Baltimore Harbor and Middle River
Baltimore Marinas and Boat Slips
Nine marinas side by side, and the Maryland rules every slip holder should know.
Finding a slip in Baltimore starts with the water you want to be on: the busy Inner Harbor, the old streets of Fells Point and Canton, or the quieter creeks of Middle River. A local boating club or a nearby sailing school can tell you which suits the way you boat.
Before you sign for a season, compare what each marina offers and read the slip agreement closely. If you are new to owning a boat in Maryland, a boating safety course and a talk with a local marine insurance agent are good first steps.
Marina board
Compare Marinas Around Baltimore
Filter by waterfront area and by what you need. Ticks come only from each marina’s own website.
Showing all 9 marinas
| Marina | Area | Transient | Seasonal / annual | Slips to buy | Fuel | Pump-out | Liveaboards | Storage | Gated | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor East Marina40 International Drive, Baltimore, MD 21202 | Inner Harbor & Harbor East | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ | 410-625-1700 Website |
| Inner Harbor Marina400 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230 | Inner Harbor & Harbor East | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | 410-837-5339 Website |
| Henderson’s Wharf Marina1001 Fell Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 | Fells Point | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | 410-732-1049 Website |
| Anchorage Marina2501 Boston Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 | Canton | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | – | 410-522-7200 Website |
| Canton Cove Marina2901 Boston Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 | Canton | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | ✓ | Website |
| Lighthouse Point Marina2780 Lighthouse Point E, Baltimore, MD 21224 | Canton | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | 410-675-8888 Website |
| Bowleys Marina1700 Bowleys Quarters Road, Baltimore, MD 21220 | Middle River | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | 410-335-3553 Website |
| Maryland Marina3501 Red Rose Farm Road, Middle River, MD 21220 | Middle River | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | 410-335-8722 Website |
| Stansbury Marina1312 Shore Road, Middle River, MD 21220 | Middle River | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | 410-686-3909 Website |
No marina in this area lists that service. Try another area.
Checked against each marina’s own website. Availability, services and office hours change by season, so call before you go. Before you sign, read What a Boat Slip Agreement Should Say.
The logbook
Guides for Slip Holders and Visiting Boaters
Renting a Slip
- Entry 01Transient, Seasonal or Annual: Choosing a Slip in BaltimoreHow the three kinds of dockage differ, who each one suits and what to ask before booking.
- Entry 02What a Boat Slip Agreement Should SayThe clauses worth reading twice, and the Maryland lien that stands behind every slip lease.
- Entry 03Buying a Boat Slip in Baltimore: Memberships, Clubs and Deeded SlipsWhere Baltimore slips can be owned, how ownership usually works and the questions to ask before paying.
- Entry 04Unpaid Slip Fees and Abandoned Boats: What Maryland Law SaysThe marina’s lien, the public sale after 30 days and when a boat left at a marina counts as abandoned.
Maryland Boating Rules
- Entry 05Maryland’s Boating Safety Certificate: Who Needs OneThe July 1, 1972 rule, the exemptions, young operators and what counts as a valid certificate.
- Entry 06Registering and Titling a Boat in MarylandCertificates of number, titles, the 5 percent excise tax and the deadlines that come with buying a boat.
- Entry 07Marine Toilets, Y Valves and Pump-Outs in MarylandThe three types of marine sanitation device, the Y valve rule, the $2,000 penalty and where Baltimore marinas list pump-outs.
- Entry 08Life Jackets and Required Safety Equipment for Recreational BoatsWhat federal rules require aboard: a wearable life jacket per person, a throwable, children’s rules and distress signals.
- Entry 09Boating Under the Influence in MarylandWhat section 8-738 prohibits, implied consent on the water, the penalties and the ban on operating a boat.
On the Water
- Entry 10Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Canton or Middle River: Choosing Where to Keep Your BoatHow Baltimore’s four marina areas differ, with what the marinas in each say they offer.
- Entry 11Arriving by Boat: Transient Docking in BaltimoreBooking a transient slip, radio channels, power, pump-out and the rules that follow visiting boats into Maryland.
