Can Anyone Recommend a New England Marina ?

[capt lar]

After several years of drystoring smaller boats, we are now close to an empty nest and want to buy a coastal cruiser in the 35 to 40 foot range. We live outside Boston and I need to find a friendly marina with slips or moorings available within an hour's drive. Every place I call has a waiting list. Even when I tell a broker I will buy a boat if it comes with a mooring, the reply is always "you and everyone else". Any suggestions on where to look. I will look at anything from Rhode Island to southern Maine

[Andyk]

Try Hawthorne Cove Marina. If they try to tell you they have no moorings available tell them you are ready to put up the required 50% deposit. All returning members were required to make a 50% deposit by 1/1/05 so at this point they must know what is available. I don't think they filled up last year. Slips are a different story though...Tough to get for sure.

Their website is www.hawthornecove.com

[GrayGoose]

I might be able to help, but it's not a marina, per se, but East Greenwich Yacht Club, tucked into the best hurricane hole, East Greenwich harbor, reached up the west passage of Narransett Bay. I kept my boat in the water there one winter, and rented a mooring from Maggie and Charlie, owners of New England Yacht Rigging, right across the street from EGYC. M&C have a few moorings of their own and are in touch with other townies who hold these highly prized moorings but often rent them for income. EGYC had a waiting list for dockage when I was last there, 1998, but also had some moorings available. The town lies an hour south of your digs, has nice restaurants, West Marine and Boat US outlets. Club has some real sailors, drive boats like we drive cars: EGYC: 401-884-7700. NEYR: 401-884-1112. Talk to Maggie. Hope this is some help. Best of luck.
Jack

[GrayGoose]

One last thing: anything having to do with boating is loaded with innocent lies, little illusions, like water itself. It makes owner/operators of yards, marinas, etc, veerrry doubtful until you step up to the plate. It's a local thing. Walk in the door, front the money, say I need a mooring now, blah, blah, blah, and the response is often different...not always but my experience has been that buying selling, moorings, etc. is about local dealing. Just a thought,
Jack

[capt lar]

gotcha - thanks for the lead