Boat Clubs in Lewes, DE

The boat clubs we list in Lewes are Freedom Boat Club. Membership gets you access to a shared fleet without owning, maintaining or storing a boat yourself.

Late May through September is generally the best time to boat on Delaware Bay and the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, combining warmer water with Lewes’s main marina season. NOAA’s Lewes data show average water temperatures near 60°F in May, the upper 60s in June, and the low to mid 70s from July through September.

Canalfront Park Marina operates from April 1 through November 30. The Lewes Boat Ramp can be very busy during the April to October fishing season, particularly in early morning and mid-afternoon. Before launching, consider the tide because currents can be heavy near Roosevelt Inlet and the canal narrows.

Source: City of Lewes (ci.lewes.de.us)

From Lewes, you can boat on the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, pass through Roosevelt Inlet to Delaware Bay, enter the Broadkill River, or follow the canal to Rehoboth Bay. The tidal canal has a posted 4 mph limit, while Delaware Bay is the open-water choice. Roosevelt Inlet is a jettied connection between the bay, canal and Broadkill River. The Broadkill offers an inside-passage river route, though NOAA reports bridges and snags farther upriver. Rehoboth Bay is reached through the shallow-draft canal route.

Trailered boats can use the Lewes Boat Ramp on Pilottown Road; paddlers and other small craft can launch at Canalfront Park.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

From Lewes, boaters head to the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse for close-up views from Delaware Bay; Harbor of Refuge for an anchorage behind the outer breakwater beside its lighthouse; Reef Site 8 in Delaware Bay to fish around charted concrete and the Golden Eagle tug; and Dewey Beach, reached through the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, for a Rehoboth Bay stop with slips, fuel and supplies.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Yes. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1978 must complete an approved boating safety course and carry the certificate when operating a motorized boat, including a personal watercraft, on Delaware waters. DNREC states no minimum mandatory age for boats other than PWC. PWC operators must be at least 14; ages 14 and 15 require direct parental or guardian supervision, while certified operators 16 or older may operate unsupervised.

Renters subject to the birth date rule are not exempt and must carry proof. Statutory exemptions cover valid U.S. Coast Guard captains and Delaware River and Bay pilots or equivalents; no temporary certificate exemption is listed. DNREC’s Office of Boating Safety and Education administers the requirement.

Source: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (dnrec.delaware.gov)

Delaware boaters should know the life jacket, sober operation, registration, education and personal watercraft rules enforced by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Children 12 and under must wear a life jacket; every vessel needs one for each person, and every personal watercraft rider must wear one. Operating a vessel underway with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more is illegal. Motorboats, including electric powered boats, must be Delaware registered when Delaware is their principal state of use, with the registration card aboard. Motorized operators born on or after January 1, 1978 need approved boating education. Personal watercraft operators must be 16 or older, except that a 14 or 15 year old may operate one under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

Source: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (dnrec.delaware.gov)

Delaware sets no minimum age to operate an ordinary motorboat, but that does not determine whether a rental company will rent one to you. Under Title 23, Section 2221, anyone born on or after January 1, 1978 must complete approved boating safety instruction and carry the certificate when operating a registered or documented vessel. Personal watercraft have separate rules: operators may operate unsupervised at 16, while 14 and 15-year-olds may operate only under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian. Section 2213 also requires a personal watercraft renter to hold a valid automobile driver’s license. Each rental operator sets any additional minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (delcode.delaware.gov)

Alongside the boat clubs on this page, Lewes has 1 boat rental, 5 marinas and 1 boat dealer.