Bob Brandon got his start in the boatyard business at the age of 14. In the forty-plus years that have past, Brandon has spent all of his working life in the boatyard industry, where he has developed a healthy respect for the environment, and especially for the health of Chesapeake Bay. “If we pollute the bay and it dies,” said Brandon, “there won’t be any boaters. We’ll all be out of business.”

In 2004, Brandon got an opportunity to put his environmental beliefs to the test. He was moving his boatyard to a new location on the Bay, providing him with an opportunity to put his ideas for an environmentally-designed boatyard and marina into action.

Current status

Brandon owns and manages the newest and most modern boat repair facility on Chesapeake Bay: Port Covington Maritime Center. Its major tenant is Tidewater Yacht Service, a major repair and service center for large boats. In fact, Port Covington is one of the only large-boat, full-service boatyards in Chesapeake Bay.

The facility is anchored by a two story, 6,000 sq. ft. office and retail building connected to a 9,000 sq. ft. repair building. The repair facility sports 30-foot high doors and can accommodate vessels up to 55 feet in length. A paved and lighted outdoor boat storage area has year-round water and electricity. Haulouts are managed with 35- and 75-ton Travelifts working at two haulout slips. A 20-ton forklift is available for outdoor rack storage for boats up to 40 feet.

For 20 years at its prior location, Brandon’s boatyard business was on a five-acre site in Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor. His move in 2005 to a new location was prompted by interest from a large corporate neighbor (Domino Sugar) that wanted his Inner Harbor site for refinery expansion. Brandon sold the Inner Harbor site in 2005, giving him a chance rebuild on a larger eight-acre site and to design a less cramped, more efficient facility—with a rigorous approach to pollution control—from the ground up.

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MAGAZINE: Marina Dock Age
ISSUE: January/February 2008