I am heading to Baltimore Md. in June. Was wondering: Chartering--Looking for more day chartering than overnighting, Do it out of Baltimore proper or outside of the city? Looking for 30 foot or under, I guess. What is the harbor like to sail in? Traffic, things to see, places to stop or do I want to skip that and move down the bay? Favorite sailing destinations in that area. Places to stop and see. Reccomendations on drinkeries and eateries. I respect a sailors' point of view. My wife and I are not huge touristy people and are more looking for casual and fun places someone can reccomend. We have Puget Sound and Great Lakes expirience as well as alot of local lake sailing in our Hunter 22. Thank You in advance, Jim
- Status
Well you are really limited...
with just day sailing it is tough to cover any significant territory on the bay. For example, the Baltimore harbor is several miles(about 10??) off the bay proper, up the Patapsco River. You're basically going to be heading down and back up the river in a day, and that's about it. There are some nice creeks and rivers to explore of the Patapsco, but you'll be spending most of your time trying to get there and back. Annapolis is just south of B'more, and you can do interesting day sails out of there too. The scenery will be great up and down the Severn River, but your time will be limited if you're going to get back to home base. From what I've seen around here charters are expensive, and day charters are very expensive. But I'm sure they're doable. Another factor, the smaller the boat the less speed you'll have, especially under power. The winds are fickle here and you can't depend on them if you have a specific route and deadline. You'll need power to get you back up the river and to home port. One good option might be a sailing school out of Annapolis. There are several, you get on the water for day trips. Check out Annapolis School of Sailing. Just a few thoughts. I'll be glad to give you any specific info that I can via here or email.
with just day sailing it is tough to cover any significant territory on the bay. For example, the Baltimore harbor is several miles(about 10??) off the bay proper, up the Patapsco River. You're basically going to be heading down and back up the river in a day, and that's about it. There are some nice creeks and rivers to explore of the Patapsco, but you'll be spending most of your time trying to get there and back. Annapolis is just south of B'more, and you can do interesting day sails out of there too. The scenery will be great up and down the Severn River, but your time will be limited if you're going to get back to home base. From what I've seen around here charters are expensive, and day charters are very expensive. But I'm sure they're doable. Another factor, the smaller the boat the less speed you'll have, especially under power. The winds are fickle here and you can't depend on them if you have a specific route and deadline. You'll need power to get you back up the river and to home port. One good option might be a sailing school out of Annapolis. There are several, you get on the water for day trips. Check out Annapolis School of Sailing. Just a few thoughts. I'll be glad to give you any specific info that I can via here or email.
Baltimore as a destination
The harbor itself does not make for great sailing. It is intensely industrial, and has (very infrequent) large ship traffic which you have to watch out for. This describes the harbor within 5 miles of downtown (i.e., 5 miles from the inner harbor). The Patapsco from the Key bridge to the Chesapeake is very nice for sailing: wide and the occasional ship is confined to a narrow channel. This part is 5-10 miles from the inner harbor. This part is still a bit on the industrial side, but not too bad. The inner harbor is 2.5 hours from the Chesapeake (mouth of the Patapsco). As a side trip on a several day cruise, on the other hand, I think Baltimore is a great destination. You can easily reserve a slip near Fells point in a really nice marina, and there are tons of things within easy walking distance. Little Italy (lots of nice Italian restaurants), Fells Point (nice bars and restaurants), the seaquarium, Pride of Baltimore, the inner harbor proper, shops, and so on. All within 1-2 miles of your marina. Ft. McHenry would probably be a bus ride, since it's on the other side of the harbor from Fells Pt. My wife and I stayed at the Inner Harbor East Marina at Fells Point last October, and had a great time walking around the area. Good restaurants are everywhere, so no particular recommendations. Annapolis is also very nice, but different, and I think it might be harder to get a slip if you don't know what you're doing there (which I don't). Moorings near the City Dock are first-come first-served, and are served by water taxi, but we haven't done it yet, so this is all 2nd hand. I have sailed out of Back Creek (sort of close to downtown, but not downtown), but not from City Dock proper. It is probably a good 6-7 hours between Baltimore and Annapolis, motoring unless the wind direction is perfect. Several pretty creeks/rivers in between to anchor in. I'm sure there are more places to charter in Annapolis than Baltimore, but they're easy to find on the internet. If you had time for a 3-day cruise, then Annapolis to Baltimore and back would make a very nice trip. Good luck. Happy to answer other questions. Jay
