A fledgling wellness studio in Fells Point has found itself in an unlikely turf war with one of the neighborhood's loudest attractions: the Urban Pirates. Sedona House says its meditation and sound-bath classes are routinely drowned out by a pirate ship that drops anchor just feet from the studio door, and the city spending board will decide on Wednesday whether the pirates get to keep that coveted berth.
Owners say the studio, which opened in 2024 at the dead end of South Ann Street, has seen class attendance fall as much as 70 percent during the boat's operating hours and that once-quiet sessions have been interrupted by shouting and water-cannon fanfare, according to reporting. "I was trying to find my om, and all I could hear was 'arrr,'" recalled one attendee, capturing the clash of vibes. As reported by The Baltimore Banner, the studio's co-owner filed a formal protest with the city claiming the cruises sometimes operate past the terms of their lease.
Studio Owners Say The Noise Hits Their Business
Casey Jones, who opened Sedona House with his wife last year, told city officials that children queue outside the studio and sometimes tap plastic swords against the windows during classes, forcing staff to pause sessions. In a protest letter, the studio estimated attendance drops of roughly 70 percent during the pirates' busiest hours, a hit Jones says has real financial consequences for a new small business. The dispute has put neighbors and business owners on opposite sides of a familiar Fells Point tension, with touristy revelry on one side and quieter daytime commerce on the other.
Pirates Say There Is No Other Good Pier
The Urban Pirates' operators say they have been part of the Fells Point waterfront for decades and that moving two blocks would make their cruises inaccessible to guests with disabilities because the Broadway Pier ramp is not long enough, while the water north on Ann Street is too shallow to dock, their Urban Pirates site and spokespeople say. The company's site also notes a temporary boarding change; through May 8, they will be using the Broadway Pier, a move the crew frames as logistically necessary. Support letters from nearby restaurants and bars submitted to the city argue that the cruises bring thousands of visitors and help nearby businesses.
What City Hall Has To Decide
On Wednesday, the city's spending board will consider a new three-year lease that, if approved, can be extended through 2034, a vote that would keep the pirates moored at South Ann for the foreseeable future. City officials and board members will weigh the studio's protest alongside letters of support for the boat, and any decision could set a template for how the city balances tourist attractions with small businesses on the waterfront. As reported by The Baltimore Banner, the boat's owners say they operated briefly after their prior lease lapsed in 2025 because of an administrative hiccup and have since made the city whole, and the board's answer will determine whether they are officially back in port.
What Comes Next For The Neighborhood
Neighbors planning to watch Wednesday's meeting will find the action centers on the Ann Street dock in Fells Point, where the Urban Pirates have traditionally boarded from South Ann Street, a location listed on Eventective. The board's decision could keep a popular family attraction within earshot of a studio that markets silence and focus, a literal test of how much noise a neighborhood should tolerate. Either way, studio owners say they will keep taking classes; one attendee put it plainly, "It is a city," a comment that underscores the competing rhythms of waterfront life.
