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No Boat? No Problem!

Get on the water with tours, classes, charters and more

by Elvia H. Thompson

It's a beautiful Wednesday afternoon on City Dock in Annapolis. The mooring field in front of you is full of yachts—power and sail. The tour boats glide in and out. The water taxis putter back and forth. The sailboat racing fleet flutters toward the finish line just short of the Spa Creek Bridge. "I love the water," you think to yourself. "But how can I get out there if I can’t afford to buy a boat?"

No problem. There's no place in the world with more opportunities to enjoy the water than here in Annapolis. There are many boating resources in our town; this listing is meant to be representative, not comprehensive. So get out there! Get afloat and enjoy the rich treasure of the Chesapeake Bay.

Sailboats

For "rag lovers," those who harness the wind for a free ride, Annapolis offers sailing schools, charters (with or without a captain), sailing clubs and yacht clubs, and much more.

Schools

Taking sailing lessons is a great way to get on the water, learn about sailing, and, in the process, learn about yourself. While nothing beats the romantic serenity of a well-trimmed sailboat gliding by, it's not for everyone. A wonderful, safe way to see if halyards and jibs are for you is to take some lessons.

The Chesapeake Sailing School, 7074 Bembe Beach Road, offers classes at all levels, from beginner to Celestial navigation. Call 410-269-1594 or see www.sailingclasses.com.

J World, at 213 Eastern Avenue, in Eastport, offers classes at all levels up to live-aboard cruising. J World bills itself as the Performance Sailing School, and their instruction fleet consists of J/80s and J/37s. Call 410-280-2040 or see www.sailjworld.com.

Womanship is a sailing school exclusively for women. Its motto is "Nobody yells…everybody learns," and it was started for women who were tired of being intimidated by over-achieving male skippers. The school offers live-aboard learning cruises for beginners and advanced sailors, daytime only courses, and advanced offshore passage-making classes between Annapolis and points south to the Virgin Islands. Call 800-342-9295 or see www.womanship.com.

The Annapolis Sailing School offers classes at all levels from a minimum of two days to over a week. Using their "Annapolis Way" of teaching, they guarantee to make a sailor out of a novice in just one weekend, and they promote learning to sail as a unique vacation. See www.annapolissailing.com or call 800-638-9192.

Racing

If you think Annapolis is a laid-back town, you haven't paid attention to the intensity and focus evident on the faces of regatta participants. Racing sailors are very competitive, and they are always looking for crew. If you know how to sail and are willing to learn, and maybe even take a little abuse, you can find a captain who will take you on and teach you the ropes (no pun intended).

One way to find a captain is to list yourself with Spinsheet magazine's Crew Listings. The free on-line service will also let you search for skippers who want crew. This is Spinsheet's seventh year of on-the-water matchmaking and it works. Get all the information from Spinsheet's website: www.spinsheet.com/Crew/index.php.

Another way is to just hang around the local watering holes where sailors meet before and after racing. Talk to sailors and skippers...chances are, you'll get a ride. And if you're a hard worker and willing to follow directions and learn, you'll be invited back. Some good places to rub elbows—or boat shoes—are Davis' Pub, the Boatyard Bar & Grill, McGarvey's and Middleton's.

In a pinch, particularly on a heavy weather day, you might be able to get a ride just by walking the docks as captains are getting ready to go and shamelessly offering your services (there’s always some crew member who doesn’t show up). Best bets are weekends and Wednesday nights. The Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, CBYRA, offers a comprehensive schedule of racing at its website: www.cbyra.org.

Schooners

You can get a taste of the sailing life aboard Annapolis' beautiful schooner fleet, including Liberté and Woodwind I and Woodwind II, and Imagine.

The Woodwinds are wooden 74-foot schooners owned and operated by Ken and Ellen Kaye, and their daughter, Jennifer. The schooners depart from Pusser's Landing at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel and offer scheduled under-sail tours several times a day.

The sunset sails Monday through Thursday offer special activities such as "sailing with a colonial wench," beer tasting, watching the Wednesday night races, and enjoying the music of Them Eastport Oyster Boys. See www.schoonerwoodwind.com or call 410-263-7837.

The Schooner Liberté departs from the Chart House restaurant and is owned and operated by Captain Chris Tietje and his wife, Jane. She is a 40-ton steel, green-hulled ship and can take up to 49 passengers. Tietje, son of a captain, has been on the water all of his life, with his first paid job at age 12. "We don't take ourselves too seriously," smiled Tietje. "And we don't make people play in the rain—unless they want to," he joked, referring to we-go-rain-or-shine operators. Call 410-263-8234 or see www.theliberte.com.

The Schooner Imagine is available for day trips, group charters, weddings and special events. It’s offering a unique cruise on June 3: an on-board photo workshop to St. Michaels with representatives from Nikon and Severna Park Photo aboard for instructions. See www.schoonerimagine.com or call 410-626-1877.

