Azimut Fly 6868' 10"
View Specs & ReviewA 60–135 ft cruising harbour that cannot haul what it berths
Yachting in Annapolis
A Minted Location · Annapolis, Maryland
If you are choosing a boat to keep on the Chesapeake, the number that decides it is not a length — it is 75 tons. Every yard in and around Annapolis stops at exactly that figure: South Annapolis Yacht Centre on Spa Creek, Port Annapolis on Back Creek, and the two Safe Harbor yards down the Bay at Oxford and Solomons. Seventy-five tons is roughly a 70 to 80 ft boat. A 100 ft motoryacht can tie up in Annapolis. It cannot be hauled here.
That single fact reframes everything else, because the berthing side genuinely does go bigger. Yacht Basin Company, at the mouth of Spa Creek beside Ego Alley, states that its three deep-water face docks take vessels up to 240 ft — the largest capacity in the city. Horn Point Harbor Marina at the mouth of Back Creek publishes berths "exceeding 130 feet" and calls itself "one of only three marinas in Annapolis able to provide dockage to large motor and sailing yachts". South Annapolis Yacht Centre takes 135 ft. Three facilities, both creek mouths, and that is the whole of the market's big-boat capability.
Behind them, the resident fleet is smaller. Port Annapolis publishes slips from 25 to 80 ft across more than 250 of them. Bert Jabin Yacht Yard runs more than 200 wet slips and offers larger slips for short-term dockage only. The Marina at Nautilus Point tops out at 60 ft across 160 slips. And Annapolis City Marina's own transient rate table carries the line that sets expectations for the whole downtown: "41' and over: All Slips Filled."
This is a sailing town with a motoryacht edge at the harbour mouth. The Sailboat Show and the Spring Sailboat Show bracket the year, the marquee race is the Annapolis to Newport Race, and Eastport Yacht Club publishes 6 ft at mean low water. What actually limits access here is water under the keel in the creeks, not clearance overhead.
Where to keep a yacht in Annapolis
Start with what is closed. The City Dock Resiliency Project runs 2026 through early 2028, and it has already closed many City Dock slips and suspended some water and power hookups. The City publishes 17 slips and 978 feet of linear dock space, hail on VHF 17, at $3 per foot on weekdays and $4 per foot at weekends and holidays — but while the work runs, only limited Ego Alley bulkhead remains. Check with the Harbormaster before you plan a downtown berth.
The large-yacht berths are elsewhere, and there are only three of them. Yacht Basin Company sits at 2 Compromise Street at the Spa Creek mouth with about 100 fixed slips plus three deep water face docks its own site states will take vessels up to 240 feet, with both gasoline and diesel; daily, weekly and monthly dockage should be reserved in advance. Horn Point Harbor Marina, at the mouth of Back Creek in Eastport, publishes berths exceeding 130 feet, 55 slips in the 30 to 70 ft range, 130 feet of open bulkhead space, and the one depth claim in the market worth its own sentence: it accommodates yachts drawing up to 12 feet. South Annapolis Yacht Centre on Spa Creek takes 135 ft across 74 slips, including three covered and six uncovered lift slips, and sells no fuel at all — its own answer is that the closest pump is under 0.2 nautical miles away.
Back Creek is where the working fleet lives. Annapolis Landing Marina at 980 Awald Road publishes 120 ft, transient dockage monthly and nightly with a 48-hour cancellation, and is the only fuel in Back Creek — a 100-foot fuel dock running high-speed diesel at up to 35 gallons per minute. Port Annapolis Marina publishes over 250 slips from 25 to 80 ft at $3.50 per foot daily, $4.50 per foot for a catamaran, and lifts for vessels up to 75 tons. Bert Jabin Yacht Yard runs more than 200 wet slips for power and sail with over 25 marine service providers on site, though its own boatlifts are limited to powerboats under 20,000 lbs and under 40 ft. The Marina at Nautilus Point, the former Watergate Pointe, offers 160 slips to 60 ft on transient, annual and seasonal terms, and publishes approach depths around 9 ft with dockside depths around 3 to 7 ft.
