Boaters who haven’t set a waypoint for Annapolis, Maryland, the past few years might be surprised by how much they find there.

“Annapolis, for years and years, was really traditional with what was downtown,” says Samantha Branham, regional director for Safe Harbor Marinas. “But the landscape has changed. They’ve built it up, and there are new restaurants right on the waterfront. It’s really cool.”

One of her newer favorites is The Choptank, billed as a classic fish and crab house. Its deck overlooks the boating action. “You’re sitting right over everything,” Branham says.

Another favorite of hers is Preserve, which is on Main Street. The menu shows a range of options from lamb ragu to vegan pot de creme, but Branham goes for the oysters, which she orders topped with creative accompaniments. “They’ll do things that are a little different, like a pickled onion mignonette,” she says, adding that she has also enjoyed the apple variation. “It was really sweet.”

To work off some of the calories, boaters can head back to Safe Harbor Annapolis, which has tennis and pickleball courts for member use. After that, maybe it’s a light nosh at The Fat Crab restaurant on-site, with a newly extended pavilion, before another walk around downtown.

“It’s the state capital, so there’s also a lot of history,” she says. “You can do walking tours. The Naval Academy is there. It can be romantic, or it can be good for a family with kids. It’s beautiful. I’m biased, but I think it’s the most beautiful place in the world.”

Local Delicacy

So many places serve crab in Annapolis that eateries regularly battle to make it onto Top 10 lists. Crab cakes, crab bisque, crab dip and soft-shell crabs are just some of the varieties.

Music Galore

A newer event in the city is the Annapolis Songwriters Festival, which takes place in September. It was created a few years ago and is modeled after the Key West Songwriters Festival, with dozens of free performances over the course of four days, as well as some ticketed concerts for highlighted acts. Shows performed at the City Dock are free for children 12 and younger, with additional venues typically including Maryland Hall and Rams Head On Stage. Some musicians also perform in the local parks, hotels and bars, with many of those concerts free for boaters who are having a walkabout downtown. The styles of music at this festival are wide-ranging, with a little bit of something for everyone.

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Things have changed at the Town of Palm Beach Marina on Florida’s southeast coast—in ways that are good for transient boaters who want to enjoy the popular shopping and dining that’s just steps away.

“In the old marina, we were at such a high occupancy with long-term leases that a lot of people wouldn’t even reach out for transient dockage,” says Marina Manager Mike Horn. “I think a lot of people still believe that, and it’s just not true.”

In 2021, the marina reopened after a $40 million renovation. The old facility was demolished and replaced with new docks and amenities.

“It was cheap to stay in our marina back then, and people would sign up for a lease even if they weren’t there,” says Carolyn Stone, deputy town manager, business enterprise and culture. “But it’s different now.”

During the off-season in the summertime, about 70 percent of the marina’s space opens up to transients at rates that can be less than half-price for slips, Horn says. “The majority of the restaurants are still open,” he adds. “It’s not like the town folds up in the summertime. It’s a good time to get into the restaurants, and we’re about three-quarters of a mile from the beach if people want to walk down there.”

In fact, Stone says, using the marina as a home base for touring the area at this time of year can be a smart option compared to shoreside accommodations. “In the summer months, if you want to take a vacation in Palm Beach, you’ll do better staying on your boat,” she says. “It’s a great way to see Palm Beach with less crowds and more availability.” 

Center of the universe

President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is about a mile and a half—the next bridge down the waterway—from the Town of Palm Beach Marina. Boaters are not allowed to display political flags from either party, so everyone can feel welcome along the docks, but plenty of people involved with national politics are typically in this area, including to shop along Worth Avenue.

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Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, are common stopovers for cruisers heading south along the Eastern Seaboard at this time of year. About halfway between them, near Mile Marker 675 on the Intracoastal Waterway, is a gem of a spot: St. Simons Island, Georgia.

