chesapeake will give you more use by far. When we take our October fall cruise in the Chesapeake for 10 days, most of my northern friends have pulled their boats as the marinas require them out by Oct 1
 
#8 ·
Ask away... I've keep a boat north of the bay bridge for more than 30 years.. Lots of choices. My current sailboat was docked at Oak Harbor, Maryland Yacht Club, and Fairview Marina all on Rock Creek, Patapsco River. My preferred were Oak Harbor and MYC. I have kept the boat at Castle Harbor Marina for the past four years. I have enjoyed all but for your needs and considering BWI Airport, I would consider Oak Harbor or MYC... Castle Harbor would require traveling the bay bridge, and with the current situation with repairs and lane closure on tbe bridge you will be happier on the western shore. (Most of the year, 6 foot draft or less is fine for Castle Harbor Marina BTW ) I wouldn't overlook marinas such as Whitehall South of the Bay Bridge... At the same time Marinas North of have their advantages too. Some more infor what you're looking for would help...

On the other hand... Stay away from Middle River Marinas and South River Marinas... And as you have indicated Marinas near Annapolis are pricey. The Magothy has a few Marinas but most are private docks... And the cut into the Magothy is cluttered with fishing boats and crab pots.

Good luck... Hopeful we can help ya out. (Oak Harbor is still my go to for DIY marin anywhere North of the Bay Bridge)
 
#10 ·
Not sure why said to avoid Middle River / South River

We had the choice. I can only tell you what made up my mind.

1- wind. More consistent wind the further south you go. From Rock Hall / Patapsco South there is more and steadier wind. We have found below the Bay Bridge even more. If you go above Pooles many times no wind.

2- middle and south river have way more portion of power boats and wakes
3- noise from Martin state airport of military planes
4 - more choices of rivers and anchorage areas
5- less debris in the water when Conowingo Dam opens the further south you go


This is not to say there aren’t nice spots at middle river or north, just that other areas have greater opportunities
 
#13 ·
I partially agree with you but to most points there is a counter-point:

Not sure why said to avoid Middle River / South River

We had the choice. I can only tell you what made up my mind.

1- wind. More consistent wind the further south you go. From Rock Hall / Patapsco South there is more and steadier wind. We have found below the Bay Bridge even more. If you go above Pooles many times no wind.

POSSIBLE. i DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE FOR A THOROUGH COMPARISON

2- middle and south river have way more portion of power boats and wakes

TOUCHE. THE ENTRANCE TO MIDDLE RIVER ON A WEEKEND AFTERNOON CAN BE INTERESTING.

3- noise from Martin state airport of military planes

TWO-SIDED. YES, YOU DEFINITELY CAN HEAR THE PLANES LANDING AND TAKING OFF. i ACTUALLY FIND THAT INTERESTING BUT TASTES DIFFER.

4 - more choices of rivers and anchorage areas

THAT IS SUBJECTIVE. I FOR ONE VERY MUCH ENJOY THE ACCESS TO APG (WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS ONLY). IF YOU IGNORE SOME STRANGE INSTALLATIONS, THIS IS AS CLOSE TO AS CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH SAW THE CHESAPEAKE AS YOU CAN GET. LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF BALD EAGLES IN THE CHESAPEAKE (OVER 300) ETC

5- less debris in the water when Conowingo Dam opens the further south you go

WELL, THE STUFF DOES NOT DISAPPEAR, IT IS SIMPLY DILUTED AS THE BAY WIDENS. BUT NOT BY THAT MUCH. UNTIL YOU GET ESSENTIALLY TO THE POTOMAC, THE WIDTH OF THE MAIN BAY INCREASES BY NOT MUCH MORE THAN A FACTOR 2 (NOT COUNTING RIVERS, EASTERN BAY ETC WHERE DEBRIS IS UNLIKELY TO ENTER SINCE IT IS SWEPT DOWN BY THE CURRENT). SO, YES THERE IS SOME DILUTION BUT UNTIL YOU GO _REALLY_ WAY DOWN THE EFFECT IS PRETTY SMALL

This is not to say there aren't nice spots at middle river or north, just that other areas have greater opportunities
 
#11 ·
Maybe "avoid" was not the best choice of words...

