There appears to be a stiff competition on the east coast of the US. When we passed through Marblehead, Massachusetts, we read that it was the sailing capital of the US. Then when we arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, we learned that it was considered the sailing capital of the US.
And when we stopped in Annapolis, Maryland, guess what we learned? Yes, there’s another self-proclaimed sailing capital of the US.
After spending a few days in Annapolis, we have to admit that it’s hard to argue with their claim. The town itself is creased by a four or five large creeks, each of which is home to multiple marinas and offers anchoring possibilities. As a result, there are boats everywhere, large and small, old and new, local and from far away.
Most public streets end at the waterfront on one of these creeks, and many of these street/water intersections feature public parks with free public dinghy docks for boaters. Even those streets without a public park are designated as an official dinghy landing zone – just tie your dinghy to one of the conveniently-provided cleats and enjoy the short walk to town.
And Annapolis is also home to the US Naval Academy. The beautiful campus dominates the north side of downtown Annapolis, and their fleet of training and racing sailboats (yes, Navy sailors apparently still need to learn how to sail) bob gently at the Academy pier.
So, while Marblehead is home to the founding of the US Navy, and while Newport has the heritage of the America’s Cup, our experience is that Annapolis deserves the title as Sailing Capital of the US.
