MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

WATERWAYS

BOATING WATERS

[photo, USS Constellation, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland]
  • Boating in Maryland
  • Boating Safety
  • Sailing
    • Maryland's 23 rivers and bays combine with more than 400 miles of water tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, and coastal bays. To and from the Atlantic Ocean, some 35 miles of water are accessible.

    USS Constellation, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland, November 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Anchors, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, 100 Lafayette St., Havre de Grace, Maryland]

    Information about licensing, boat titles, and boat registration is available from the Licensing and Registration Service of the Department of Natural Resources. The Department also provides information about public boat launch facilities in Maryland. Within the Department, the Maryland Water Trails Program coordinates the development, promotion, and protection of a system of water trails throughout the State.

    Anchors, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, 100 Lafayette St., Havre de Grace, Maryland, June 2015. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Boat rack along St. Mary's River, St. Mary's City, Maryland] In 2015, approximately 600 marinas, 40,000 in-water boat slips, and some 246 public boat ramps were found in Maryland along with 207 additional public access sites for boating. Maryland's annual recreational boating expenditures in 2013 was over $2.2 billion, providing $1.8 billion to the State's Gross Domestic Product.

    Boat rack along St. Mary's River, St. Mary's City, Maryland, May 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Crab boat with crab pots (traps), Chesapeake Beach, Maryland] In 2015, some 181,347 boats were registered in Maryland, including 173,351 State-numbered vessels and 7,996 federally documented vessels (principally used in Maryland). Of these, 178,798 were pleasure boats and 2,549 were commercial boats. Also registered throughout the State were 17,916 personal watercraft, like Jet Ski or similar craft. Moreover, an estimated 135,000 non-motorized, unregistered craft, including kayaks and canoes, plied Maryland waters.

    Crab boat with crab pots (traps), Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, June 2010. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Skipjack H. M. Krentz on Miles River, St. Michaels, Maryland] On the Eastern Shore, the Cambridge Classic powerboat races are held. Dating from 1910, they are the nation's oldest active powerboat races. The next race will be held May 2017.

    Skipjack H. M. Krentz on Miles River, St. Michaels, Maryland, February 2005. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Sailboats, Back Creek, Annapolis, Maryland] Each Spring, the Bay Bridge Boat Show is held on Kent Island at Stevensville. It is the largest Mid-Atlantic Spring boat show and will next be held April 21-23, 2017.

    Sailboats, Back Creek, Annapolis, Maryland, September 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Boats at piers, Severn River, Crownsville, Maryland] Annapolis, Maryland's capital city, hosts the Spring Sailboat Show each April and the Annual United States Sailboat Show and the Annual United States Powerboat Show each October at the City Dock.

  • Spring Sailboat Show: April 28-30, 2017
  • U.S. Sailboat Show: Oct. 6-10, 2016
  • U.S. Powerboat Show : Oct. 13-16, 2016

    • The Helly Hansen National Offshore One-Design (NOOD) Regatta is held in Annapolis each May.

    The International Canoe Federation (ICF) 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in McHenry, in Garrett County. The international event, which was held Sept. 17-21, 2014, required competitors to navigate a 300-meter whitewater course in either a canoe or kayak.

    Boats at piers, Severn River, Crownsville, Maryland, May 2015. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

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