This barrier island is part of Georgia’s Golden Isles region, with permanent residents as well as a seasonal influx of visitors during summer and autumn. The island is marketed as “unhurried and underdeveloped,” combining a beach lifestyle with golf, restaurants, spas, boutiques and the like.

“We’ve found that a lot of people aren’t going to Florida because it’s getting so expensive, between insurance and dockage being much harder to find,” says Kyle Schieferdecker, the dockmaster at Brunswick Landing Marina, which is just a few miles from St. Simons and can take yachts up to 240 feet long. “People are starting to come up here. Our weather isn’t much different from Jacksonville and north Florida.”

Most of the boats that come through this area are between about 40 and 150 feet length overall. Folks can go ashore to explore all the offerings on land, or zip up and down the Georgia coastline by tender.

“Fernandina or Savannah even are easy trips,” Schieferdecker says. “It’s a couple hours on the boat with a tender that runs at 25 knots.”

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On St. Simons Island, of course, there’s a lighthouse; it was built in 1872 and restored in 1975, and is now open for tours. Visitors can climb up to the tower or check out the museum exhibits in the Keeper’s Dwelling.

Nature lovers who want to get off the boat and stretch their legs can head over to Cannon’s Point Preserve, which spans 644 acres and includes options for kayaking, fishing and picnicking. Some of this preserve’s shell middens—collections of shells left behind by earlier populations—date to 2500 BCE.

That walk is a fun look back in time before heading over to Pier Village for modern-day dining and entertainment.  

Pier Village

This is the downtown social hub on St. Simons Island. Restaurants include Barbara Jean’s, which serves up crab cakes and she-crab soup, as well as Iguanas, known for locally caught wild Georgia shrimp and scallops. Shops are fun and quirky, from St. Simons Bait & Tackle to Moondance Vintage Clothing, which sells pieces from the 1940s through the 1970s. Neptune Park has water views along with picnic tables, a children’s playground and a mini-golf course. The bandstand hosts events. Tasty treats are on the menu at St. Simons Sweets, which has 24 flavors of homemade ice cream along with pralines, brownie sticks and more.

WWII Museum

The World War II home front museum has its home on St. Simons Island, housed in the 1936 Historic St. Simons Coast Guard Station. Interactive exhibits detail how this region was instrumental in protecting the US coast from German submarines, training fighter pilots, and building Liberty Ships to supply the troops overseas. Children’s exhibits include maritime skills-building such as tying knots, giving the little ones a way to learn something they can use out on the water every day. The World War II heritage trail, which the museum is part of, includes 11 sites showcasing the ways that Southern states were critical to the war effort.

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This past spring was more than a little bit challenging for the snowbirds and superyachts that typically stop at Baltimore as they cruise north for the summer. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge blocked traffic in and out of the Inner Harbor, with only a temporary channel opening by late May and the regular channel staying partially closed until mid-June. By then, a lot of boaters—even if they adored Baltimore’s marina services and shoreside activities—had made alternate plans.

“Literally the day that the bridge collapsed, the phone stopped ringing,” says Joel Schlossberg, general manager at Lighthouse Point Marina. “We didn’t get transient reservations because they didn’t know when the channel would be reopened. We had some cruisers’ clubs who had made us a destination for early June, and they had to make other arrangements.”

Now, as boaters prepare to cruise back south for the autumn and winter, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is fully accessible for business. Anyone cruising through can book a reservation at Lighthouse Point, which had just reopened with new slips and linear dockage for superyachts before the bridge collapsed. As part of phase-two renovations, Lighthouse Point expects to have its new boaters’ lounge, marina office and fitness center open around October 1.

This winter, more improvements are in the works for the spring 2025 cruising season. Boaters who want to stop at Baltimore can make plans well in advance for next year’s pilgrimage to be even better, Schlossberg says: “We have showers available now, but our new ones will wrap up construction, along with our boater courtyard with nice seating and grills.”

