Before you tie up
- Transient slips are booked by the night, seasonal and annual slips by lease.
- Several Baltimore marinas sell slips too, which is a different commitment again.
- Read the cancellation terms before booking a transient night, especially on holiday weekends.
- Compare marinas side by side on the Marinas.
Every marina in Baltimore sorts its customers the same basic way: boats passing through, boats staying for a season, and boats that call the marina home all year. The words vary from one marina to the next, and so do the rules, but the choice you make shapes what you pay for, what you can do at the dock and how easy it is to leave. This guide explains the three kinds of dockage, plus the option several Baltimore marinas offer of buying a slip outright.
Transient slips: a night, a weekend, a week
A transient slip is a short stay, usually priced by the foot per night. It is how most visiting boaters come to Baltimore, whether they are cruising the Chesapeake, coming in for a game or a festival, or simply trying a marina before committing to it. Several city marinas, including ones in the Inner Harbor, Harbor East and Canton, take transient bookings through an online reservation system.
The details that matter most for a transient stay are practical ones:
- Power. Ask which shore power connections the slip has. Marinas in the Inner Harbor list 30, 50 and 100 amp options, and electricity may be charged separately by the night.
- Cancellation. Read the policy before paying. One Inner Harbor marina requires cancellation at least 24 hours before arrival for a refund, and 72 hours before arrival on holiday and special event weekends, with no exceptions for weather.
- Arrival. Note the marina’s VHF channel and office hours, which often change between the boating season and the off season.
Seasonal slips: April to autumn
A seasonal lease covers the main boating months. It suits owners who haul out or move the boat to storage for winter, and those who are not yet sure they want a year-round commitment. Marinas define the season differently: one Inner Harbor marina says its season runs April through October, while its in-season office hours end in September. Check the start and end dates in the lease itself rather than assuming them.
Annual slips: home port all year
An annual lease keeps your slip all year. It suits boats that stay in the water through winter, owners who want the same slip every season and anyone planning to live aboard where the marina allows it. At least one Baltimore marina says annual availability depends on the size of the boat, so the earlier you ask, the more choice you are likely to have.
Tip: If you are torn between seasonal and annual, ask the marina what happens to a seasonal holder’s slip over winter. Some owners find that the cost of storage elsewhere closes much of the gap.
Buying a slip
Baltimore also has marinas where slips can be owned. In Canton, one marina offers slip ownership as a membership and another, a private club, lists slips available to rent or own. On Middle River, at least one marina advertises slips for sale alongside annual leases. Owning a slip is a different kind of commitment, with rules set by a club, board or association, and it is covered in Buying a Boat Slip in Baltimore: Memberships, Clubs and Deeded Slips.
Side by side
| Transient | Seasonal | Annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical length | A night to a few weeks | The boating season | Twelve months |
| How you book | Often online | Lease with the marina | Lease with the marina |
| Best for | Visitors and trial stays | Owners who store the boat in winter | Year-round boats and liveaboards where allowed |
| Main thing to check | Cancellation and power charges | Season dates in the lease | Winter services and renewal terms |
Questions to ask before you choose
- What length, beam and draft can the slip take, and how deep is the water at low tide?
- Is the dock floating or fixed, and are there finger piers?
- Which shore power connections are available, and how is electricity billed?
- Is there a pump-out, and is it in the slip or at a separate station?
- Are the docks gated, and what parking comes with the slip?
- What does the marina require before you sign: insurance, registration or documentation?
The answers are rarely all on a website, so call or visit. Our Marinas shows which marinas list each service on their own sites, and What a Boat Slip Agreement Should Say explains what to look for once you have a lease in front of you.
Where the choice meets the law
Whatever kind of slip you choose, Maryland law applies to the boat. If the boat has an engine and you were born on or after July 1, 1972, you need a boating safety certificate to operate it for pleasure, and most motorized boats need a Maryland number and title. See Maryland’s Boating Safety Certificate: Who Needs One and Registering and Titling a Boat in Maryland.