Three of this market's answers come on the telephone rather than off a page. Chesapeake Harbour Marina settles maximum length and availability on the call — ring the marina before you plan a berth around it. South Annapolis Yacht Centre lists power two ways: 30, 50 and 100 amp single phase on its amenities list, and a three-phase grid on its home page. Confirm which is on your dock before you order a shore cable. And Annapolis Yacht Club arranges dockage through the club, so ask the club directly.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yacht Basin CompanyAbout 100 fixed slips plus three deep water face docks, which its own site states will take vessels up to 240 feet — the largest capacity in Annapolis. | 2 Compromise Street — City Dock at the Spa Creek mouth, beside Ego Alley | 240 ft | — | Gas and diesel |
| Horn Point Harbor MarinaPublishes berths exceeding 130 feet, 55 slips in the 30 to 70 ft range and 130 feet of open bulkhead space. It accommodates yachts drawing up to 12 feet — the deepest draft claim in the city — and describes itself as one of only three marinas in Annapolis able to provide dockage to large motor and sailing yachts. Confirm your exact length with the marina when you book. | Mouth of Back Creek, Eastport | — | 55 | — |
| South Annapolis Yacht CentreSeventy-four slips including three covered and six uncovered lift slips, plus a 75-ton travel lift — the same ceiling Port Annapolis publishes. Power is listed two ways: 30, 50 and 100 amp single phase on the amenities list, and a three-phase grid on the home page. Confirm which is on your dock before you order a shore cable. | Spa Creek, Eastport | 135 ft | 74 | None on site — its own answer is that the closest fuel is less than 0.2 nautical miles away |
| Annapolis Landing MarinaThe only fuel in Back Creek, which makes it the practical top-up stop for the whole working creek. Slip length and availability are settled on the call. | 980 Awald Road — Back Creek | 120 ft | — | Diesel — a 100-foot fuel dock with a high speed diesel pump at up to 35 gallons per minute |
| Port Annapolis MarinaOver 250 slips published at 25 to 80 ft, and lifts for large vessels and yachts up to 75 tons. That 75-ton figure is the ceiling on Annapolis as a haul-out market: about a 70 to 80 ft boat. | 7074 Bembe Beach Road — Back Creek | 80 ft | — | — |
| The Marina at Nautilus PointApproach depths around 9 ft and dockside depths around 3 to 7 ft. Read alongside the 240 ft face dock at the harbour mouth, those two numbers are the honest shape of this market. | Back Creek, Eastport — formerly Watergate Pointe | 60 ft | 160 | Available — ask for grades when you book |
| Annapolis City MarinaIts own transient rate table carries the line that sets expectations downtown: "41' and over: All Slips Filled". Above about 40 ft, ask before you count on a berth here. This is also the berth Boatyard Bar & Grill directs diners to. | 410 Severn Avenue, Eastport — Spa Creek | — | — | — |
| Annapolis City Dock — HarbormasterThe City Dock Resiliency Project runs 2026 through early 2028 and has closed many slips and suspended some water and power hookups; only limited Ego Alley bulkhead remains while the work runs. The City publishes 17 slips and 978 feet of linear dock space, which is what the dock looks like when it is whole. Check with the Harbormaster before planning a downtown berth. | City Dock and Ego Alley | — | — | — |
| Chesapeake Harbour MarinaMaximum length, slips and depth are settled on the telephone here rather than published. Call the marina before you plan a berth around it. | Bay Ridge — the Severn River mouth | — | — | — |
| Safe Harbor OxfordWet slips to 60 ft alongside transient dockage to 120 ft, with a 75-ton lift — the same ceiling as the Annapolis yards. The nearest leg of the Chesapeake cruising triangle. | Oxford, Maryland — Tred Avon River, roughly 30 to 35 nm southeast | 120 ft | — | Regular diesel and regular gas |