Tour Boats

"The safest and easiest way to get on the water is to take a scheduled tour," says Debbie Gosselin, President of Watermark Cruises. Now in its 31st season, the company operates many of the well-known tour boats in town as well as the water taxi service. With a fleet ranging from the big Harbor Queen paddle wheeler docked at the end of City Dock to the cute little Miss Anne, also at City Dock, Watermark can take you on a 40-minute or 90-minute tour of the harbor, the Severn River and Spa Creek, seven days a week. Watermark also offers Day on the Bay cruises to St. Michaels, Baltimore, and Rock Hall. "Our crews know the area and can talk to you about what you are seeing," said Gosselin, "so it's more than just a boat ride. You learn something about the wildlife, the history, and so on." Call 410-268-7600 or see www.watermarkcruises.com.

If you only have time for a quick trip, try a ride on the water taxi from City Dock. Taxi rides are just $2 to $4.50 per person, depending on your destination. While aboard, you're likely to overhear talk about regattas or the adventures of living aboard and cruising the world. Contact the taxi on VHF Channel 68 or call 410-263-0033.

Charter Boats: Motor and Sail

Charter vessels can be booked for a variety of occasions, from birthdays and weddings to corporate outings and client cruises, and Annapolis has plenty of choices. The local certified charter boat fleet ranges in size from Watermark Cruises’ Catherine Marie (220 passengers) and Cabaret II (comfortable to 80), Pintail Yachts’ Duchess of Pintail and Princess Pintail (both at 149 passengers) to many smaller, yet elegant yachts that can accommodate 12 to 70. To book, contact any of the following brokers: Admiral of the Bay (410-263-5196, www.admiralofthebay.com); Nautical Destinations (410-269-4213, www.nauticaldestinations.com); Pintail Yachts (410-626-1888,www.pintailyachts.com) or Watermark Cruises (410-268-7601,www.watermarkcruises.com).

Many companies in Annapolis offer sailboats for charter, on a bareboat basis (that is, without a captain if you can prove that you know how to sail), or captained. Annapolis Yacht Charters and Sailing School is one that can arrange a bareboat charter on sailing yachts ranging from 32 to 50 feet, or a crewed charter for groups of 6 to 49. Based at Port Annapolis on Back Creek, its sailing classes can even teach you to what you need to know to earn your basic or bareboat sailing certification. Call 410-267-5976 or see www.annapolisyachtcharters.com.

Looking for a fast ride on a luxury cruiser? Call Captain Nishan Topjian. His 36’ Tiara can accommodate small groups for trips to Baltimore, the Eastern Shore, or other Bay destinations. Call 240-508-3168/410-647-7754.

Also cruising is innkeeper Rick Brown, who with his wife, Jeannie, owns the Inn at Spa Creek in Eastport. Brown will take no more than six people at a time aboard his 30-foot Alura Express Cruiser, Inndependent. Brown will customize trips, but specializes in lunch cruises to nearby restaurants and his Peninsula Circle tour, featuring Spa and Back Creeks. Call 410-990-0198 or see www.annapolisbyboat.com.

Lady Anna Charters and the Wine Cellars of Annapolis have teamed up to offer a multi-sensory cruise on Wednesday nights. The Sailboat Races/Wine Tasting two-hour cruises depart at 6 p.m. aboard the 60-foot Chris Craft Constellation, Lady Anna. See www.ladyannacharters.com or www.winecellarsofannapolis.com.

"Do-It-Yourself" Boats

Is a small boat your idea of the best fun to be had on the water? Consider these rental options:

Let's Go Cruising has sailboats, powerboats, sail and power catamarans and even a pontoon boat for rent. See www.letsgocruisn.com or call 410-263-1818.

Schooner Woodwind Cruises has 20-foot sailboats for rent and 18-foot and 21-foot electric boats for rent by the hour. These cute little boats make the perfect platform for a picnic, and electric power is silent. See www.schoonerwoodwind.com/rentalBoats.asp.

South River Boat Rentals just south of Annapolis in Edgewater offers sailboats from 17 to 33 feet with or without a skipper as well as sailing instruction. See http://www.southriverboatrentals.com or call 410-956-9729.

Clubs

The Chesapeake Boat Club has another alternative to owning a boat. After paying a yearly fee and initiation fee, as a member of the club you can rent an Albin 28 for a specific number of hours or days. More time is available for an additional fee. It's sort of like a time-share for boats. Call 410-280-2038 or see www.jportannapolis.com/c_club/Default.asp.

The South River Sailing Club offers a similar set up—full use of the club's fleet on an unlimited or weekday basis, depending on the type of membership purchased. Call 410-956-9729 or see www.southriverboatrentals.com/csc.html.

Singles on Sailboats (SOS) is a nonprofit organization for single adults who share the love of sailing and want to participate in a wide range of sailing related activities including day sails, weekend and extended cruises, sailing education, and social functions at sea and ashore. The club teams up members who want to sail with those who have boats and need crew. You don't have to know anything about sailing to join. See www.singlesonsailboats.org.

The Pentagon Sailing Club, despite its name, is not affiliated with the military and open to all. Although based in Washington, DC, the non-profit group charters out of Annapolis on all the three-day weekends of the sailing season and more. There are members at all skill levels, and the club emphasizes safety, instruction, and fun. See www.pentagonsailing.org.