Middle River has a LOT of marinas... Which n return makes for a LOT of boats on a weekend for its size. Add, a significant amount of crab pots all over the mouth out to and beyond Pooles amd Hart and Miller Islands.

Simply meaning I feel there are a lot better options ;)
 
#12 ·
My view of Middle River is that most of the marinas there are working boatyards so if I'm going to be in a boatyard marina I'd rather it be one that doesn't have the downsides stated above and be in a location where I can be out sailing in the Bay in under an hour.

The exceptions to the working boatyards I know of that aren't exclusively powerboat are Baltimore Yacht Club and Bowleys Marina. BYC is a nice facility but it's in a shallow creek so they relegate the sailboats to the ends of 600 foot long piers. I love Bowleys' resort-like land amenities but the docks have hardly any wind or wake protection from any direction. It's not a marina in which I'd even think about leaving a boat in the water over the winter. The fairways are also extremely narrow (which would bad enough even in a wonderfully protected marina) so I could see some harrowing moments trying to dock a 44-footer even in a moderate breeze. I know a very experienced skipper who was foiled trying to keep a 40 footer at that marina. Might be more doable with a bow thruster or if you could snag one of the handful of side-tie slips for boats of your size.
 
#16 ·
My view of Middle River is that most of the marinas there are working boatyards so if I'm going to be in a boatyard marina I'd rather it be one that doesn't have the downsides stated above and be in a location where I can be out sailing in the Bay in under an hour.

MY BOAT IS AT BOWLEYS. IT TAKES ME ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO BE OUT SAILING IN THE BAY (i RAISE MY SAILS AT DAYMARKER R6). SAME APPLIES TO BALTIMORE YACHT CLUB. YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT THE MARINAS FURTHER UP THE RIVER, LIKE MARYLAND MARINA.

The exceptions to the working boatyards I know of that aren't exclusively powerboat are Baltimore Yacht Club and Bowleys Marina. BYC is a nice facility but it's in a shallow creek so they relegate the sailboats to the ends of 600 foot long piers. I love Bowleys' resort-like land amenities but the docks have hardly any wind or wake protection from any direction. It's not a marina in which I'd even think about leaving a boat in the water over the winter. The fairways are also extremely narrow (which would bad enough even in a wonderfully protected marina) so I could see some harrowing moments trying to dock a 44-footer even in a moderate breeze. I know a very experienced skipper who was foiled trying to keep a 40 footer at that marina. Might be more doable with a bow thruster or if you could snag one of the handful of side-tie slips for boats of your size.
I LEAVE MY BOAT IN THE WATER IN BOWLEYS AT LEAST EVERY OTHER YEAR, SOMETIMES (LIKE THE LAST TWO YEARS) FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW. HAVE BEEN DOING THIS THE LAST 15 YEARS, NEVER A PROBLEM.

FAIRWAYS ARE NARROW INDEED. MAKES YOU A BETTER SKIPPER (OR AT LEAST DOCKER) :ship-captain: MY BOAT IS 32' (NO BOW THRUSTER!) AND THE FAIRWAY IS MAYBE 34'. WHEN I MOVED THERE, I DID SOME DOCKING DRILLS UNTIL I KNEW WHAT TO DO IN DIFFERENT WIND/CURRENT CONDITIONS. IN >15 YEARS I TOUCHED ANOTHER BOAT ONCE, AND THAT WAS ENTIRELY DUE TO MY STUPIDITY (LACK OF ATTENTION) AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WIDTH OF THE FAIRWAY. I TURNED TOO LATE INTO MY SLIP BECAUSE I WAS DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN A 100' WIDE FAIRWAY.
 