| Safe Harbor ZahnisersWet slips from 19 ft to 140 ft with a maximum beam of 40 ft and a maximum draft of 12 ft — deeper than anything published in Annapolis — and a 75-tonne lift. A deeper-water alternative when the Annapolis creeks are the constraint. | Solomons, Maryland — Patuxent River, roughly 45 to 50 nm south | 140 ft | — | — |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastport Yacht ClubForty-seven wet slips — 11 lift, 19 on A dock and 11 floating — and depth at mean low water of 6 feet. It also runs the busiest club calendar in the market, from the Santa Maria Cup to the Lights Parade; dates come from the club, so check with them before you plan around one. | 317 First Street — Spa Creek | — | 47 | — |
| Annapolis Yacht ClubOrganiser of the Annapolis to Newport Race. Dockage is arranged through the club rather than published — call before you plan on a slip here. | 2 Compromise Street — Spa Creek | — | — | — |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Annapolis
What limits where you can take a boat around Annapolis is depth, not height. Eastport Yacht Club states that depth at mean low water is 6 feet. The Marina at Nautilus Point publishes dockside depths of roughly 3 to 7 feet against an approach of about 9 feet. Horn Point Harbor Marina takes 12 feet of draft, the deepest figure in the city. Everywhere else in the creeks, confirm the depth with the marina before you arrive.
One thing to clear up before you plan a delivery, because it is the most common confusion about this harbour: Annapolis lies south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. A yacht arriving from the Atlantic through the Chesapeake entrance at Norfolk runs up the Bay and turns into the Severn without ever passing under it. The bridge's air draft binds northbound traffic heading to Baltimore or the C&D Canal, and nobody else.
The reason to keep a boat in Annapolis is the cruising triangle within a day's run. Oxford, on the Tred Avon roughly 30 to 35 nm southeast, has Safe Harbor Oxford: transient dockage to 120 ft, wet slips to 60 ft, regular diesel and regular gas, and a 75-ton lift. Solomons, on the Patuxent roughly 45 to 50 nm south, has Safe Harbor Zahnisers with wet slips from 19 to 140 ft, transient to 140 ft, a maximum beam of 40 ft and maximum draft of 12 ft — deeper than anything published in Annapolis itself — and a 75-tonne lift again. St. Michaels on the Miles River is roughly 25 to 30 nm east, takes transient bookings and sells fuel with the pumps open until 8pm; settle length and depth with the harbour when you book. Rock Hall, about 20 nm north, has Haven Harbour with a fuel dock and transient reservations, booked the same way. Those distances are rhumb-line estimates, for orientation rather than navigation.
Anchoring is administered by the City and the rules are published. There are 76 moorings at $40 to $45 per night across the Severn River, Weems Creek, Spa Creek and Back Creek, with no stated size restriction, and you must register if you anchor more than three days. Anchoring is banned in the Main Entrance Channel and within 300 feet of bridges.
⚠️ The City publishes a warning that deserves to be read twice: "The holding ground in City Waters is generally poor, and changes in wind direction or current frequently result in boats dragging anchor." Set accordingly, and do not leave the boat unattended on the hook here on a shifting breeze.
- City Waters anchorages and moorings — Severn River, Weems Creek, Spa Creek and Back CreekThe City publishes a safety warning worth reading twice: "The holding ground in City Waters is generally poor, and changes in wind direction or current frequently result in boats dragging anchor." Set accordingly. Anchoring is banned in the Main Entrance Channel and within 300 feet of bridges, and there is no stated size restriction on the moorings.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bert Jabin Yacht YardMore than 200 wet slips for power and sail, with over 25 marine service providers on site. Its own boatlifts are limited to powerboats under 20,000 lbs and under 40 ft LOA, so the heavy lifting here happens at the yards that publish 75 tons. | 7310 Edgewood Road — Back Creek | 55 ft | Larger slips are available for short term dockage only |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- Fawcett Boat Supplies — 919 Bay Ridge RoadA chandlery founded in 1948, offering installation, inflatable repair, repowers, custom fabrication, winterization and storage. No dock of its own — walk in from a berth.
