# Liveaboards in Annapolis



## RW Sailor (Dec 14, 2012)

Hello everybody,
I finally made it to actually finding a pretty boat, suitable for live aboard and looking into getting a nice liveaboard slip in Annapolis. So I was wondering, not only if there are people who can recommend particular marinas in the area but also if maybe somebody is living there already and possibly also know about the commute to DC.
I do not have a car and would go to DC by public transport or carpooling every day, any experiences on that out there?
Thank you already for sharing!


----------



## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

DC by public transport is all but impossible, car pool perhaps but you WILL have traffic unless you work odd hours, 

they used to have bus service from strategic points, others will chime in with that.


----------



## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

RW:

Here is a thread to get you started. There are some marinas listed. Port Annapolis is a popular one. I don't live aboard but I've visited that marina several times and it is beautiful.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/cruising-liveaboard-forum/59668-annapolis-live-aboard-marinas.html


----------



## RW Sailor (Dec 14, 2012)

Great! Thank you! I looked around quite a bit already, but that one is new!
And I realized that commuting is not too bad, but it still ends up being about 3 hours a day (both ways) but at least staying close to nice sailing!


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Wingnwing lives aboard in Annapolis, 

The commute to DC sucks no matter which direction you do it from. I go from Baltimore, but down to 50 near Annapolis and in. There are cxommuter buses from the parking lots along 50, but youd have to get to there.

Dave


----------



## lancelot9898 (Dec 30, 2008)

Years ago my ex and I lived aboard at Port Annapolis on Back Creek and commuted to Bethesda daily to our government jobs. Not a pleasant commute. The marina had a dock devoted to liveaboards(F dock) and I still think many liveaboards are there today. My reference is from 20 years ago so things do change.


----------



## AirborneSF (Dec 14, 2010)

Have you checked into marinas in/around D.C.? .02


----------



## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

Port Annapolis, Annapolis Landing, Jabins are the three big marinas on that side of Back Creek that are liveaboard friendly, lots of smaller ones as well. There's a commuter bus that's a great option to get to downtown, yes traffic is a challenge but hey, you can read or sleep on the bus. That bus stop is about 5 miles from the marina. There is also a bus that leaves from the same stop that connects you with the metro. The closest local bus is about a mile from the marinas, you'd have to take that to get to the downtown bus stop & change busses, I don't know how practical that would be. But a number of the liveaboards here work downtown and you could probably arrange a carpool. 

Near DC, there's Gangplank - wonderful location but long waiting list, Tantallon doesn't have a waiting list but gets mixed reviews. Maybe National Harbor? The problem with the DC marinas is you can't go sailing on the weekends. From an Annapolis marina, you go from your slip to sailing the Chesapeake in about 10 minutes.


----------



## RW Sailor (Dec 14, 2012)

Thank you everybody for all the input, will check on the suggested Marinas!
The trouble about living aboard in DC or Ft. Washington is really that on a weekend it's not really possible to do some nice sailing... so I'ld rather be out on the bay... but I guess that's a matter of personal opinion.
Baltimore would also be an option, but I think the commute from there turns out even more expensive than from Annapolis... assuming it is 5 days a week most of the year it's quite a bit of money in the end...
Thanks a lot for now!


----------



## TheTardis (Oct 27, 2012)

If you a seriously considering Baltimore as on option, there are many nice liveaboard friendly marinas. Depending on what creature comforts you want, there are options in many price ranges. I just recently went through the same process to find a marina that allowed liveaboards, since the marina my boat is currently at isn't allowing any new liveaboards. 
I'm moving to Henderson's wharf marina. I liked the location and the price. No fancy club house, but they have wifi, free cable, secured parking, newly remodeled bathhouse with washer/dryer, mailboxes on site, great location in Fell's Point, and very laid back, friendly people. Oh, and electric is included in your slip fee..no matter now many heaters you run ;-)

Many people like Baltimore Marine Centers. Baltimore Marine Centers > Home because they have several locations and offer everything from a floating tiki bar to a pool and gym. But they are much more expensive.

As far as the commute to DC goes, if you only need to work Mon - Fri, many people take the MARC train. It is fast and affordable. You could take the free bus to Penn station and then grab the MARC.

Just an option to think about.


----------



## RW Sailor (Dec 14, 2012)

Well, Baltimore definitely is an option.
What I want or at least like to have is a reasonable price Commute to DC that is doable on an every day basis, nice sailing around

As far as the marina is concerned: reasonable priced, ideally WiFi and a nice Bathhouse and I am happy, everything else I am happy about but not a must. 
A fee including electricity sounds great though! Will look into that tonight. Do you have a few names in mind for nice but low priced liveaboard marinas in Baltimore? And do you happen to know how long the commute would be?
Thank you already...


----------



## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

RW Sailor said:


> Well, Baltimore definitely is an option.
> What I want or at least like to have is a reasonable price Commute to DC that is doable on an every day basis, nice sailing around
> 
> As far as the marina is concerned: reasonable priced, ideally WiFi and a nice Bathhouse and I am happy, everything else I am happy about but not a must.
> ...


