Maryland's Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that major works began in early September at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield. The approximately US$30 million project will upgrade the state's largest publicly owned marina and improve flood protection for the surrounding community.
Somers Cove provides 515 slips and accommodates boats up to 150 feet, although Luxury Yacht Guide's interest centres on the 12.00–23.99-metre cruising segment. The site also serves as an access point for Chesapeake Bay boating and the nearby Smith and Tangier islands.
Eight piers and a new boat ramp
The project will replace eight of the marina's fifteen piers with floating systems and install roughly 2,000 feet of new bulkhead. A replacement boat ramp and renewed utility connections are also part of the approved work.
The programme includes new water and electrical systems on the piers, sewer and storm-drain upgrades, parking resurfacing and access improvements. These changes address both the waterfront and the practical facilities used by visiting owners.
Five tide gates for flood resilience
New tide gates will be incorporated into a stormwater system intended to reduce tidal flooding at the marina and neighbouring properties. Two of the five gates are being designed with future municipal development in mind.
The project also includes landscaping, environmental mitigation and invasive-species work. Flood resilience is a central purpose of the scheme, not an incidental marina amenity.
A gateway with broad regional use
The more than thirty-acre facility welcomed 5,288 boaters in 2025, according to Maryland DNR. It provides transient and longer-term dockage and supports services connecting the Eastern Shore with island communities.
Somers Cove is also the home port of the state's icebreaker and buoy tender, M/V Eddie Somers. That wider public role helps explain why the investment combines recreational services and essential infrastructure.
Funding and completion window
DNR identifies approximately US$15.82 million from Waterway Improvement grants, US$8.73 million in general-obligation bonds and US$5.95 million from the Department of Transportation. Baltimore contractor Dvorak LLC has been appointed to deliver the works.
Officials expect an 18–24-month programme, subject to the realities of construction and weather. Visiting yachts should confirm which slips and facilities remain available during the upgrade.