On the Annapolis calendar
Annapolis runs four in-water boat shows a year — the organiser's own phrase is "four premier in-water events", and it notes it has been doing this "for more than 50 years". The 2026–27 dates published are: Powerboat Show, October 8–11, 2026; Sailboat Show, October 15–18, 2026; Bay Bridge Boat Show, April 16–18, 2027 at Grasonville; and Spring Sailboat Show, April 23–25, 2027.
The calendar leans sail, and so does the market behind it. Two of those four are explicitly sailboat shows, and the marquee race is a sailing race: the Annapolis to Newport Race, organised by Annapolis Yacht Club, publishes Start 1 on Friday, June 4, 2027 and Start 2 on Saturday, June 5, 2027. Eastport Yacht Club runs a full season of its own — the Santa Maria Cup, the Maryland Cures Cancer Regatta, the CRAB Cup, A2B, the J/22 Worlds and the Lights Parade — with dates from the club, so check with them before you plan a trip around one.
The Harbormaster's mooring rate schedule is stated as effective July 1, 2026 — a summer-anchored calendar in a harbour whose yards work through the winter.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Annapolis
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you haul out a large yacht in Annapolis?
Not above about 75 tons, which is roughly a 70 to 80 ft boat. South Annapolis Yacht Centre publishes a 75-ton travel lift and Port Annapolis Marina publishes lifts for vessels up to 75 tons. Down the Bay it holds: Safe Harbor Oxford publishes a 75-ton lift and Safe Harbor Zahnisers at Solomons a 75-tonne lift. Bert Jabin Yacht Yard's own boatlifts stop far lower, at powerboats under 20,000 lbs and under 40 ft. So a 100 ft motoryacht can tie up in Annapolis and cannot be hauled here. That is the single most useful thing to know before choosing this as a home port.
Does the Chesapeake Bay Bridge limit what can reach Annapolis from the ocean?
No. Annapolis lies south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, so a yacht arriving from the Atlantic through the Chesapeake entrance at Norfolk runs up the Bay and turns into the Severn without ever passing beneath it. The bridge's air draft only binds vessels heading further north, to Baltimore or the C&D Canal. What does constrain arrivals here is water depth in the creeks.
What is the largest yacht that can dock in Annapolis?
Yacht Basin Company at the Spa Creek mouth states that its three deep water face docks take vessels up to 240 feet, the largest capacity in Annapolis. Two others reach into large-yacht territory: Horn Point Harbor Marina publishes berths exceeding 130 feet at the mouth of Back Creek, and South Annapolis Yacht Centre takes 135 ft. Horn Point describes itself as one of only three marinas in Annapolis able to provide dockage to large motor and sailing yachts, and behind those three the market drops quickly to 120, 80 and 60 ft.
Is the Annapolis City Dock open for transient dockage?
Only partially. The City Dock Resiliency Project runs 2026 through early 2028 and has already closed many City Dock slips and suspended some water and power hookups, leaving only limited Ego Alley bulkhead available. When whole, the City publishes 17 slips and 978 feet of linear dock space, hail on VHF 17, at $3 per foot on weekdays and $4 per foot at weekends and holidays. Check with the Harbormaster before planning around a downtown berth.
How much draft can you take into Annapolis?
Depth, not clearance, is what limits access here. Horn Point Harbor Marina accommodates yachts drawing up to 12 feet, the deepest claim in the city. Eastport Yacht Club states depth at mean low water is 6 feet. The Marina at Nautilus Point publishes approach depths around 9 feet and dockside depths of roughly 3 to 7 feet. Everywhere else, confirm the depth with the marina before you arrive. Down the Bay, Safe Harbor Zahnisers at Solomons allows a 12 ft maximum draft on a 40 ft maximum beam.