Dockside Food And Activities To Enjoy From Your Boat

Whether you’re looking for fun activities and delicious food you can get to by boat or a chance to take in the sights of the Chesapeake Bay from the water, there are plenty of places along the shore for dockside entertainment and cuisine.

Donnelly’s Dockside

Formerly Deep Creek Restaurant, this friendly, upbeat family restaurant in Arnold was started by former Cantler’s Riverside Inn General Manager Dan Donnelly and Pratt Street Ale House Owner Don Kelly in 2017. The restaurant offers 15 slips for free to boaters, dock tables and a downstairs bar. The crab cakes are breaded with gluten-free breadcrumbs and the crabs are caught locally. Try the restaurant’s crush drinks with fresh orange, grapefruit, pineapple, or lemon juice made in-house.

Mike’s Crab House North

Musicians take the stage at this red-roofed restaurant in Pasadena. Try its Maryland crab soup and enjoy a drink at the indoor bar or tiki bar. Mike’s North also has regular all-you-can-eat steamed crab specials. Check the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more information on specials and musical performances.

The restaurant is located at White Rocks Marina, which has 375 permanent slips and can accommodate boats between 21 and 45 feet. Call 410-255-3800 for more information on services, slip availability and rates.

The Point Crab House and Grill

This Arnold restaurant features live steamed crabs sourced from the Chesapeake Bay and live music. Check the crab board or ask your server about crab availability and prices. You can also try the award-winning Maryland crab and cream-of-crab soups. Check the restaurant’s website for information on music performances.

The Point is located at the Atlantic Marina at Ferry Point, which has up to 106 wet slips for boats up to 50 feet. Visit www.atlanticmarinasmd.com or call 410-544-6368 for more information on services, slip availability and rates.

Severn Inn

If you’re looking for a waterfront restaurant with an elegant yet fun vibe, Severn Inn is the restaurant to visit. Known for its fresh seafood, this restaurant at the eastern side of the Naval Academy Bridge uses seasonal ingredients sourced locally as much as possible. Try the cornmeal crusted Virginia flounder with baby carrots, broccolini, cauliflower puree and fennel salad and pair your meal with one of the inn’s multiple wine offerings.

Reservations are recommended for seating in the dining room. Deck seating is first come, first served. Severn Inn has a dock that accommodates boats up to 65 feet. It has no dockhands or boat slips and the draft is 8 to 12 feet. Dock space is first come, first served.

Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn

Known for its Maryland blue crabs, this Annapolis mainstay has been serving fresh seafood for more than 40 years. Crabs are priced daily on the restaurant’s chalkboard. Order by the dozen, half dozen, or by the crab. Cantler’s does not reserve crabs. Crab opening tutorials are available by request. Free docking is available on a first come, first served basis. Enter Whitehall Bay and pick up flashing channel marker 320 NW to Cantler’s.

Watermark Cruises

Enjoy the sights on a variety of cruises around Baltimore and Annapolis. Choose from trips including a 90-minute sunset cruise with live music and a full day trip to St. Michaels. Watermark also features special event cruises, including an Independence Day fireworks cruise near the historic Annapolis harbor and Sherwood Forest/Severn River. Cruises generally offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase at a full bar. Some cruises also offer food. To learn more, go to www.watermarkjourney.com.

Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake Bay

Set sail on the Sea Gypsy for a family friendly cruise in Annapolis. Adults can relax and take in the sights while the kids learn the rules of the sea, search for treasure and work to defeat the rotten Pirate Pete.

The ship sets sail up to six times a day for 90-minute cruises from 311 Third Street. Tickets for public cruises are $30 for full price tickets or $25 for pre-sale tickets. For kids 2 years old and younger, $14 tickets are available. Arrive 30 minutes before the start of your cruise for face painting and dress up. Check www.chesapeakepirates.com for trip details, tickets and directions.

Annapolis Fourth of July Fireworks

Watch the city’s annual fireworks display from your boat at Annapolis Harbor. The display is launched from a barge in the harbor, so you’ll have one of the best seats in the house for this patriotic show. Fireworks start at 8:00pm and conclude around 9:45pm. For up-to-date information on the event, including rain dates, go to www.visitannapolis.org/events/annual-events-and-festivals/4th-of-july.

Rates for the city dock are $3 per foot on weekdays and $4 per foot on weekends. Hail the Annapolis harbormaster on VHF 17 or call 410-263-7973 for dock space.

Annapolis Maritime Museum

If you’re looking for an interactive and educational indoor activity in Annapolis, sail to Eastport’s Annapolis Maritime Museum. Visitors can learn about a variety of topics focused on the city’s long maritime history, bay health and the oyster industry by interacting with a holographic waterman, completing one of the museum’s three virtual reality boat activities. Guests can also view the new aquarium exhibit that shows how the water quality in the bay has changed over time.

A variety of tours are available for booking on the Wilma Lee, one of the few remaining Chesapeake Bay skipjacks. Tickets start at $7 for adults and $5 for children 3 to 12 years of age, seniors over 65, military personnel and students. Children under 3 can visit for free.

To book tickets and learn more about events and programs, go to www.amaritime.org. The museum is near the Horn Point Harbor Marina, which offers 56 slips from 30 to 70 feet in length. Reserve a slip on the Horn Point Harbor Marina website or contact the marina at 410-263-0550 or info@hornpointharbor.com.