Kayaking Baltimore's ruins

I belong to the Canton Kayak Club (www.cantonkayakclub.com) which maintains a handful of kayak docks scattered around Baltimore Harbor for its members. Nearly every day (weather permitting) I take one of their kayaks out in Baltimore Harbor paddling around and seeing the city's unique sites from a different perspective. It's a perfect place for the urban paddler to play around in. I like paddling around the usual tourist spots (Fort McHenry, Inner Harbor...), but there is a lot more to the harbor of course. The ... (more)

Kayak and Equipment
This blue Preception kayak is one of my favoriates that the club has....

End of the dock in Canton
Not sure why they put a Statue of Liberty here. That weather station...

Fort Carroll
Like Fort McHenry, Fort Carroll was built in the 19th-century bay to defend...

Fort Carroll
The fort was finally abandoned after WWI, but was used sporatically...

Fort Carroll
No one lives here anymore, of course, and it's hardly open for tourists....

Fort Carroll
Fort Carroll has been in private hands since 1958, and there have been...

Sailboats

Sailboat

Car Carrier
One of the many massive ships you see on the harbor. This is a...

Maryland Port Administration

Hospital Ship and Grain Tower
This navy hospital ship has been mothballed here for as long as I can remember.

Grain Tower
Fans of the HBO series "The Wire" would probably recognize this...

Wreckage
It closed after a storm damaged it a couple years ago.

Wreckage
Nothing's been done about it since other than put "Danger"...

Grain Elevator
At the moment there's a debate over what to do with the building....

Domino Sugar
You've probably seen this sign in many other Baltimore travel photographs...

Seagulls

Chromioum Plant
What would otherwise be prime waterfront real-estate, this is one of...

Tide Point
A former Procter & Gamble soap factory, this is now a 400,000 square foot...

Water Taxi
These things are what make kayaking Baltimore Harbor fun. Seeing the sites on...

article published 9/18/2003

Comments

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Hospital Ship
After doing a little checking, I have been told that the "Sanctuary" is now, unfortunately rotting away in Baltimore. There has been a newer ship named the Sanctuary which has taken its place.
— donna stephens, May 28, 2004

Hospital Ship
It appears to me that the Hospital ship is that of the "Sanctuary" I do belive it is being refurbished
— donna stephens, May 28, 2004

hospital ship
The hospital ship is not mothballed it is the "Comfort" which made national headlines when it sailed out of Baltimore to Iraq as the primary hospital during the second Gulf War. Very modern and capable hospital ship.

Next to it is a large collection of old Tug Boats from a company that buys them from around the country and brings here to restore into pleasure boats, next time your out take a look, they are beauty.
— Stephen Balbach, April 6, 2004

Michael, thanks very much for posting your trip reports and pictures. It has been several years since I've been able to get up from northern Virginia to paddle the inner harbor and your pictures brought it all back to my memory like it was yesterday.

Thanks again,

Woody www.kayaktrips.net
— Robert Woodard, November 16, 2003

Nicely done
A good perspective of Baltimore.
— Tim Lubcke, September 19, 2003

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