Classic Waterfront Views

Canton is one of the largest historic districts in Baltimore. The waterfront park is so scenic that it has become a favorite of wedding photographers. Oyster bars and crab shacks are all within walking distance.

Inner Harbor

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a great place for cruising couples and families to stop for a few days to take in the sights. Broadway Pier, shown at left, is a National Heritage Area that’s a fun spot to watch the comings and goings of towboats, classic sailing vessels, and US Coast Guard and Navy ships. National Aquarium is free for kids younger than 4, with discounted admission for anyone younger than 21 or older than 70. Its exhibits focus on all kinds of water-based animals and ecosystems, from dolphins to coral reefs.  USS Constellation tours are available for anyone who wants to imagine what life was like aboard a sail-powered warship in 1854. The Maryland Science Center is for curious minds of all ages, with shows in a planetarium and an IMAX theater.

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Few harbors showcase as salty a New England scene as Nantucket’s does during the annual Race Week festivities. This year’s celebration is scheduled to take place August 14-18, with regattas, events and parties for sailors of all ages. Powerboaters get a free show, with colorful sails and some seriously competitive skippers filling the water views.

On shore, Nantucket is a favorite destination all summer long too. The local culture and tourism department has maps for self-guided walking tours, birding enthusiasts, and pocket parks where cruisers can get off the boat to enjoy a snack or read for a bit. During the summer months, there are two guided walking tours daily, each of them with about 60 minutes’ worth of island and whaling history included.

Straight Wharf is a great place for a stroll through the shops, with the Nantucket Peddler offering island-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and jackets for wearing the whole rest of the year. Straight Wharf Restaurant has dinner seating as well as spots in the bar, where the finger foods include house-spiced olives and smoked bluefish pate.

Another memorable stop is the Egan Maritime Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, which is expected to have two new exhibits this summer. The Monaghan Gallery will showcase the US Coast Guard and its Nantucket missions of rescue, environmental protection and maritime law enforcement, while the recently renovated boathouse will host the exhibit Risk, Rescue & Recognition: Nantucket’s Heroes of the Sea. During July and August, this museum also offers outdoor activities for the whole family.

For boaters who prefer to visit Nantucket in the autumn months, after all the summer tourists are gone, September and October offer an unusual sight: the flooding of the Milestone Cranberry Bog for harvesting. This is the largest bog in North America, and it turns red during this time of year. On Columbus Day, there’s an Annual Cranberry Festival.

Boat Basin

Renovated cottages at the Nantucket Boat Basin reopened in April, giving visiting boaters a place to kick back and relax on land if they need time ashore. The marina has high-season rates from June 20 through September 8, with boats smaller than 60 feet paying as much as $11.50 per foot and yachts larger than 125 feet paying up to $16.50 per foot. Services include bicycle rentals, help with taxis, restaurant reservations and daysail bookings. Check-in is at 1 p.m., and the Boat Basin monitors VHF channels 9 and 11. The fuel dock sells gas and diesel, and has pump-out services. Pump-out can also be done slipside during certain hours.

Whaling Museum

This popular attraction is less than a half-mile walk from the Nantucket Boat Basin. Four centuries of history are documented in the museum’s nine galleries, which contain more than a thousand works of art and artifacts. Cranberry pickers is one notable recent acquisition by Eastman Johnson, the primary artist of national importance associated with Nantucket in the late 19th century. Kids activities include a historic properties scavenger hunt, along with activity books about locally inspired topics such as scrimshaw and whale ships. The museum shop sells apparel, house and home items, and art objects including Nantucket lightship baskets. 

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Safe Harbor Marinas is continuing its efforts to expand superyacht marinas and services outside the usual locations. The company has reportedly inked a deal with the government of Puerto Rico to transform two docks into a marina able to service about six of these larger yachts.

