Onancock Wharf and Marina - Onancock, VA
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Most Recent Visit: August 25, 2025
Our first visit to Onancock was a last minute stop on our circuitous cruise around the Bay. We stopped there based on a recommendation to stop at Tangier Island for a couple of hours and then cruise over to Onancock. It was an excellent recommendation. |
There are only 12 slips and a long bulkhead for larger boats, but it is a very quiet and accommodating marina after a pleasant cruise up the Onancock Creek. Our second trip was more enjoyable as we stayed for two nights and had more time to spend in town.
Our third visit was for one night, but equally pleasant. Fuel and pumpout are available at the Wharf, as well as clean private bathrooms with showers and free laundry facilities in the small marina building. It is a short walk to the downtown area through some quiet neighborhoods where you can find a few nice restaurants. The marina has a couple of golf carts that can be rented by the hour or the day and also has a courtesy car that we did take advantage of for a quick provisioning trip. One popular eatery is immediately adjacent to the docks and there are few others in town. Onancock, like many other small, quiet historic Eastern Shore towns has a few Bed & Breakfast Inns for travelers. Other than using the courtesy car for provisioning or supplies, if you are there on a Saturday when the town runs a small farmers and artisan market from 9 to 12, you can get some fresh produce, seafood, baked goods and frozen meats as well as products from local artists. There is a very nice store in town with wine, cheese, olive oils, crackers and other entertaining items. They also feature work by local artists which is a theme of a few shops in town. The local bakery is very popular, however it was closed during our visit.
We enjoyed the winding and scenic cruise up Onancock Creek as we approached the town. There are a couple of anchorages along the way and you do need to be on the lookout for commercial traffic as well as crab traps. Many nice homes dot the shoreline. You will need to follow your chartplotter as the passage can be a bit confusing. There are plenty of daymarks along the way, but the channel makes a few dogleg turns between some of them. There seems to be good water outside the channel, but deep draft boats may need to pay close attention.
We highly recommend a stop in Onancock. The people are very friendly and welcoming to boaters. The marina is kept in very nice shape with aluminum floating docks and good electric and water. They seem to be making continuous improvements and upgrades. The finger piers are a bit short, making docking and securing your lines a little challenging, but it is less of an issue if you know to expect it. There was no over-the-air TV reception, however we were able to use the Wifi for streaming as well as internet communications.
Our third visit was for one night, but equally pleasant. Fuel and pumpout are available at the Wharf, as well as clean private bathrooms with showers and free laundry facilities in the small marina building. It is a short walk to the downtown area through some quiet neighborhoods where you can find a few nice restaurants. The marina has a couple of golf carts that can be rented by the hour or the day and also has a courtesy car that we did take advantage of for a quick provisioning trip. One popular eatery is immediately adjacent to the docks and there are few others in town. Onancock, like many other small, quiet historic Eastern Shore towns has a few Bed & Breakfast Inns for travelers. Other than using the courtesy car for provisioning or supplies, if you are there on a Saturday when the town runs a small farmers and artisan market from 9 to 12, you can get some fresh produce, seafood, baked goods and frozen meats as well as products from local artists. There is a very nice store in town with wine, cheese, olive oils, crackers and other entertaining items. They also feature work by local artists which is a theme of a few shops in town. The local bakery is very popular, however it was closed during our visit.
We enjoyed the winding and scenic cruise up Onancock Creek as we approached the town. There are a couple of anchorages along the way and you do need to be on the lookout for commercial traffic as well as crab traps. Many nice homes dot the shoreline. You will need to follow your chartplotter as the passage can be a bit confusing. There are plenty of daymarks along the way, but the channel makes a few dogleg turns between some of them. There seems to be good water outside the channel, but deep draft boats may need to pay close attention.
We highly recommend a stop in Onancock. The people are very friendly and welcoming to boaters. The marina is kept in very nice shape with aluminum floating docks and good electric and water. They seem to be making continuous improvements and upgrades. The finger piers are a bit short, making docking and securing your lines a little challenging, but it is less of an issue if you know to expect it. There was no over-the-air TV reception, however we were able to use the Wifi for streaming as well as internet communications.
As mentioned above, on our first trip, we stopped in Onancock after spending some time on Tangier Island. We arrived at the island after a two hour cruise from Deltaville and spent a couple of hours touring with a golf cart guide and having lunch. We enjoyed learning about the history of the island, the unique way of life, and the challenges facing the residents. We were glad to have met the legendary Mr. Parks as he helped us tie up on the docks. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago and I'm not sure if the Parks Marina is still being maintained. The trip to Onancock was about an hour and half from Tangier. It was a very pleasant day!
