Where boats move in Maryland
Annapolis is the center of gravity — more sailboats per mile than anywhere else in the country, a full complement of riggers, and yards that unstep masts all day in the spring and fall. Across the Bay, Kent Island, St. Michaels, Oxford and Cambridge run the Eastern Shore trade, and the drive-in access at most of those yards is excellent. Solomons and the Patuxent cover the lower Western Shore, Baltimore and Middle River the upper.
Anything over 8'6" wide crossing the Bay Bridge is a scheduled event. Wide loads move under a permit in off-peak hours, sometimes with an escort, and the span's two-way traffic operations can close the window entirely. If your boat is on the Eastern Shore and its destination is west, ask whether routing north around the head of the Bay through Elkton is cheaper than waiting for a bridge slot.
The Eastern Shore's small-creek marinas are the other planning item. Many are down a mile of tree-lined single-lane road with overhead branches at 13 feet. Carriers handle it — they just need to know before the truck is on it.
Get a quote for your boat
Powerboats and cruisers
Center consoles, sportfish and cabin cruisers. Under 8’6” of beam it travels on ordinary plates; over that we pull the permits and plan the route around the bridges.
Quote a powerboat
Sailboats
Mast unstepped at the yard, keel cradled, air draft planned before the truck books. Tell us your rigger’s date and we schedule around it.
Quote a sailboat
Small craft and PWC
Jet skis, skiffs, tenders and anything already on its own trailer. The quickest to schedule and the cheapest per mile.
Quote small craftMoving in or out of Maryland
Maryland is the hinge in the East Coast snowbird run. Boats come off the Bay in October and November for Florida and go back in April and May, and I-95 south through Virginia is the standard route. Northbound runs to New Jersey, Long Island and New England are common in the spring.
Spring in Annapolis is the tightest scheduling week of the year anywhere on the Bay. Between the sailboat shows, the launch rush and the rigging schedule, a mid-April delivery needs to be booked in February.
Where a hull is not worth the cost of the haul, donating the boat is a cleaner exit than trucking it somewhere to sit again.
When trucking is not worth it
Boats coming out of long storage are the ones worth pricing carefully. If a hull has sat for six seasons and the quote to move it is climbing past what it would sell for, donating the boat is a cleaner exit than trucking it somewhere to sit again.
Still working out the details? The marine transport guide covers permits, prep and pricing end to end, and the FAQ handles the short questions.
Ready when you are
Tell us the boat, the two addresses and the week you have in mind. The quote comes back with the permit and access notes already accounted for.
