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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, Crab boat with crab pots (traps), Chesapeake Beach, 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.

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

    [photo, Boat rack along St. Mary's River, St. Mary's City, Maryland] In 2012, approximately 550 marinas, 41,000 in-water boat slips, and some 261 public boat ramps were found in Maryland along with 154 additional public access sites for boating. Annual recreational boating expenditures in 2009 in Maryland totaled 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, Skipjack H. M. Krentz on Miles River, St. Michaels, Maryland] In 2011, Maryland registered 188,623 pleasure boats; 2,739 commercial boats; and 8,845 federally documented vessels (principally used in Maryland).

    On the Eastern Shore, each July, the Cambridge Classic powerboat races are held. Dating from 1910, they are the nation's oldest active powerboat races.

    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 2015. The Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show will be held April 2015.

    Annapolis, Maryland's capital city, hosts the Annual United States Sailboat Show, and the Annual United States Powerboat Show each October at the City Dock.

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

    The 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships will be held in McHenry, in Garrett County. The international event, which will be held Sept. 17-21, 2014, requires competitors to navigate a 300-meter whitewater course in either a canoe or kayak.

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    Maryland at a Glance

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