Well over an hour, bus to train, train to DC, train to metro or local bus or walk, either way it will still be 3 hours a day out of your life that could be better spent doing almost anything. Compare costs, and make sure your work schedule coincides with your commute options...just like Monday, where a LOT of stuff is simply shut down for events or weather or construction or delays. MARC trains used to be fairly reliable during rush hour, not so much other times of the day. ie, they may run 15-20 minutes apart rush hour, couple of hours apart the rest of the day.

It comes down to what you can endure, to sit on the boat when you do get time to sit down. I have friends on the Northern Neck who did/do twice, or more, the commute time to afford an other wise un-affordable home on the water for decades.

YMMV, best of luck in what ever you choose.


----------



## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

A tool you can use to look at public transit options is Google Maps. 

Click the "Directions" button, Enter a starting address or even just a town and a destination. Then click on the "bus" icon.

If you click "options" under destination you can choose a preference of bus, subway, train or train/light rail. You can even enter the day/time and it will give you bus/train numbers and connections - though they're not always complete.


----------



## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

Baltimore's nice for living, and about 1/2 or 2/3 the price of Annapolis. But ... and it's a big BUT, it fails one of your vital criteria. You're about an hour up the Patapsco from sailing. Ya gets, unfortunately, what ya pays for.


----------



## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

wingNwing said:


> Baltimore's nice for living, and about 1/2 or 2/3 the price of Annapolis. But ... and it's a big BUT, it fails one of your vital criteria. You're about an hour up the Patapsco from sailing. Ya gets, unfortunately, what ya pays for.


and a lot of big ship traffic...


----------



## RW Sailor (Dec 14, 2012)

Good point about being away from sailing in Baltimore. Even though it is much closer than DC or also washington Fort already.
Are any of you people out there staying in liveaboard Marinas in Annapolis and have suggestions or are staying in a Marina and would like some handy company who is happy to fix up boats?


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

wingNwing said:


> Baltimore's nice for living, and about 1/2 or 2/3 the price of Annapolis. But ... and it's a big BUT, it fails one of your vital criteria. You're about an hour up the Patapsco from sailing. Ya gets, unfortunately, what ya pays for.


Unless you stay at the Maryland Yacht Club, we can sail into our slips. We are at the end of the Patapsco on Rock Creek where I am. We have liveaboards. We are as close the the Bay as Annapolis in a nice creek and setting. You can sail 1 hour up to Baltimore center, sail the huge wide Patapsco when the Bay is blowing 35 knots, or sail right out into the Bay as quickly as you can from Annapolis. A lot less crowded also than Annapolis.
Annapolis is a quaint energetic town and the marinas are mega marinas with well over 500 boats. This is a 124 boat slip hurricane hole protected from winds and the oldest Yacht Club on the Chesapeake, But it isnt one of the snooty ones.

Our prices are two thirds the price of any slips you will find in Annapolis. We have a pool, restaurant, laundry facilities, 10 year old docks and piers, fuel dock, pump out and over 12 acreas of land in quiet suburban setting right on the corner of the Patapsco River and the Chesapeak bay. From the Clubhouse you can see across the Bay to Tolchester. Close to stores,

You didnt say the size of boat, But membership in the club, a 60 foot slip with a 35 foot side pier, would run less than, 3400 per year. $1000 food chit ( you pay $100 a mmonth) for the club restaurant and the food and drinks are discounted. (Our slips run $40 per foot) So cost per year is $4,400 and that includes the $1000 you get back in food. Annapolis will run you well over $6500 for just a smaller slip than 60 ft for sure. ( For that $2000 a year you can get a small used car to commute the 20 minutes to BWI. ) BTW if you take the Marc on a monthly pass parking is free there.

In terms of sailing, hard to beat as you are 4 hours sailing time to Annapolis, Rock Hall, Sassafras River, Worton Creek, Still Pond , Chester River, 7 hours to St Michaels or the West and Rhode Rivers. Very well located to explore the North and Central Chesapeake on a weekend.

Commute is not a bad one to DC. Bus to BWI takes 20 minutes, where you can catc MarC train or Busses to Metro or cnter of DC. By car 55 minutes to DC from the club. Check us out we have 12 liveaboards. What kind of boat?

When you open the website, in the pitcure the Chesapeake is to the right of the green peninsula at the bottom sticking out ( thats Fort Smallwood) so you can see how close we are to sailing in the Bay.
Chesapeake Bay Boating and Sailing Clubs ~ Maryland Yacht Club

Check it out and feel free to PM me,


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

kd3pc said:


> and a lot of big ship traffic...


That statement is so misleading, and shouldnt be used as criteria as it is a misleading one You make it sound like you are close to the ships.

Most of the big carriers are down between Ft McHenry and the Key Bridge and it is big wide open 3 mile river there.

The big ships traffic stay in a small channel and is the same big ship traffic you see in the channels in the Chesapeake as they have to go somewhere to leave baltimore? In ten years we have never had a problem or encoutered one of them. The Severn River is a lot more crowded with darting vessels than the Patapsco.


----------



## RW Sailor (Dec 14, 2012)

chef2sail,
sounds really nice and reasonable priced. The boat would be a 30 foot, 11 foot beam, so not quite as big as you assumed ;-)
I will try contact them tomorrow and figure out the options. True, it takes longer but the money being saved it might make more sense after all... Plus the location and amenities sounds really great!


----------

