Boating Overnight Out Of Annapolis
By: Bill Parlatore
I recently wrote about aging sailors who want to get back into sailing, as they redefine what boating means to them. They realize they have done all their bucket list cruises and no longer dream over the horizon.
Staying close to home is enough, being on the water.
One of the major assets of Chesapeake Bay is the incredible number of places to go within even a few miles of downtown Annapolis. One would be hard pressed to visit them all in one’s lifetime, as most beckon us back year after year.
So, for new sailors and powerboat owners based in Annapolis, there is no reason to think only about long-distance cruising when there is so much right here. And for those who have done a lot of cruising already, looking local is a breath of fresh air.
When I thought about where to suggest one go for an overnight or weekend, I realized there are too many places to list. Which begs the question: Why travel far away with so much right here?
Picking up a mooring in Spa Creek is a dandy idea for a weekend getaway, with water taxi service to all the sights, sounds, and activities in downtown Annapolis. Forget cooking on the boat when you can enjoy tasty crab cakes on the waterfront with a chilled bottle of buttery Chardonnay. And then sit back in your cockpit and enjoy watching the boats, the people, even dogs on kayaks and SUPs as they glide through the anchorage.
(Above image: Spa Creek Marina has 14 slips plus 30 & 50 AMP electricity. )
If you really want to be immersed in the downtown scene, consider finding a spot on the bulkhead wall for a couple of days, right in the heart of Ego Alley. That makes you part of the entertainment for everyone walking the heart of Annapolis. Don’t expect to be invisible as people walk by, eating their ice cream cones and taking in the sights. You’ll hear different languages as families and groups stroll by, many coming from Washington, DC for the day. They can’t help but look inside your saloon windows with curiosity and stare at you as you sit in your cockpit. Some sailors love all this attention.
You can find moorage information and season rates online. A weekend in Spa Creek is like a mini vacation even for those who live in the area.
I use several resources when I plan travel on Chesapeake Bay. My copy of William Shellenberger’s Cruising the Chesapeake, A Gunkholer’s Guide is from 2013, but it is still current enough to be my go-to guide. I also use Aqua Map for iPad, an app that has slowly replaced my long reliance on Navionics and other navigation apps. With the Active Captain resource downloaded into Aqua Map, I have all the information I need to check out new places to go. Even if individual anchorage reviews are several years old, they are still useful. If someone mentions serious issues with mosquitoes, due to an anchorage’s location near marshy shore and lack of breeze, that is very helpful. (Such concerns are common anywhere around Kent Island.)
Generally, I think a circle of about 20 miles around Annapolis is a good universe of anchorage possibilities. Assuming one sails at five knots for four hours, certainly reasonable for a day of sailing, it really provides a ton of interesting choices. Yet there are dozens and dozens of wonderful places even closer, directly off rivers and creeks around Annapolis: Severn River, the Magothy, Mill Creek, Whitehall Bay, South River, Rhode and West Rivers. Each of these contains numerous charming creeks and coves ideal for a splendid night out. (Most are in developed shoreline areas, however, where one is not allowed to wander ashore.)
Take the Severn River as one example, a very short distance from downtown Annapolis. There are many favorite places to drop the hook for the night. Weems Creek, Luce Creek, Saltworks Creek, Chase Creek, Clements Creek, Brewer Creek, Round Bay, and Hopkins Creek are all worth a look, depending on current conditions. Better protection often means less breeze, not always desirable depending on the forecast and time of year.
(Above image: The Magothy River heading out to the Chesapeake Bay. )
My recent article also proposed doing without the usual mountain of cruising gear, including a dinghy and outboard. It is not necessary for day sailing or when tucked up in one of these overnight anchorages.
If you really want to go ashore to eat or walk around, it is a good idea to go to a marina or find a mooring field that offers shore service. When in Spa Creek in Annapolis, the water taxi runs all day and evening during the season. Dealing with a dinghy is way more trouble than it is worth if you are not cruising. For the few times one might feel the need, a dinghy can always be towed. After all, we are on protected waters, not going any distance, and traveling in fair weather.
Speaking of weather, I must add that during the summer, Chesapeake Bay gets muggy and uncomfortable with hardly any evening breeze. As I no longer like to suffer, it is usually my preference to reserve a transient slip where I can plug into shorepower and use the air conditioning.
I have many memories of wonderful times of quiet solitude even when anchored in a protected cove surrounded by homes. For some reason the separation from shore is enough. I can find more rural areas up the Wye River and in hundreds of other spots on the Eastern Shore. Waking up with herons and ducks and not much else is a fall favorite.
If you want to savor your time on the water as you learn about your boat and what life is like onboard, you owe it to yourself to spend some quality time right around the Annapolis area if that is where you keep your boat. While you may drop the anchor only a half hour away, it can feel like being in another world.
And in many ways, it is…
Crusader Yachts is your headquarters for boats for sale in Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay area. We are new boat dealers for Excess Catamarans, Jeanneau Sailboats, and Tartan Yachts, as well as offer professional yacht brokerage services. Come see us at our office located at 7350 Edgewood Road in Annapolis or give us a call at (410) 269-0939 for more information about boating in the Chesapeake Bay area!
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