Plans are for the first phase of construction to be up and running by the end of this year, with the second phase completed in late 2025. Overall, Safe Harbor is expected to invest $12 million to $15 million in the project.

The announcement follows other additions to the Safe Harbor network with an eye toward servicing superyachts. About a year ago, Safe Harbor acquired Savannah Yacht Center in Georgia. At the time of that deal, Baxter Underwood, CEO of Safe Harbor Marinas, said: “The world’s largest vessels have historically been forced to cross the Atlantic for certain services. This facility allows us to serve them with excellence here in the United States and inside the Safe Harbor network.”

The new Puerto Rico facility will not be Safe Harbor’s first foray onto the island. In 2021, the company acquired Puerto Del Rey, which is in Fajardo. It’s marketed as the largest marina in the Caribbean, with wet slips for about 1,000 vessels along with dry stacks for another 750.

Superyachts bring a higher level of investment into the communities where they tie up. The new facility in Puerto Rico is expected to generate more than $10 million in economic activity for the island, with Puerto Rico’s Port Authority receiving $200,000 a year in rental fees. Safe Harbor will also share a portion of the gross income and fuel-sale profits.   

Strategic Gem

The San Juan Historical Site is part of the National Park Service as well as being a World Heritage Site. Defense of this strategically important site was paramount for the government of Spain, which fortified it for more than 250 years.   acreage is substantial, with the site encompassing 75 square acres. The historic walls alone span a distance of 2.7 miles. Visitors to the site typically number more than a million a year, with kids and adults alike eager to explore the tunnels and dungeons. Kite flying is also a favorite family activity in the expanses of green grass. Photo buffs like this site not only for its architecture, but also because it includes the highest points of Old San Juan. The spots where lookouts used to roam are now great for capturing keepsake images.

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Hurricane Ian was a monster when it struck Southwest Florida in September 2022: Category 5, winds up to 162 mph and damage that topped $100 billion.

The good news for boaters is that the waterways are once again clear, with marinas and services coming back online for transient cruisers. Some spots are fully reopened, while others are partially back in business. Overall, Southwest Florida is eager to welcome yachtsmen once again.

“Our docks are open and available,” says Brandon Skinner, marina manager at Sanibel Marina, which takes transients up to 80 feet in length overall. He says that the ship’s store and the restaurant, Gramma Dot’s, are expected to reopen by the time this issue publishes. “Their kitchen is larger now. The menu is going to stay pretty similar. Everybody loved it, so it’s going to come back.”

Over on Captiva Island, John Wankel, assistant dockmaster at the Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa, says that some of the local marinas have services such as shore power but are still working on restoring others. Tween Waters, which takes transients up to 100 feet, is fully operational. “We have everything on-site, including all the restaurants, back up and running,” he says. “The rest of the island is starting to come back together too.”

Anyone looking to bareboat can contact Southwest Florida Yachts on the mainland in Cape Coral, where operations are resuming this spring. “Thanks to the support, thoughts and prayers from our cruising family, we have been able to rebuild our company,” co-owner Barb Hanson announced. “We will be adding to our fleet as we proceed.”     

The Recovery

• Damage from Hurricane Ian was extensive. Florida’s governor recently issued an update to help people understand the scope of recovery efforts.
• National Guardsmen numbering 5,000 strong were brought in for search and recovery.
• Utility linemen were involved at a level of 43,000 individuals from 30 states.
• Cubic yards of wet debris removed numbered 931,000.
• Zero-interest emergency loans totaling more than $37 million have been awarded to more than 900 small businesses.
• Habitat restoration is underway for more than 200 acres of damaged mangrove forest in Collier County, as well as nearby oyster habitats and wetlands.
• Beach erosion is being repaired, with more than $14.6 million awarded to property owners along the shoreline.

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About a decade ago, when the MegaDock opened at Safe Harbor Charleston City, the 454-foot Lürssen Rising Sun pulled in. Folks in South Carolina were treated to a sight normally reserved for the likes of Southeast Florida, Monaco or St. Barts.

