Crash Boat Basin

The Crash Boat Basin is a waterfront enclave of some 130 single-family houses, most of which are on the waters of the basin itself, Offatts Bayou or adjoining canals. About 30 houses are on dry lots.

The area is located at the entrance to Offatts Bayou from Galveston Bay, so boaters have quick access to the bay and the Intracoastal Waterway. It is behind the Galveston Seawall (3 miles to the south), next to Evia and Moody Gardens Municipal Golf Course and east of 103rd Street.

The name of the basin comes from the days during World War II, when the nearby municipal airport was an Army Air Corps base. Crews trained here on high-speed motorboats, learning seaborne rescue operations for people in downed aircraft.

The homes are a mix of updated old fishing cabins and more recently built bay houses, ranging from very small to massive in scale. Most architecture is beachfront vernacular, though some very contemporary designs are scattered throughout the neighborhood. The homes are predominantly single-family, with full time residents, though many are available for vacation rental. The Crash Boat Basin Neighborhood Association has been in existence since 1973.

In addition to its name, the Crash Boat Basin is unique among other Galveston neighborhoods because of its well-traveled neighbors: Some 200 Sandhill cranes migrate from Canada and Alaska to roost in fields on the west side of 103rd Street. These majestic birds with wingspans of over 6 feet stay a couple of months on Galveston Island, then fly home. Perhaps they are attracted by the fishing here, which is among the Island’s best.

Prices for basin, canal and bay houses for sale in Galveston’s Crash Boat Basin range from the $200,000s to over $1 million.