Adventures in Boating: The Chesapeake Bay
While tucked in neatly between the Mid-Atlantic shorelines of Virginia and Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay gets its waters from about six other states and more than 150 rivers and streams (which makes up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed). The Bay has 11,600 miles of shoreline, making it the largest estuary in America and the third largest in the world. Depth average is 21 feet deep, but there are 100-foot-deep channels in some places.
Chesapeake Bay (Photo: Wikimedia)
Navigated by many, the history books usually credit English explorer Captain John Smith due to his mapping and descriptions. Popular activities in and around the Bay include kayaking, sailing and yacht racing, swimming, birdwatching and fishing for cobia, rockfish, flounder, croaker, bluefish and sturgeon.
Rivers Flowing into the Chesapeake Bay
- Susquehanna
- James
- Potomac
- Rappahannock
- York
- Patapsco
- Pocomoke
- Nanticoke
- Choptank
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel
One of the most scenic and fun (or terrifying to some) parts of the Bay (by car) is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. It’s in the lower Chesapeake, just off the coast of Virginia Beach, where the Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The bridge consists of 17.6 miles of road and two tunnels across open water to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The North Channel of the bridge has a vertical clearance of 75 feet. The Fisherman Inlet Channel is at 40 feet in vertical clearance. It’s also cool to look up at the bridge from the bow of a boat.
There are a wide array of coastal towns, fishing communities and major ports (like Baltimore and Hampton Roads) along the Bay. Today, we’re going to discuss a few of these Bayside towns where boating, watersports and maritime history rule.
Maryland
Havre de Grace
Located on the Susquehanna River at the head of the Bay, Havre de Grace offers a waterfront boardwalk, seafood and wildlife decoy festivals, a Pete Dye-designed golf course, Susquehanna State Park and Concord Point Lighthouse. Marinas offer transient slips, sailing lessons, fishing charters and fuel docks. There are public boat ramps for trailering boats and getting to and from private boat dock rentals.
Baltimore
Baltimore Inner Harbor (Photo: Pixabay)
Home to everyone’s favorite seasoning, Old Bay, Baltimore is located on the Patapsco River where it flows into the Bay. Bayside Baltimore attractions include the Inner Harbor, National Aquarium and lots of maritime history as well as Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens fans are familiar with it). You can also take water taxis around Charm City.
Annapolis
Annapolis City Docks (Photo: Pixabay)
America’s Sailing Capital of Annapolis is located on the Severn River, a tidal tributary of the Chesapeake. t’s easy to sail into the Bay via a marina, boat ramp or private boat dock rental. Check out the maritime museum, state parks and historic waterfront with restaurants highlighting the best Chesapeake Bay seafood (don’t forget the Old Bay).
Deale
Looking for a fishing trip? Located on Herring Bay, Deale is home to more than 40 charter fishing boats. It offers easy access to the Bay for a day of fishing, sailing or jet skiing. Check out the waterfront restaurants if you get the chance.
Kent Island
Kent Narrows Crab Deck
Kent Island is just off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (in Maryland, not the bridge/tunnel in Virginia) where it connects the western and eastern shores of Maryland. Kent Island/Kent Narrows is a popular spot for waterfront dining and nature watching. Don’t miss the Matapeake Pier and Boat Ramp or the Romancoke Pier and Kayak Ramp if you’re trailering your boat or heading to a private boat slip for rent on the Bay.
St. Michaels
Hooper Strait Lighthouse (Photo: Wikimedia)
St. Michaels, on the Miles River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, is one of those quaint seaside towns just made for strolling and bicycling. Visit local restaurants, shops and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Marina where you can see the Hooper Strait Lighthouse and a large collection of sail and power boats. Cruises on the H.M. Krentz skipjack are available.
Tilghman Island
Tilghman Island sits on a point where the Choptank River meets the Bay. It’s about three miles long with a drawbridge for vehicle access. It boasts the only commercial sailing fleet in America (the Chesapeake Bay Skipjacks). Book charter fishing trips, visit Sharps Island Lighthouse or go kayaking and paddleboarding.
Crisfield
Crisfield is home to Somers Cove Marina, one of the largest marinas on the East Coast. Head there for charter fishing trips and transient boat slips. It’s well-known for annual festivals featuring softshell crabs and clam bakes.
Virginia
Tangier Island
Photo: Pixabay
Any waterman worth his/her salt needs to visit Tangier Island at least once. The tiny island in the middle of the Bay is about one mile wide and three miles long (with about 700 residents). Leave by ferry from Crisfield, Maryland or Reedville and Onancock, Virginia. Take a golf cart ride around the island and sample seafood (probably caught that morning).
Irvington
Irvington is on the Rappahannock River where it flows into the Bay along Virginia’s Northern Neck. The town is well-known for the historic Tides Inn and Resort, which opened in 1947. Check out the Steamboat Era Museum or tee off at two area golf courses.
White Stone
Windmill Point Bay views
White Stone is about 20 minutes (by car) from Irvington. Windmill Point Marina sits on a point where the Rappahannock River meets the Bay. There’s a marina, fuel docks and a public boat launch if you don’t have a private boat slip rental. Enjoy outdoor dining and Bay breezes K.C.’s Restaurant and Tiki Bar. To get there by water, you can leave from Nomad Norview Marina in Deltaville and cross the Rappahannock.
Urbanna
The annual Urbanna Oyster Festival is a big draw for boaters, seafood lovers and Bay enthusiasts (around 75,000, in fact). Located on the Rappahannock River with easy access to the Bay, the town has a couple of waterfront restaurants, an RV park and campground with a boat ramp and the nearby Virginia Motor Speedway dirt track car racing.
Matthews County
Matthews County is a rural small town on the eastern tip of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. Visit the Gwynn’s Island Museum and downtown Matthews or go kayaking and canoeing. There’s a Matthew’s Loop of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. Grab your binoculars to catch sight of New Point Comfort Lighthouse while you’re on the boat.
Norfolk
Photo: Unsplash
Located along the Elizabeth River, Norfolk is home to the world’s largest Navy base at Naval Station Norfolk. Visit the Nauticus museum complex and the Battleship Wisconsin, take harbor cruises and watch barges, tugs and sailboats. There’s a historic downtown area, private boat lifts for rent and relaxing Chesapeake Bay beaches.
Virginia Beach
Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, situated where the Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean is a widely popular vacation and spring break spot. Walk along the boardwalk, book charter fishing and whale-watching trips or check out the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Sciences Center and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.
Cape Charles
Virginia LOVE at Cape Charles
Cape Charles sits directly on the Chesapeake Bay on Virginia's Eastern Shore. There’s a Bayfront beach, two Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, a town marina, and several hotels in this small-town setting. Don’t forget to visit Kiptopeke State Park and the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo: Wikimedia
We hope you’ve discovered some new places to visit and things to do on the Chesapeake Bay. We think it's a terrific area to visit from a private boat lift rental. Let us know what you find!
