Reviews: Chestertown Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Capt. Mac Rubel on Oct 20, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

It is about a 25 mile trip up the Chester River from Kent Narrows to Chesterton and their Municipal Marina. From Chesterton the only option you will have is to turn around and go back down the river to go anywhere else. Some may look at this as a dead-end while others (us included) look at it as a wonderful side trip. Choose your time and come up with the tide and the trip goes by quickly. The marina is two thirds floating docks so you most probably will not have to deal with the 3 foot tide. The last dock, with several spots for larger vessels, is fixed and you will have to deal with setting lines and fenders properly. We ended up on the fixed dock and, to be honest, with the help of the two marina hands, getting in and settled was no big deal. The marina staff was very responsive on the telephone, on the radio, and in person. There is 20 feet MLW depth at the dock and power (30/50 amps) and water are readily available from modern pylons. There is good, controlled and handicap access clean showers on shore and a proper laundry room where we got caught up on our washing. The docks were in very good condition and, although there was no physical security, it did not feel like it would be necessary. Cell phone reception was very good on Verizon and T-Mobile and marina internet speeds were 30/5 mb. Acme and Redner's supermarkets, a good liquor store and a Walgreens are about 2 miles away. It would be nice if there was courtesy car but there isn't. Finally, one of the marina dockhands came out to help us untie when we left.

The town of Chesterton, especially in the port area, retains much of its charm even though some things are being modernized and brought into the 21st Century. The roots of village go back to pre-revolutionary times (1706) and the eight block historic district (of which the marina is a part) has something for everyone. Chesterton is also the home of Washington College (1782) and, if you manage to get away from the historic district, it is worth a visit. If you are here on a Saturday you must make every effort to get to the local farmers' market. It is really excellent and is also something of a local event. There are many dining choices in the historic district but the one that stands out for us is "Modern Stone Age Kitchen." Open for breakfast and lunch (Pizza night on Friday night) the restaurant is different, original, and delicious. We came back this year for Saturday morning breakfast and farmers' market. It was worth it.

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Reviewed by: Rick Vicars on Oct 2, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 45'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

9-25-24 Friendly helpful staff, nice floating docks, easy access to visit the historic town.

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Reviewed by: Leann Rowe , ROWE Boat, on May 30, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 53'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Lovely ride up the river. Dock master was great! Very new floating docks. Power, water and pump out available, we did not need. Good sized town, lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance.

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Reviewed by: Hubert Hopkins on Jul 6, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

What a great marina, interesting full service town, and excellent management by Paul Coleman. We had a very relaxing and enjoyable trip up the river. The town was delightful with a great used bookstore, ice cream shop and many restaurants. The history and early American architecture are worth the trip. Transportation was a little sketchy but we did find one "taxi service" on Google that took us out to the Italian restaurant Luisa's. It was a real treat with great food and affordable prices. It was 2 miles out of town and we walked back after dinner, through beautiful Washington College which is the 10th oldest college in the USA (approximately). The current can be a little strong, but Paul will help you out to keep you out of trouble if you let him.

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Reviewed by: David Waugh , Winds of Change, on May 31, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Came for the Tea Party. Excellent event and facility. Floating docks are great. Dockmaster, Paul Coleman, is outstanding.

Easy walk to multiple restaurants. Yet very quiet at night.

A little shallow at the inner slips.

Will definitely come back.

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Reviewed by: Capt. Mac Rubel on May 6, 2023
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

It is a 23 mile run from Kent Narrows up the Chester River to Chestertown but the town is an excellent destination for Chesapeake Cruisers and it is worth the trip, especially if you can catch the tide to give you a lift. The river is deep and well-marked and dockside depths at the marina are over 12 feet MLW. The marina has undergone a major renovation recently and it shows. Two of the three docks (including the gas dock) are now floating with brand new infrastructure. The power pedestals conform to the updated GFCI regulations. Gas, diesel, and pump out ($5) are available on the face of the middle dock and the dockmaster was present to assist us on arrival. Even though Chesterton is quite far up the Chester River, there is tidal current that runs as fast as 0.75 mph and a 3 foot tide. Docking can sometimes be challenging. Time your arrival around slack tidal flow if possible. The new Dockmaster's office includes very nice bathroom/showers and a new laundry room that accepts quarters. There are no physical security measures at the marina but it does not feel like they would be necessary. We had no problems at all during our stay.

One of the best things about this marina is the Dockmaster, Paul Coleman. He could not have been more helpful from first contact through docking, pump out, docking in our slip, and providing information on the town and what to do. Although there is a restaurant on site, there is a "For Sale" sign on it and it is not operating. This is not a problem because the center of the historic downtown is less than a ten minute walk away and there are many options open to boaters in easy walking distance. Marina Wi-Fi was very good with easy connectivity and speeds averages around 15mbps download. Cell service was good for both Verizon and T-Mobile, but AT&T service was poor.

There is an Acme grocery store about a mile and half from the marina to do a re-stock and there are several hardware and automotive stores about the same distance away for necessities. The thing that made this stop special was the combination of hundreds of years of history and the conveniences afforded the boater within easy walking distance of the marina. We were in port on Saturday and the local farmers market was open from 8am to noon. By itself, it was worth the trip up the river. We ate breakfast at Modern Stone Age Kitchen and highly recommend a stop there for many reasons.

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Reviewed by: Rod Gardner on Jun 22, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Great 2 night stay. Amazing staff, nice new floating docks and facilities. We will definitely be back, very cool small town!

