We have loved our time at Castle Harbor Marina. It is a very protected basin with wide and easy-to-navigate fairways. The Olympic pool is amazing and always very clean! The service is also quite good and all the personnel have been very friendly whenever we need anything. The facilities have been in a state of perpetual upgrading and restoration since we started leasing about 3 years ago, which is telling of the management's commitment to providing their guests a great marina environment. We also enjoy having the restaurant "Pour House Tavern" within easy walking distance from the entrance. Overall, a great, centrally located marina that we highly recommend!
There are a lot of good things to be said about Castle Marina:
• Friendly People
Every marina I have ever sailed into had friendly people. But Castle Marina has fostered a sub-culture of VERY friendly folks. From the slip holders to the staff, my experience was that on this point Castle Marina is stellar. We received exceptional help from the management as we were way-laid there for far longer than we were told we would be when marine contractors upgrading our rigging dragged their heels in getting the job done.
• Management
The best. In an age of increasingly depersonalized, robotic corporate clones who seem to run everything, including most big marinas, Castle Marina's staff maintains a much more human and helpful attitude. They actually appear to be concerned about the best interests of the customers who are actually paying their salaries.
• Facilities
Most of the docks need some level of repair, but all are entirely serviceable. New docks have been recently completed in the Spring of 2025. The pool is great. The shore-side bathrooms are kept very clean. The grounds are well-kept. The parking is great and a security fence (with card-key access) is active through the night. The on-site restaurant (the "Pour House") has a great environment with inside and outside seating, a diverse menu, great food and drink and an attentive and friendly staff.
• Access by Sea
The marked channel has some skinny parts but we never had any trouble getting our 5' draft Down East 38 in and out.
• Weather Protection
The whole marina is surrounded on all sides, other than the access channel, by condos on elevated grounds. Wind protection is very good. This is the place to be in a blow.
• The Town
The Chester, Md. area is loaded with near-by resources for boaters- a full size West Marine store, two major hardware store chains, LOTS of restaurants and night-life stuff for the kids, two major supermarket chains, coffee shops, public parks, etc. The traffic can get thick at times due to the fact that the main street, (unimaginatively named, "Main Street") has only two lanes with lots of residential and various business real estate on both sides.
• The Bottom Line
By all of these measures, Castle Marina should be found at or near the top of any list of marinas in the area. The only thing close to a criticism that I can offer is that many of the docks, while safe and serviceable, do need repair even if only for cosmetic reasons, to help them match the excellence of everything else in and around this marina.
We have had a fantastic experience here at Castle Marina for the past 4 years. Castle is a quiet and very affordable marina with wide open fairways to make docking much easier and less stressful than most other marinas. Direct access to the upper mouth of the Chester River makes it a very convenient location for boat travelers! The marina pool is outstanding with plenty of seating and umbrellas for shade. The attached Pavilion is great for picnics and dinners, with grill and propane supplied by the marina. The ownership has improved the WI-FI connection and has made the commitment to update all of the docks which has started this past fall and winter. When this is completed the rating will surely be 5 *’s in my opinion.The staff is friendly and helpful and will address slip holders concerns and suggestions with the ownership!!
This is our home marina, and one of our favorite marinas we've stayed. While the facilities may not match what we have experienced in Key West or the Bahamas, there isn't a friendlier place to keep your boat. The pool is fantastic and there are a couple of restaurants just off the grounds. Highly recommend.
We have been in this marina since 1998. We love the fact that it is a great protected location with extra large fairways between each dock for easy manuvering , easy access to the Chester River, Kent Narrows, Rock Hall and the Bay. Friendly staff, WiFi, laundry facilities and last but NOT least the most beautiful pool! Walk to dock bar and great sushi restaurant. BEST marina value in the area!
Ted and Bev
Castle Marina is the best marina that I have ever used. I've owned 5 different sailboats over the past 45 years and Castle is by far the best. The management is terrific. They're quick to respond to questions and requests for support. I'm fortunate to be able to use my boat 3-4 times every week so I get to enjoy all the amenities. Having a fuel dock and pump-out station is very convenient. The boating neighbors that use and/or live on boats throughout the marina are great to be with. Castle’s pool is oversized and the bathroom and shower facilities are well maintained, with good heat in the winter and nice A/C in the summer. Two great places to eat are adjacent to the marina: the Pour House and Cafe Sado. Convenient access to the Chester River, Kent Narrows and the Chesapeake Bay makes it a perfect location.
Enjoy our time on the boat. The staff at the marina are a delight and make it easy for us to do what we love! The facilities are great, and we love the pool, restaurants, ability to get our boat into the water hassle free!
It's an older Marina that needs improvement for maintaining the docks, many have rotting planks, lose or missing cleats, overall surrounded in a nice quiet community and location off Chester River.
My husband and I have lived aboard for 20+ years. We decided to move to Castle Harbor Marina 4 years ago. This a wonderful Marina to live in and visit!!! We have had friends come by boat and get a slip overnight-they totally LOVED it here!! Our Children and grandchildren come and enjoy the pool during the summer-I even had my granddaughters 11th birthday party at the pavilion and pool!! The Marina personel were very accommodating for the party throughout the day!!
In the 4 years we have been here we have NEVER asked for something, that hasn't been done or taken care of by the management, we LOVE our life here and the people who work here are always friendly and do anything they can, to help in any situation!! Last summer we came in on one motor and the gas dock attendant personally came down to our slip to assist us if we needed help to dock the boat!!
The Marina might have a little age on it-however the facilities are nice, air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter-they have nice washers and dryers and not nearly as pricey to wash and dry as we have seen at other Marinas!!
I gave Castle Harbor Marina 5 stars because my husband and I think of it as a 5 star place to live!! We really wish we would have come here 20 years ago!!!!
I have been at Castle for the past 34 years, this is the best marina for deep water, easy access into slips, and all around a great community. Please come visit us and you will see what you have been missing.
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