Full Length Finger Piers

We like to dock bow in so that we can launch the tender and explore. There seem to be very few full length finger piers in the Annapolis, middle Chesapeake bay area. Currently at Bay Bridge Marina for that reason.

Getting a t-head or bulk-head slip is another option, but again hard to find. Other than climbing over the stantions and rails, any thoughts?

Not a problem when we are cruising of course and on the hook!

Fortunately, full-length fingers are the norm here.



But boarding on the boat is mid-ship, so shorter fingers (which I haven't encountered) would be less of a problem even when docking bow-first.

The norm here can't be more than 15-20' ... you are fortunate.

That confirms my impression that many East Coasters are short-changed.

Legend said:

The norm here can't be more than 15-20' ... you are fortunate.

Click to expand...

our slip fingers (2) are 45' long. With a side door for boarding....couldn't be better!

Okay you guys are killin me

markpierce said:

Fortunately, full-length fingers are the norm here.



But boarding on the boat is mid-ship, so shorter fingers (which I haven't encountered) would be less of a problem even when docking bow-first.

Click to expand...

OK,this proves it. Mark has a photographer following him at all times :lol:

Greetings,
A lot to be said for pier review...

hmason said:

OK,this proves it. Mark has a photographer following him at all times :lol:

Click to expand...

Yeah.

We are docked in Baltimore - several of the marinas have full length finger piers. We have used The Anchorage Marina and BMC Lighthouse Point.

We have a 60' slip with 60' fingers on each side. They make doing lines much easier.

Legend said:

We like to dock bow in so that we can launch the tender and explore. There seem to be very few full length finger piers in the Annapolis, middle Chesapeake bay area. Currently at Bay Bridge Marina for that reason.

Getting a t-head or bulk-head slip is another option, but again hard to find. Other than climbing over the stantions and rails, any thoughts?

Not a problem when we are cruising of course and on the hook!

Click to expand...

Hartge Yacht Harbor in Galesville, MD, about 10 miles south of Annapolis on the West River.

Could you just drop the dinghy in before you back into the slip?

Does the marina have a dinghy dock? What we've done is either deploy the dinghy outside of the marina, then have the admiral bring it to the dinghy dock, then walk down and catch lines while I dock.

OR. We pull up to a T-Dock. drop the dinghy. Again we either bring it down to the dinghy dock or leave it temporarily tied on the T, then go dock.

Anchorage Marina in Baltimore has full length finger piers on both sides of slip.

At the Baltimore Anchorage...have they fixed them up yet ?

Some were hazardous...and the rest of the marina was falling apart too, though some improvements started last year.

I think Herrington Harbor South in Deale has a few slips with full-length finger piers.

Osprey Point in Rock Hall does, and I think Haven Harbor, and maybe Rock Hall Landing, too.

Mears in Kent Narrows does, too, I think.

Those from memory...

Otherwise, there's Bal'mer. Several up there: the BMCs, Harbor East, etc.

Check ActiveCaptain for likely areas; usually the docking tab has info that describes facilities...

-Chris

psneeld said:

At the Baltimore Anchorage...have they fixed them up yet ?

Some were hazardous...and the rest of the marina was falling apart too, though some improvements started last year.

Click to expand...

There's a ongoing muti-year renovation being done to the marina. The shoreside facilities and pool house are done and look as nice as when new.

Currently A B C and the Pierhead docks and fingers are being re floated where needed and recoated.

D E F G and I will be started on after completing work on A through P.

Renovations needed or not, and being done, it's a great marina in a great location and would recommend it to anyone.

John

I'm a huge fan of full-length fingers. Odd how some places have them everywhere, and other places force you to back in to a stubby little finger and lasso isolated pilings for bow lines. It just doesn't seem like those extra few feet would cost all that much, compared to the overall cost of building and maintaining a marina.

johnrupp said:

There's a ongoing muti-year renovation being done to the marina. The shoreside facilities and pool house are done and look as nice as when new.

Currently A B C and the Pierhead docks and fingers are being re floated where needed and recoated.

D E F G and I will be started on after completing work on A through P.

Renovations needed or not, and being done, it's a great marina in a great location and would recommend it to anyone.

John

Click to expand...

Wifi on the docks yet?

Thank you all for the replies. Yes I have been at Anchorage Marina in Baltimore, but don't want to be that far up river from the Bay. I was unaware that Herrington South might have some long finger piers. Much to think about here and investigate in this thread.

To be clear, we love Bay Bridge Marina for many reasons and it does have one of the nicest marina piers I've seen. But that Bay Bridge is very tough for both my wife and I along with visitors trying to come on a Friday and leave on a Sunday... adds hours. We tend to leave Monday morning very early when not cruising, which has its perks.

Quite the first world problem. But still trying to solve it...

Too bad...Bay Bridge was one of the nicest marinas I have been in as a transient and that is topping well over a hundred these days....

Legend said:

I was unaware that Herrington South might have some long finger piers. Much to think about here and investigate in this thread.