#23 ·
We have it narrowed down to Lippincott Marina (1st) or Swan Creek in Rock Hall. We need to confirm the access and width of a slip they will have available for us. There are many really nice places but we prefer to be around other people with sailboats and plan to be out cruising the bay rather than sitting around a pool all day! We decided on the East side of the bay as we feel the traffic entering would be less of a concern. It is still an 8 hour drive so if we can prevent sitting in traffic for the last hour then that is a factor.
 
#24 ·
Some of the Rock Hall marinas are better protected than others. The ones in Rock Hall Harbor are subject to direct wind from the SW. Swan Creek Marina is on the more protected side. The owners I have dealt with are very nice people.

Lipincott Marina is in a congested area . It is also a nice place. The area is very crowded boat wise with lots of powerboats which transient the Narrows area. Many of the restaurants have Tiki Bars and live bands outside on the weekends. It’s location also means that it will be more than likely subject to car traffic tie ups Sunday afternoons to get back across the bridge.

Lipincott is easy out to Eastern Bay and Miles / Wye Rivers. You have the Narrows option to go out to rivers above the Bay Bridge and the beautiful Chester. However it is easily a 2 hour sail to the open bay through the Narrows and 3 hours at least down eEastern Bay.

Rock Hall is accessible to the Bay in half an hour. Chester, Magothy, Worton , West, Rhodes, Whitehall, Severn are about 3-4 hours away. Chester is easy to sail on days the Bay has extremely large winds.

One marina is in a high energy area....mainly powerboaters. The other on a more laid back area with a lot of sailboaters. Rock Hall has many marine services.

If you are coming from Canada you can access either down 301 off 95 in Delaware rather than take 95 to the Bay Bridge.

Personally I would go to Rock Hall for a peaceful laid back beautiful weekend or week experience. Both are good choices.

If you want further info feel free to PM me.
 
#25 ·
I just looked at Lippincott Marina a few days ago... The price is a bit high by comparison to a few others in the area. I was considering moving m boat there but for $130 less than I pay now it isn't worth it for me. Its a working marina which has its benefits and drawbacks. Facilities are pretty sparse as well. As chef2sail said, Rockhall has a lot more options.

I'm staying another year at Castle Harbor Marina, the North side of Kent Island off the Chester River. The only thing I don't like about CHM is, if a strong NW wind (20 + knots) is the channel to tbe basin can get a bit thin. My draft is only a little more than four feet, I've bottomed out only once though. Was blowing 30+ for a day and had blown all the water out of the bay, and it was late Fall, but 97% of the time its more than fine. I would suggest you check it out before signing a slip contract.
 
#26 ·
Just wanted to wrap this up by letting people know we made a decision to stay at Osprey Point Marina in Rock Hall. Casey made me a good deal and although it has a little more amenities than we originally intended, we feel the price/ value and proximity to sailers will be great! Thanks everyone.

BTW we intend on renaming our boat Ballandra so maybe we will meet or greet some of you in the future!

Shawn Maloney
 
#27 ·
Just wanted to wrap this up by letting people know we made a decision to stay at Osprey Point Marina in Rock Hall. ...

Shawn Maloney
Congratulations on your new boat Shawn. We have a slip at Gratitude Marina (owned by Osprey Point Marina and zero protection but awesome sunsets and fewer mosquitos) and the people are easy to deal with. There are a few other SailNetters who keep their boats in Rock Hall. A good choice.
 
#30 ·
Are you sure you can get into Osprey Point at low tide with 5'4" draft? I once tapped bottom going past there in a charter boat with almost a foot less draft than that. The chart shows 5' all around there.

Regardless, I'm glad to have another Rock Hall neighbor!
 
#31 ·
We’ve been back there quite a few times to Haven Harbor, you will be close to the bottom , but if you stay close to the reds and just off the Osprey slips you should be ok. There are many deeper draft sailboats back there. It’s a silty bottom there to boot.

Good luck with your choice
 
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