Tidewater Yacht Service to Close in Port Covington, Hopes to Relocate

Tidewater Yacht Service is closing its marina and boat repair business at 321 E. Cromwell St. in Port Covington at the end of July. Tidewater sold its property, but not its repair business, to The Port Covington Development Team last year.

Tidewater is hoping to relocate its business to somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay. Tidewater President Bob Brandon released the following statement:

As the boating season is kicking off in earnest, I wanted to update everyone on the future of Tidewater. Last year the people behind the Port Covington redevelopment purchased our land, but not our repair business. We spent the winter and spring searching the Baltimore area for suitable locations that would allow us to continue serving all of the boaters we have forged relationships with over the years. Our search yielded only two sites that would meet both our draft and acreage needs. Despite our best efforts, both of these locations were not for sale and we have moved our search into a wider area. However it has become clear that Tidewater Yacht Service will no longer be a Baltimore area repair yard. As of this time we are no longer taking new jobs as we prepare to move our shop and equipment.

We expect to be able to announce more news by the end of this summer as to where we will end up, and our goal is to remain a marine service facility on the Chesapeake Bay.

I would like to take a moment to personally thank each and every one of you for your support and patronage over the years. It has been my pleasure to take care of your boats and I hope to see you again at our new location, either for service or an overnight slip as you travel the bay.

Brandon told SouthBMore.com Tidewater has stopped taking on new business in recent weeks and will be fully vacated from the property by September 1st. Much of Tidewater’s boat yard has already been cleared. Brandon said Oasis Marina will take over management of the boat slips on the multiple piers at the property next month.

The Port Covington Development Team is comprised of owners Kevin Plank’s Plank Industries and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. Weller Development Company is leading the development and construction of the 235-acre, $5.5-billion, multi-decade Port Covington Development.

Chapter 1 of this development broke ground in May. The approximately $700-million phase is planned to include approximately 1.38 million sq. ft. of office, 337,450 sq. ft. of retail, 976,667 sq. ft. of residential, and 285,000 sq. ft. of hotel space across more than 12 city blocks.

E. Cromwell St. will be realigned into Tidewater’s 7.83-acre property to give the street a straight northeast orientation whereas it currently bends north. Tidewater’s property will also become an extension of East Waterfront Park which is partially open in front of Sagamore Spirit Distillery. Work on this shoreline has been under construction in recent weeks. It will eventually include a waterfront promenade that will extend through much of the Port Covington 2.5-mile waterfront.

A mixed-use development is planned for the rest of Tidewater’s property.

Tidewater Yacht Service’s property

Shoreline work in this area by The Port Covington Development Team

Overhead shot courtesy of Google Maps

Chapter 1 Renderings from Weller Development Company 

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.