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Reviewed by: Tyson Arnold , Beverley, on Dec 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 49'
Draft: 5.5'

Rating: 5

Well worth the trip up the Chester River to spend time here at the Marina and in Chestertown. The marina staff were awesome, even loaning us a 50amp power cord when we figured out ours had gotten damp.

A lot of good food and entertainment options within an easy walk of the marina!

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Reviewed by: Steven Lathrop , Hello World, on Sep 13, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 60'
Draft: 5.5'

Rating: 5

Stayed for a week in late August and loved it. Beautiful, clean facilities and helpful, friendly staff. Be mindful of no wake zones on the Chester River and watch for some crab pots as you near the marina.

Chestertown is a beautiful, historic town with plenty to see and do, especially Wednesday to Sunday. For dining and drinks highly recommend The Imperial, The Retriever, Zelda's Speakeasy, and Cafe Sado (one of the few places open on Monday and Tuesday). It's an easy walk to Cafe Sado, just over a mile and well worth the effort if you like Japanese cuisine and reclaimed timber construction. But don't walk up High St. to get there. Use the Rail Trail that starts in Wilmer Park just south of the marina, and take the west branch along the creek and behind all the shops on High St. until you arrive behind Royal Farms. Careful crossing High St. there.

Zelda's Speakeasy can be a slight challenge to locate, but totally worth the effort.

The Imperial is pricey but worth it.

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Reviewed by: Yinzerbob , Volkwein, on Jul 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Very well managed marina. Great capable and knowledgeable staff. Great floating docks with long finger piers. Heads are very clean. 98 Canon is good, but try BAD Alfred down town for pulled pork tacos and wood fired pizzas. Acme and C-Town Liquor deliver; or you can use the Drizly app for C-Town. Uber and/or Lyft are hit or miss at best with the college out. My young bride says the showers were "spectacular".

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Reviewed by: K Courshon on Jun 26, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 36'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

This is not our first time at the marina. Paul, the dockmaster, met us at our slip and quickly got us secured to the dock while the wind was blowing us off the dock. The dock he assigned us was direct line of sight to the WiFi antenna for the marina on land (cellular on the dock was typically one bar, should have enabled WiFi calling prior to arrival). Upon checking in at the office, he gave us a welcome back with information and coupons for local businesses.

The bathhouse is clean, with two showers each for the men and women. The one drawback is the inability to control water temperature in the sinks (men take a mirror when showing if you need to shave).

The floating docks are in good condition.

The restaurant next to the docks, 98Cannon, can be loud in the evening but closes currently around 10pm.

While there are a number of warning markers in the river near Chestertown requiring a 6kt limit, many bow runner type boats disregard the limit and the resulting wakes can rock the docked boats which are parallel with the river.

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Reviewed by: Jeff Dunning on Dec 24, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 51'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

The marina is redone and all docks and facilities are new and in great shape. Sam the Dockmaster and her staff are awesome and were a great help at all times. The town is beautiful with many things to walk around and see. We were there for 10 days and were never bored. If you have a dog, the town is very pet friendly with many areas to walk and exercise your active pet. Most people also have their dogs on leash which is also very important to us. We highly recommend the marina, town and obviously Sam and her staff.

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Reviewed by: James Huber on Dec 4, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 62'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

This is now one of our favorite overnight destinations, especially with family and friends. The historic area of town is a very short and pleasant walk, and the ride up the Chester River is beautiful. The marina is fantastic; the facilities are new and clean; the docks are new, the fuel prices are good. We have eaten at the restaurant three times now and have always had great food. The dock hands are very knowledgeable and helpful, and the management (Sam) is top notch and does everything to make our stay the best. Honestly, I hope nobody reads this review because the place is so great, we don't want anyone else to know about it; it's really a hidden gem!

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Reviewed by: K Courshon on Oct 16, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 35'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

As this was our first trip by boat to Chestertown; the newly renovated A and B docks at Chestertown Marina helped make a pleasant stay. The power pedestal was for a single 50, requiring use of an adapter for our single 30. We provided our adapter, not sure if the Dockmaster had any for loan.

The marina is currently closed on Mondays, so the Dockmaster staff sent our slip assignment on Sunday. Docking without assistance was not difficult thanks to the floating docks, but awareness of the wind and current is essential. As the docks are on the river, do not be surprised at what floats by, including wood planks. Depending on the slip assignment, there is a great view of the river and periodically row teams could be seen.

The bath house, while simple, was clean and warm. It is located a short walk from the docks.

Located at the bulkhead is 98Cannon. From what we could tell, this is one of two restaurants within walking distance of the marina. The food is average to good, but the view of the deck is nice. The other restaurant, The Kitchen is also good. There are also a number of small cafés within walking distance for breakfast, lunch or coffee.

Our hats are off to the Dockmaster, Samantha Branham.

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Reviewed by: Robert on Aug 9, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Spent two weeks here while attending CBC/MTOA Event. Great place and Manager Samantha Branham is the best. New docks with new NEC code ground fault pedestals not a problem. Quite and friendly. We were greeted by the Mayor of CHESTERTOWN. They have a weekly dock rate

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Reviewed by: Jeff M on Jun 17, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 38'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

The marina is nearly done! It's already looking terrific, and it's a first-rate facility. The manager and dock hands were very helpful. Decent new restaurant on site. Only caution is that it's exposed to south wind and waves, so it can get a bit lumpy in the marina when the winds are up. It's a long trip up river, but the scenery is great.

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Reviewed by: Liz Kemper , Shingebiss, on May 30, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 41'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Brand new docks and facilities. Lovely historic town, easy to walk or bike. Acme grocery 1.5 miles away is good. Have wanted to visit here before, and finally did. The trip up river, although almost 20 miles, is beautiful and well worth it.

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