There are berthing and repair facilities for small craft at Havre de Grace. One of the basins is protected by old railroad barges sunk in place.
Perryville, on the opposite side of the river from Havre de Grace, has berthing facilities for small craft above the first bridge. Storage, some marine supplies and engine repairs are available; largest lift, 20 tons.
The marinas at the south end of Port Deposit have berthing, storage, launching ramp and engine repair facilities; largest lift, 12 tons. Gasoline and some supplies are available.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
The Susquehanna River empties into the head of Chesapeake Bay from northwestward. The entrance is between Concord Point and Perry Point,1 mile east-northeastward. A marked dredged channel leads through the flats from deep water in Chesapeake Bay to Havre de Grace. A side channel leads to a basin at City Park at Havre de Grace. In 2011, the controlling depth was 10 feet to the mouth of Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace. In 2011, the controlling depth was 4 feet in the side channel and in the basin at City Park.
Havre de Grace, on the west side of the entrance to the Susquehanna River has many pleasure craft and a significant amount of tug and barge traffic.
A rock covered 6 feet and marked by buoys on the east, west, and south sides, is about 200 yards off the Havre de Grace wharves and 500 yards below the drawspan of the first bridge. There are said to be several other rocks between this rock and the wharves that require local knowledge to avoid. In 1967, a submerged rock was reported just north of the first bridge in 39°33’20″N., 76°04’58″W., about 200 yards east-northeastward of the charted rock.
The railroad bridge 0.8 mile above the mouth has a swing span with a clearance of 52 feet. The overhead power cable on the lower side of the bridge has a clearance of 127 feet. Stone piers of a former highway bridge, just below the railroad bridge, stand 15 feet above high water. The remaining three fixed bridges between Havre de Grace and Port Deposit have minimum clearance of 85 feet.
Above Havre de Grace, depths of 13 feet to 50 feet are in the channel of Susquehanna River to Port Deposit, on the northeast side 4 miles above the mouth; the river is obstructed by rocks above this point. In 1977, rocks were reported in about 39°35.8’N., 76°07.2’W., about 3.6 miles above the mouth.
Garrett Island, 0.8 mile long and 0.4 mile broad, high and wooded, is in midriver 1 mile above the mouth. The favored channel is west of the island, however, mariners are advised to use caution because of the numerous rocks, shoals, logs, and submerged pilings in this area.
