25 Years of the Boatyard: A Healthier Bay, Sailing Fast, Fishing With Friends, and Happy Kids
In October of 2001, the Boatyard Bar & Grill on the corner of Fourth and Severn Streets in Eastport opened its doors. It’s been a destination pub, raw bar, restaurant, and impressive lifestyle events’ hub, raising funds for our waterfront community year after year.
Among the signature features and events the Boatyard has brought to Annapolis:
The Wednesday Night Racing film team shooting from the Boatyard’s boat and the T2PTV coverage racing sailors love to watch, and comment on, at the bar after racing.
The Boatyard Beach Bash, a Parrot Head’s dream party, headlined by members of the Jimmy Buffett Coral Reefer Band, to raise funds for the Annapolis Maritime Museum (AMM). This event has generated $1.7 million for AMM’s education programs.
Bands in the Sand, the best beach party in Annapolis, with a well-anticipated musical lineup every year to support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). This event has raised a whopping $6.6 million for CBF.
The Boatyard Bar & Grill was the original title sponsor and remains a significant sponsor for the CRAB Cup, supporting Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), which provides the therapeutic benefits of sailing to disabled sailors, wounded warriors, and youth from underserved communities. We at SpinSheet remember the early years of this event two decades ago when raising $20,000 was a huge accomplishment. The 2026 event alone brought in more than $140,000 for CRAB.
The Opening Day Rockfish Tournament, which raised funds for regional conservation organizations, ran for 20 years (and is on hiatus due to opening day restrictions). Our sibling publications, PropTalk and FishTalk, participated in this rite of spring year after year and hopes the event will return one day.
Did we mention the extensive menu and the world's best crabcakes at the Boatyard? It remains a true local’s place, where sailors line the bar and neighbors and slip-mates dine regularly and bring their out-of-town friends to enjoy the lively, kid-friendly vibe, pint drinks, and great food.
Dick's original motto has served him well: “a healthier Bay, sailing fast, fishing with friends, and happy kids.” Last year, the founder and longtime owner handed over the reins of the Boatyard Bar & Grill to Atlas Restaurant Group, noting that everything memorable about this Eastport institution will stay the same.
Congratulations on serving sailors for 25 years! See you at the Boatyard during the Annapolis Sailboat Show at 400 Fourth Street in Eastport. Visit boatyardbarandgrill.com.
