Beach & Pier

The community's beach & pier area features a grassy area where Sunset Beach residents may picnic, sunbathe, swim, crab, or fish. We have an L-shaped swimming pier that creates a safe swimming area for younger children.

There is a boat ramp available for launching you boat. It's great to have a launching ramp no further than a few blocks away! One of the great benefits of living close the Bay is being able to launch in a sheltered cove and out in the channel in minutes. For details on use and fee, please read our Beach & Pier Rules below.

We also have boat slips for residents. For specific information about use of the piers & rate, please read our Beach & Pier Rules below. Please note the slip rates are for the entire season April-October not at a monthly rate.

Occasionally, residents wish to use the beach and pier area for a private event such as a wedding, a graduation celebration or some other kind of family get-together. See our Private Event Rules on the Common Properties page.

Questions about boat slips or the launch ramp?
If you wish to contact the Beach & Pier chairman to ask about the boat slip waiting list or to obtain a ramp key, you may contact George Gallaher at his email address, [email protected]. George will contact you to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet.

BEACH & PIER RULES

2026 BEACH & PIER RULES

Revised 2026-01-03

BEACH & PIER AREA

Use of the area. All residents of Sunset Beach and their bona fide guests are eligible to use the community beach and pier area provided that they abide by these official rules.
Non-resident guests. Residents must accompany non-resident guests to the beach and pier area and are responsible for their guest’s actions while in the beach and pier area. Any violation of the rules by a guest may be considered as violation by the resident.
Parking. All vehicles parked within beach and pier grounds must be registered to a current Sunset Beach resident. Vehicles not registered to a current Sunset Beach resident may be towed at the owner’s expense. Any vehicle or trailer left overnight may be towed at the owner’s expense. Any resident needing to have a vehicle or trailer overnight must receive written permission from the Beach & Pier committee or Association Officers prior to parking. Only vehicles with boat trailers may park on the lower grass lot. If this lot is full, please return the vehicle to your own property. Vehicles may pull down to the lower area for loading and unloading but must return to the upper parking area as soon as loading is completed. Vehicle access to the upper lot will be controlled. The entrance gate will now be locked. Access is limited to members and their bona fide guests. If members desire parking access to the upper lot they should contact an Association officer or member of the Beach & Pier committee.
No bikes, skates, skateboards, scooters, or motorized vehicles of any type are allowed beyond the chains past the boat ramp access, with the exception of handicap scooters or wheelchairs. Beach & Pier committee or Association Officers can give permission for motorized vehicles to assist with community functions or improvement work.
Appropriate behavior. Users of the beach and pier area are asked to be considerate of their neighbors especially in the following ways:
All pets must be on a leash at all times and the owner must clean up after their pet and remove waste from beach property.
Please remember that neighbors live close by. Noise, particularly in the evening, should be kept to a reasonable level.
The beach and pier area is a designated trash free area. Please take your trash with you when you leave. The county will not collect trash from this area.
Do not feed the waterfowl
Porta Pot. No Porta Pot will be provided for the 2026 season. There are no bathroom facilities.
Hours. The beach and pier area closes at 10 PM each evening with exceptions made for community events approved by the Association Board.

BOAT SLIPS & LAUNCHING RAMP

Fees. The following fees have been established for the year:
Ramp key- $30 when paid by April 1st, $60 after April 1st.
Large (locked) pier slip rental- $20 per LOA foot
Lost replacement key- $30 per key
Seasonal (April 1 through Nov. 1) fee for electricity use on large pier- No charge
No fees will be refunded for violation of the Beach & Pier Rules
Slip rental eligibility. Only residents of Sunset Beach who have either joined Sunset Beach Improvement Association by paying dues or a donation are eligible to rent boat slips. The boats must be registered to a current Sunset Beach resident. A copy of the registration must be available upon request by the Beach & Pier Committee to establish or maintain eligibility.
Slip assignment procedure. The Beach & Pier Committee reserves the right to assign slips as necessary to accommodate boat sizes. Every effort will be made to reassign regular users their same slips each year. Boat slip assignments will be made as follows:
Resident homeowners who have held a slip in the previous season must notify the Association of the intent to renew their slip rental by February 1st via email to George Gallaher at [email protected] or text to 410-412-4813. Slips that become available will be offered to the resident homeowner on the top of the waiting list. After the April meeting any remaining slips will be offered to renters. This will also be done on the basis of the waiting list.
After all residents are satisfied, residents may rent a second slip on a first come first serve basis for that season only.
All reserved slips must be paid in full by April 1st. Slips rented after that time must be paid in full at time of rental.
Any slip holder who sells his/her Sunset Beach property automatically releases any and all slips to the next person on the waiting list.
Individual slips are assigned to specific slip holders. Rental of a slip does not authorize use of any slip on the pier other than the assigned slip.
Anyone violating any of the beach and pier rules can and will lose the right to rent a key to the ramp and to rent a slip on their piers. If you have a key or a slip you will forfeit your right to the one which you have.
Use of the locked pier. Slip holders on the locked pier will be issued keys to open the pier gate. The gate is to be locked when not in use. Only those slip holders and their guests are permitted on the locked pier. Anyone who climbs over or around this gate is trespassing and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Electricity & water pierside. Repairs are needed to ensure electricity & water pierside. Until repairs are made no electricity or water will be available. The Beach & Pier committee will notify all slip holders once the services are restored. Electricity may be available on the locked pier from April 1st to November 1st. The Association will not provide electricity during the winter. Water may be available at no charge from April 1st until all boats are pulled or November 1st whichever occurs first.

Ramp key eligibility. Only residents of Sunset Beach who have either joined Sunset Beach Improvement Association by paying of dues or a donation are eligible for Ramp keys. Ramp keys will only be issued to current Sunset Beach residents with boats or personal watercraft registered to the resident or to current Sunset Beach residents with paddle craft (canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, rowboats or similar craft) who have approval from the Beach & Pier committee. A copy of the boat registration must be available upon request by the Beach & Pier Committee to establish or maintain eligibility.

Use of Ramp by a guest: Occasionally, a Ramp key holder may accompany a bona fide guest to use the Ramp. With permission of the Beach & Pier committee, Ramp key holders must accompany the bona fide guest to use the ramp for a boat not registered to a Sunset Beach resident. The Ramp key holder is responsible for ensuring the bona fide guest is aware of the Beach & Pier rules. The key for the Ramp must remain in the Ramp key holder’s possession and the Ramp key holder must be able to show a boat or personal watercraft registration in their name at the request of the Beach & Pier committee.
Use of keys. Pier and Ramp keys are not to be loaned to anyone or copied. Anyone who is found to have copied a key will have his/her privileges revoked. No fees will be refunded.
Return of keys. All Beach & Pier keys are the property of the Association and must be returned each year to receive a new key. If an old key is not returned, it will be considered lost and the holder will be charged the designated fee.
Security. The lower gate (at the entrance of the lower lot) must, without exception, be locked after each use!! The upper gate must be locked after each use. Members not following this rule may have this privilege revoked by the Beach and Pier Committee or Board of Directors.
Unauthorized Vessels: Only vessels registered to slip holders are authorized to moor to the locked pier. Slip holders are not authorized to use slips they are not assigned by the Beach & Pier Committee. Only Sunset Beach residents are authorized to moor at the unlocked pier or boat ramp. No vessel is authorized to moor to the swim pier. The Beach & Pier Committee can authorize a vessel to moor temporarily if it does not interfere with access by registered slip holders. Any unauthorized vessels will have the process started for their removal after 48 hours.

Association Dues for 2026 $80