The harbor itself does not make for great sailing. It is intensely industrial, and has (very infrequent) large ship traffic which you have to watch out for. This describes the harbor within 5 miles of downtown (i.e., 5 miles from the inner harbor). The Patapsco from the Key bridge to the Chesapeake is very nice for sailing: wide and the occasional ship is confined to a narrow channel. This part is 5-10 miles from the inner harbor. This part is still a bit on the industrial side, but not too bad. The inner harbor is 2.5 hours from the Chesapeake (mouth of the Patapsco). As a side trip on a several day cruise, on the other hand, I think Baltimore is a great destination. You can easily reserve a slip near Fells point in a really nice marina, and there are tons of things within easy walking distance. Little Italy (lots of nice Italian restaurants), Fells Point (nice bars and restaurants), the seaquarium, Pride of Baltimore, the inner harbor proper, shops, and so on. All within 1-2 miles of your marina. Ft. McHenry would probably be a bus ride, since it's on the other side of the harbor from Fells Pt. My wife and I stayed at the Inner Harbor East Marina at Fells Point last October, and had a great time walking around the area. Good restaurants are everywhere, so no particular recommendations. Annapolis is also very nice, but different, and I think it might be harder to get a slip if you don't know what you're doing there (which I don't). Moorings near the City Dock are first-come first-served, and are served by water taxi, but we haven't done it yet, so this is all 2nd hand. I have sailed out of Back Creek (sort of close to downtown, but not downtown), but not from City Dock proper. It is probably a good 6-7 hours between Baltimore and Annapolis, motoring unless the wind direction is perfect. Several pretty creeks/rivers in between to anchor in. I'm sure there are more places to charter in Annapolis than Baltimore, but they're easy to find on the internet. If you had time for a 3-day cruise, then Annapolis to Baltimore and back would make a very nice trip. Good luck. Happy to answer other questions. Jay
been there
You can hit the inner harbor area of Baltimore. Gots to see includes the Aquarium, unless you are from Atlanta and saw theirs. There are bars and sucha nd it makes for a good day outing. Fells Point is more neighborhoody rather than the chains in the Harbor, and there is alot to see. Take int he maritime musem, which is just a doorway, till you get in. I bought two pairs of spreaders for charts there at a reasonable price. Nearby is the Betsy Ross museum, which is probably OK. I was told not to walk in the area between Fells Point and the inner harbor. I am 6'2" and could care less, inthe daylight. I did go therough there at night with someone, but the locals said "are you NUTS?" FOr what its worth. If you have never been to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at St. Michaels (across the bridge and to the right) it is a must see and takes ALL DAY. Really cool boats, mostly sail. email for more info at tho52mas@netscape.net
You can hit the inner harbor area of Baltimore. Gots to see includes the Aquarium, unless you are from Atlanta and saw theirs. There are bars and sucha nd it makes for a good day outing. Fells Point is more neighborhoody rather than the chains in the Harbor, and there is alot to see. Take int he maritime musem, which is just a doorway, till you get in. I bought two pairs of spreaders for charts there at a reasonable price. Nearby is the Betsy Ross museum, which is probably OK. I was told not to walk in the area between Fells Point and the inner harbor. I am 6'2" and could care less, inthe daylight. I did go therough there at night with someone, but the locals said "are you NUTS?" FOr what its worth. If you have never been to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at St. Michaels (across the bridge and to the right) it is a must see and takes ALL DAY. Really cool boats, mostly sail. email for more info at tho52mas@netscape.net
Charter
Try BaySail in Harve De Grace for boat chartering at the top of the Bay. They're a part of Tidewater Marine, the resident Hunter dealer. J-Port in Baltimore/Annapolis may be another source of rental. Look up Spinsheet (Annapolis based sailing magazine) on line to see what may be advertized there.
Try BaySail in Harve De Grace for boat chartering at the top of the Bay. They're a part of Tidewater Marine, the resident Hunter dealer. J-Port in Baltimore/Annapolis may be another source of rental. Look up Spinsheet (Annapolis based sailing magazine) on line to see what may be advertized there.
Plenty to do in downtown Baltimore
Jim, You'll find lots to do in downtown Baltimore, and interesting "urban" sailing in the upper reaches of the Patapsco River. Check the attached link to the Downtown Sailing Center. They rent boats of the size you're looking for right downtown, on the south shore of the harbor. You can spend several hours exploring the working harbor, Key Bridge, Constellation, Fort McHenry, Fells Point, etc., etc., by water. By land you'll also find all the attractions already listed above and more. There is commercial traffic, but nothing to cause concern if you keep your eyes open and head moving. The shipping channel is clearly marked and you won't have a problem. Hope you enjoy your visit.
Jim, You'll find lots to do in downtown Baltimore, and interesting "urban" sailing in the upper reaches of the Patapsco River. Check the attached link to the Downtown Sailing Center. They rent boats of the size you're looking for right downtown, on the south shore of the harbor. You can spend several hours exploring the working harbor, Key Bridge, Constellation, Fort McHenry, Fells Point, etc., etc., by water. By land you'll also find all the attractions already listed above and more. There is commercial traffic, but nothing to cause concern if you keep your eyes open and head moving. The shipping channel is clearly marked and you won't have a problem. Hope you enjoy your visit.
- Status