- Entry 12Boating Accidents: What Maryland Law Requires of the OperatorStopping, helping, exchanging information and reporting to the state within 48 hours or 10 days.
Before you sign
What to Know About Keeping a Boat in Baltimore
Five things that matter more than the view from the dock.
Pick the water first
Baltimore’s marinas sit on very different water. The Inner Harbor and Harbor East put you among hotels, restaurants and water taxis. Fells Point and Canton mix historic streets with residential waterfront. Middle River, in Baltimore County, trades city views for creeks, boatyards and ramps closer to the open Chesapeake Bay. How often you go out, how far you cruise and whether you want to walk to dinner from the dock all point to one area or another. Visit at the time of day you usually go out, walk the docks and look at how the slips are laid out, how far the parking is from your boat and how busy the water gets on a summer weekend.
Transient, seasonal, annual or owned
Most marinas separate short stays from long-term dockage. Transient slips are booked by the night, often online. Seasonal and annual slips are leased, and several Baltimore marinas also sell slips outright or as memberships. The right choice depends on how long you plan to keep the boat here and how much flexibility you need. Transient stays suit visitors and anyone still deciding. A lease suits a boat that will stay all season. Buying a slip is a longer commitment with its own rules, often set by a club, association or board, so read those documents as carefully as you would a lease.
The agreement is where the details live
Insurance, liveaboard rules, power, winter water and what happens if you leave early are set by each marina’s agreement and rules. Maryland law also gives a marina a lien on your boat for unpaid wharfage and storage, and lets it sell the boat at public sale after charges go unpaid for 30 days and notice is given. Read the agreement before you sign, not after. Ask for the marina rules in writing too. Several Baltimore marinas publish them, and they cover things an agreement may only refer to, such as guests, pets, work on boats in the slip and quiet hours.
Maryland rules come with the slip
Anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 needs a certificate of boating safety education to operate a numbered boat for pleasure in Maryland. Boats with engines generally need a Maryland number unless an exception applies, and titling carries a 5 percent excise tax subject to a cap. Boats with installed toilets need an operable marine sanitation device, and on boats with a holding tank any Y valve and overboard discharge path must be secured while on Maryland waters. These rules apply wherever you keep the boat in Maryland, and a marina may ask for proof of registration and insurance before you sign. Our Maryland Boating Rules guides explain each one from the text of the law.
Plan for the whole year
Office hours, fuel docks and some services change with the season, and marinas list different in-season and off-season hours. If you plan to stay aboard or keep the boat in the water through winter, ask about liveaboard rules, winter water and storage options before you commit. Winter is also when a missed payment or a boat left without permission can turn into a legal problem, because Maryland law treats a boat left at a private marina for more than 60 days without consent as abandoned. Keep your contact details current with the marina and the state.
Short answers
Questions Boaters Ask First
Maryland requires a certificate of boating safety education, not a license, for anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 who operates a numbered vessel for pleasure.
A slip rented for a short stay, usually by the night, for a visiting boat. Many Baltimore marinas take transient bookings online.
Some marinas sell slips or slip memberships, and some list slips offered by their owners. Check each marina’s own terms.
It depends on the marina. At least one Fells Point marina advertises itself to liveaboards; ask each marina about its rules.
Maryland law gives a marina a lien for unpaid wharfage and storage, and after 30 days unpaid it may sell the boat at a public sale after giving notice.
An excise tax of 5 percent of the fair market value, with a cap that started at $15,000 and rises by $100 each July 1 since 2016.
If your boat has an installed toilet it must have an operable marine sanitation device. With a holding tank, Maryland law requires overboard discharge paths and Y valves to be secured, so the tank is emptied at a pump-out. Several marinas list pump-out service.
Federal rules require a wearable life jacket for each person aboard and a throwable device on boats 16 feet or longer. Maryland also requires children under 13 on recreational boats under 21 feet to wear one unless the boat is moored or anchored or the child is below deck.