Now, the marina is building a new MegaDock to welcome even more of the world’s biggest yachts. While the original MegaDock held Rising Sun, the new one will be big enough to take four or five of them.

“We’re planning to have a portion of the new MegaDock up and running by January,” says David Isom, the marina’s general manager. “These new concrete floating docks that are being custom made for us—they make the original MegaDock look small.”

Plans are for the whole project to be completed by December 2024. The superyacht spots will have high-speed in-slip fueling that can pump 150 gallons per minute as well as shore-power plug-ins capable of handling vessels that size. And the amenities will be accessible to smaller yachts too, Isom says: “The MegaDock typically does around 5,000 transients per year, all kinds of boats, and we sell over a million gallons of diesel fuel. The goal with this project is to double that business.”

Inside the marina, docks are also being built to handle catamarans, whose owners often have trouble finding wide enough slips. Isom says for all types of boats that pull in at Safe Harbor Charleston City, the goal is to make sure they receive the same level of service and amenities found at top locations in South Florida or Newport, Rhode Island.

“The marina space is stuck in the motel world. Thirty, 40, 50 years ago, our parents went to motels,” he says. “Now, we have hotels. Safe Harbor is turning the motel business into the hotel business of marinas. There’s a network. Every property is different, but the goal is the same: to have high-end amenities, first-class service and state-of-the-art facilities. That’s what we’re making.”

Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor Charleston City is part of a network of more than 130 marinas. Superyachts are a focus at locations such as Rybovich and Lauderdale Marine Center in Southeast Florida, as well as at Newport Shipyard in Rhode Island.

• Membership in the network includes unlimited complimentary transient nights wherever there’s availability, making the marinas a fan favorite among long-distance cruisers.
• E-Boat experiences are an option at some of the properties. The company has a partnership with e-boat builder X Shore.
• Amazon lockers are also available at some locations, giving cruisers a place to have packages delivered and waiting.

Charleston

Downtown Charleston is a blend of history and modern expansion, with the city dating to 1670 and still growing today.

• King Street is the heart of the historic downtown, with shopping, restaurants, art and antiques.
• South Carolina Aquarium overlooks the harbor and has touch tanks, educational exhibits and kid-friendly experiences.
• The Gibbes Museum of Art has a first floor that is free and open to the public, with tours available on Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Fort Sumter is at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. It’s overseen by the National Park Service, whose ranger tours offer a chance to learn about where the Civil War began. 

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For centuries, boaters have been drawn to Norfolk, Virginia, as the unofficial center of the Tidewater region. The city has the Elizabeth River (shown at right) to its west and the Chesapeake Bay to its north, creating all kinds of options for recreational cruising. Norfolk is also home to the world’s largest naval base, the US Navy’s Naval Station Norfolk, and to a NATO Strategic Command headquarters. Forget about yacht-spotting in vacation destinations like Monaco or St. Barts; ship-spotting the impressive military vessels that operate in these waters is a delight that cannot be experienced anywhere else.

There are nearly a dozen marinas for recreational boaters in Norfolk proper, with more in nearby Portsmouth and Chesapeake, Virginia. Local knowledge for maintenance and service is quite strong, given that some of the greatest naval-thinking minds on the planet are here.

When it’s time to get off the boat and explore, Downtown Norfolk lines the waterfront and is packed with restaurants, shops, nightlife and other attractions. The Nauticus maritime discovery center has the battleship Wisconsin on-site and open for tours, along with exhibits and classes for adults and kids alike.

Just a few of the eateries in this part of the city include the Blue Moon Taphouse, with live music and rooftop seating; the Carolina Cupcakery, serving 365 flavors of the sweet stuff; and the PBR Norfolk, which is a country bar with free eight-second rides on a mechanical bull. The first Friday of every month, there’s no cover charge for military personnel, veterans, first responders and public-service members—who also get to  skip the line at the door.