To be clear, we love Bay Bridge Marina for many reasons and it does have one of the nicest marina piers I've seen.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I mis-typed; I meant Herrington NORTH in Deale. You have to ask HHN about full-length fingers; think those are their A and B docks (or maybe B & C). Maybe other...

There are a few slips in Annapolis Yacht Basin that would have the equivalent of a full-length finger, sorta-kinda. We were up there last week for the Blue Angles flight demo, just behind the fuel dock/building, and our slip was long enough so we had dock along the whole length of our boat. I think they have maybe a few more slips that just happen to be that way. Haven't ever been way over on their "Eastport"-facing slips, though...

And it occurs to me several marinas usually have at least one full-length situation just behind a T-head, first slip on either side. Or at the other end, all the way into a fairway and nearer the main dock. Our marina has one of those latter open just now (well, there's a brokerage boat in it, but I expect that's fixable). Not always easy to get yourself in and out from where a subordinate dock meets a main pier, and then you also have foot traffic passing you on the main dock... but OTOH, you might have a look for situations like that.

Our owners club (at least folks from around this area) will be at BBM again in early Aug, probably 25 boats or so... I think we'll mostly be on G dock with any overflow wherever...

-Chris

Ranger42- Osprey Point- can you expand on your experience? We're planning on heading there soon.

Islanddreamer said:

Ranger42- Osprey Point- can you expand on your experience? We're planning on heading there soon.

Click to expand...

We've only visited over the years, usually once every other year or so.

It's always been very pleasant there, good docks, good dockmaster, good pool and showers, very good restaurant (not inexpensive), easy to get from there to the Rock Hall Landing side or "uptown" (rental bicycles, or we used our own)...

IOW, good place to visit... and that reminds me, we dodn't get to Rock Hall last year, so maybe we need to do that soon.

BTW, Haven Harbor, next door, is good, too, as is Rock Hall Landing on the other side. Can get sorta noisy at the latter, though, right next to the bar/restaurant.

-Chris

Yes, been to both Rock Hall locations you mentioned. Enjoyed both as well. Our issue is the Bridge (Bay Bridge) coming from Northern VA where we live. For now we are staying at Bay Bridge Marina - just looking to see what is a possibility on the Western side of the Bridge.

Yes inside the T-Head is a possibility as well. Gives us the full length, but often tough to come by...

If some of you are interested in a Rock Hall gathering this summer let me know. The Admiral and I would love to connect.

Legend said:

Our issue is the Bridge (Bay Bridge) coming from Northern VA where we live. For now we are staying at Bay Bridge Marina - just looking to see what is a possibility on the Western side of the Bridge.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that'd be tough... I know many from NoVa go to HHN or somewhere else in Deale, or else HHS...

HHN in a decent slip, wait-listed for a full-length finger pier if necessary could be an option? Deale isn't Annapolis, of course, but then again that makes Annapolis a decent destination location.

Seems to me Liberty Marina -- South River and Solomons Island Rd -- has just done some dock work. Might be some full-length fingers there, now... If so, dust and noise from the bridge might be something to consider, though...

-Chris

ranger42c said:

Yeah, that'd be tough... I know many from NoVa go to HHN or somewhere else in Deale, or else HHS...

HHN in a decent slip, wait-listed for a full-length finger pier if necessary could be an option? Deale isn't Annapolis, of course, but then again that makes Annapolis a decent destination location.

Seems to me Liberty Marina -- South River and Solomons Island Rd -- has just done some dock work. Might be some full-length fingers there, now... If so, dust and noise from the bridge might be something to consider, though...

-Chris

Click to expand...

I mentioned in an earlier post that Hartge Yacht Harbor in Galesville, MD on the West River has full length finger piers. Galesville is roughly half-way between Herrington Harbor North and Annapolis. HYH is very much sheltered especially the piers further in. We have a 60-foot slip for our Defever 44. Virtually no current. Very well-run marina and it is a full-service yard as well. Before we settled here we looked at every marina in the area.

catalinajack said:

I mentioned in an earlier post that Hartge Yacht Harbor in Galesville, MD on the West River has full length finger piers. Galesville is roughly half-way between Herrington Harbor North and Annapolis. HYH is very much sheltered especially the piers further in. We have a 60-foot slip for our Defever 44. Virtually no current. Very well-run marina and it is a full-service yard as well. Before we settled here we looked at every marina in the area.

Click to expand...

Good point. I haven't been to Hartge's in years, didn't know they had full-length fingers... but it's certainly a nice marina from what I remember (at the time, fresh flowers every day in the showers)... and Galesville is at least easier access for many.

We kept a previous boat in West River Yacht Harbor (i.e., where the fuel dock is), sub-leasing from a slip owner at the time, since we lived slightly further south back then. Not much else there, but at least two decent restaurants, what's not to like?

Not sure whether HHN or Galesville would be easier from NoVa?

-Chris