Maryland has 23 rivers and bays with more than 400 miles of water tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, and coastal bays. Some 35 miles of water are accessible to and from the Atlantic Ocean. In 2001, Maryland has 598 marinas; 43,341 wet boat slips; and some 250 public boat ramps and access points. The Department of Natural Resources provides information about public boat launch facilities in Maryland.

Pride of Baltimore II, docked in Annapolis harbor, Annapolis, Maryland, September 2002. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

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.

Information about licensing, boat titles, and boat registration is available from the Licensing and Registration Service of the Department of Natural Resources.

Annapolis waterfront, Spa Creek (near juncture with Severn River), Annapolis, Maryland, May 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

In 2000, Maryland registered 211,923 pleasure boats; 9,098 federally documented vessels (principally used in Maryland); 3,737 commercial boats; and 17,154 other kinds of vessels. Annually, recreational boating expenditures in Maryland, total over $1 billion, providing a net addition of over $980 million each year.

Sailboats docked at Nabbs Creek, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, August 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Commission
Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission
Chesapeake Bay Trust
Maryland Government
Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance

Maryland Manual On-Line

Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@mdarchives.state.md.us