Boaters seeking a different kind of entertainment can check out the nearby Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Stage Co. This fall’s family-friendly offerings include a Halloween Spooktacular at the symphony, as well as the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at the theater.

Marinas

Some of the options for tying up in Norfolk include Little Creek Marina, which offers transient dockage year-round for boats up to 120 feet length overall. And they’ll let you stay for up to a month in the transient slip. Waterside Marina is where to see the superyachts, with dockage for boats up to 300 feet long. This marina is within walking distance of the Waterside District, including the Nauticus maritime discovery center and Harbor Park Stadium, home of the AAA baseball team the Norfolk Tides. Morningstar Little Creek Marina has slips for boats as big as 65 feet, with daily and weekly bookings for transients. There’s a restaurant on-site.

Glass Art

If you’re looking to get off the boat for a couple of days and relax in a hotel downtown, consider the Glass Light Hotel and Gallery. It is home to the Perry Glass Art Collection, with a rotating selection of pieces on display from local and international artists. It’s a big collection, spanning two floors and about 65 pieces. The Gallery is open to the public, with free entry for hotel guests. Also part of this hotel is the Glass Light restaurant, whose menu is packed with French-inspired New American cuisine. The restaurant serves breakfast as well as dinner, with dishes such as blue crab cavatelli, steak frites, Joyce Farms duck breast and seared tuna.

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About halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, the city of Anacortes, Washington, stands as a terrific jumping-off point for some of the best cruising in the Pacific Northwest. And it’s not just geography that makes Anacortes a great stopover; it’s also the region’s marine services, which offer just about everything.

More than two dozen boatyards and service centers are here or close by, focused on electrical systems, carpentry, re-powers and more. Gig Harbor Marina & Boatyard handles gelcoat repair, plumbing, mast rigging and other needs. Over at CSR Marine, boaters can find a pair of 70-ton Travelifts for haul-outs of boats as big as 80 feet length overall. Lighthouse Marine has outboard engines in stock for yachtsmen whose tenders need a boost. Others offer upholstery repair, paint jobs, prop work and additional specialty services.

One reason there’s so much dedicated marine knowledge here is that Anacortes has a busy marine terminal. Recreational boaters should be prepared to see—and steer clear of—shipping and ferry traffic in these waterways.

But just beyond the main routes, there are beautiful spots to explore, including the San Juan Islands. They’re about 20 miles away as the crow flies, making them accessible for day cruises as well as longer itineraries. Yachtsmen have long loved the San Juans for their scenic beauty, with occasional whale sightings, great hiking trails and memorable views of Mount Baker.

But don’t give Anacortes itself the short shrift; the historic downtown has buildings that date to the 19th century. One that sells marine supplies today used to house an eclectic mix of groceries, cigars and shooting galleries. Some of the restaurants are worth a stop too, for a sit-down meal or for takeout. The menu at Adrift includes burgers made with locally sourced cod, salmon or oysters, just in case you get skunked out on the boat trying to catch your own fish.

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Cap Sante

This marina is within walking distance of historic downtown Anacortes. Amenities for boaters include free wi-fi, along with showers, laundry, pump-out and loaner bicycles. A dog park is across the street. The on-site restaurant is Anthony’s, which serves lunch, dinner and a Sunday brunch featuring smoked salmon scrambled eggs.

City History

Anacortes is named for Anne Curtis Bowman, whose husband, Amos, was a railroad surveyor who founded the town in 1879. Fishing was a mainstay of the economy from the start, with the town eventually growing into a city whose nickname was the Salmon Canning Capital of the World. Steamships and launches known as the Mosquito Fleet helped people get around Puget Sound in the days when water travel was preferable to traveling by road. Today, the most frequently visited destination for many visitors is the Washington State Ferries terminal, which provides access to several of the islands in the San Juans as well as to British Columbia.

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