Recent Info on Baltimore / Magothy River?

[LasrSlr]

It's been...10 years (?) since I've brought a boat to Baltimore, but I'm headed up there Friday (weather dependent) for a friend's wedding over the Labor Day Weekend. We'll arrive Friday and stay at the Harborview Marina, because it's proximate to the Rusty Scupper for Friday night's party and the Baltimore Museum of Industry for the wedding.

WHERE TO FROM THERE? Could bust out Sunday and head down to the Magothy on the way down to Annapolis, but now we're feeling like we won't really get to "do" Baltimore. We're going to tie up Friday and do wedding stuff straight through to Saturday late night and then, as it stands, we'll check out Sunday at 11 am and be headed back toward home. Since we took Tuesday off too, maybe we should stay another day in Baltimore? Where is good to eat? Where is cool to go, aside from the Aquarium / stadiums? Seems like our marina ceases to be convenient to most of what's going on once the wedding stuff wraps up? What's it like to use a dinghy to get around to things like Fells Point? Are there ample, free, safe and convenient landings available, or not so much? Should I maybe see if I can move over to Harbor East for another night? Thanks for any help!

[dennisjay]

If there’s a water taxi stop at the marina, you’ll have access to a lot of places around the harbor. Taking a dinghy is another good option, though there likely will be a lot of traffic this weekend. Things we like to do there include the Visionary Arts museum (behind Ruster Scupper), Pier 6 concerts, bars in Fells Point and the Science Museum.

Have fun.

[ranger58sb]

Depends on where you're traveling from, but sounds to me like just doing more stuff in Bal'mer while you're there would be better than doing less stuff in both Bal'mer and Annapolis.


Have a meal in Little Italy. Wander around Fell's Point. Check out a ball game (if anyone's home). And so forth...


-Chris

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, LasrSir.

[rwidman]

Harbor East Marina is nice and right in the middle of things. For us, at least, being able to just step off our boat beats a dinghy ride.

[pickpaul]

You could pick up a slip for a night at Anchorage Marina on the other side in the Canton area next to Fells Point. There is a water taxi next door at Captain James Crab House which is much easier than a dinghy which requires a pass from the harbor master and there is only one of them, right in the inner harbor near to a water taxi stop. There are loads of great places to eat opposite Anchorage: Myth and Moonshine has amazing burgers and Sip and Bite is a 24/7 Diner. Hope that helps.

Good luck,

Paul.

P.S. The wedding location is lovely btw and right next door to the Downtown Sailing Club so you'll see plenty of sailing too :-)

[boatster]

The weather forecast for Baltimore predicts gusts on Saturday to 30 mph. The gusts will be higher on the bay.

[pickpaul]

Originally Posted by boatster

The weather forecast for Baltimore predicts gusts on Saturday to 30 mph. The gusts will be higher on the bay.

Good point. Baltimore is a hurricane hole, I'd def skip a trip to Annapolis on Sunday. Radio just said 50-60 mph winds possible. Unlikely but why risk it?

[Ramblingman]

You might consider Rock or Stoney Creeks too. Both deep up inside and some marinas where you can stay a few days. Call PYY or Oak Creek, maybe Maryland Yacht Club?

All just outside of Bmore and lower crime.

Given the winds the Magothy might be really choppy with it's shoal waters. Hiding behind Gibson Island might work or go all the way up river to Ferry Pt North. I think Dobbins Island would be a mess in that weather.

You can also hide further up the Severn in Sullivans cove.

[pickpaul]

Originally Posted by Ramblingman

All just outside of Bmore and lower crime.

Crime really isn't an issue in the inner harbor area, the tourist business is too important for authorities to let that happen. You'd need to take a long cab ride to get into a high crime neighborhood. I've lived aboard for 4 years now and i've never experienced any or heard from another sailor who has. My boat doesn't even lock :-)

Baltimore crime should be much less of a threat than the tail end of a hurricane. The Brits declared Baltimore the best deep water port in the world upon arrival and never found a better one since :-)

[pickpaul]

So OP, what's the plan? Enquiring minds want to know :-)

I'm off to London (by plane) Sunday otherwise I'd offer to catch a line if you decide to stay :-)

[Pendragon35]

We are based at Anchorage Marina, so perhaps some bias. We like the restaurants nearby: various chains including Starbucks across the street from AM, and a short walk to Canton Square. Sip and Bite is my favorite diner (on Boston St.).

Not much in the way of dinghy docks around that I know about. There's the water taxi, of course, but that gets expensive.

[LasrSlr]

So Baltimore was great, if somewhat weird. They've really built the place up, including Ritz Carlton residences on what used to be a pier and some other very swanky developments of the types developers are plopping down in other cities. Highly-amenitized resort-living type places that kind of seem Miami-ish and at odds with Baltimore's industrial past...well...and present. Underarmour is *everything* there. Everyone's wearing it, and you get this sense that they're all thinking "Please God, don't let Underarmour tank..."

We liked all the stuff around the harbor, built for tourists, easily accessible by water taxi. Not much use for a dinghy. Lots of good restaurants. We stayed at Harborview and enjoyed the secure mooring on floating docks. Slept like babies while the wind howled overhead. Storm wasn't too bad, but if it had been, that would've been the place to be. Spent a day doing wedding stuff, a day touring the harbor, a day rummaging around Federal Hill (which feels like Capitol Hill neighborhood in DC) and hanging at the pool at the Tiki Barge. We liked Wit 'n Wisdom in the harbor, Regi's and Schotti's in Federal Hill (locals places). Couple of places over on the other side we really liked but I can't recall the names. We stayed the whole time in B'more. Overall, we had a great time and plan to visit more. Even if it all seems a little surreal.

[pickpaul]

Great news! Glad you had a fun visit and that you may visit our unusual and wonderful corner of the Chesapeake again sometime.

[Ramblingman]

Regi's is great, love the omelettes.

The winds that Saturday were rough but not too bad.

Next time you are int the area, check out the dozens of restaurants on the various creeks.