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Old 28-12-2017, 10:47   #16
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

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Originally Posted by Island Time O25 View Post
Salem Harbor in MA has a bunch of large mooring fields for each of the 7-8 towns surrounding it. Each has some form of launch service. Some have waiting lists for the mooring permits, others don't. Best to call each town's harbormaster directly and they will put you in touch with the right people to talk to.

When I was looking for a spot for my boat 12 years ago I looked far and wide as I am somewhat inland and other than downtown Boston and immediate areas close by (which were not a good fit for me for number of reasons, $40/day parking among them) everything else was at least an hour away. So I considered SE part of MA, incl. RI, North shore and up to Portsmouth,NH. Salem Harbor won hands down as it is almost half way to many weekend destinations. 50nm to P-town, 15nm to Rockport, 60-70nm to Portsmouth, 15nm to Boston, etc. Basically you can do weekend trips to most places and long weekend ones to some others. I am still trying to put together a crew for Bar Harbor trip but am having a tough time getting my sailing buddies to commit for a full week.

SE area is also nice as you can reach Block Island, MV or even Nantucket on a weekend trip.
I agree that Salem is a pretty ideal location on the north shore of Boston. We spent one summer there at the Brewer marina and really enjoyed it.

One heads up....if you rent a mooring for the summer in Salem be sure to settle whether you or the marina will be responsible for the mooring permit fee before you sign on the dotted line. We found out the hard way that even though we didn't own the mooring, since our boat was on it, the town expected us to pay that fee and it was a couple hundred $$ if I remember correctly.

The winter we had our boat down there the Brewer yard was filled up so they were unsure whether they could squeeze us in as of Sept 1, so we decided to make other arrangements and decided that we'd try Cape Anne Marina in Gloucester. Brewers eventually found room for us but by then we'd already committed to Cape Anne Marina so took the boat up there to be hauled. Everything about the place was a very pleasant surprise! It's about 1/4 mile up a river so there's no waves or swell at the dock and they have plenty of dock space. They have a very large travel lift so with our 47' sloop we didn't need to disconnect our forestay. There is a decent (not fancy) hotel right on the premises so you can stay right there while winterizing/commissioning your boat in the fall/spring, or just visiting her during the winter. A decent restaurant in the hotel and lots of other great options for dining in Gloucester. But the best part of the Cape Anne Marina was the people! EVERYONE out in the yard was constantly trying to be helpful. If you asked where something was (step ladder, wheelbarrow, travel lift operator, etc.) they took you to it or found it for you. If you crossed paths while walking across the yard, they would ask if they could help you...and they really meant it! As a lifetime Mainer it's not really considered an appropriate thing to do to be saying nice things about "Massholes," but the ones at Cape Anne Marina couldn't have been any nicer or more helpful/competent and that was from the owner all the way down to the bottom painters. Also, prices were more reasonable for winter storage than in the Salem area yards.
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Old 28-12-2017, 11:39   #17
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

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That's the rent for the season; May through October or longer.
Wow! For that $$ you buy a fully equiped and installed mooring where I'm at (about $2K for your size) and you will still have leftover $$ for launch shuttle annual sticker ($700 or less if you pay at the end of the prev. season). Seasonal rent here is about $700-800 plus launch cost, either per trip or seasonal sticker.
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Old 28-12-2017, 11:53   #18
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

jtsailjt,

Yes I am aware of who pays for town permits. My furst 3 seasons I rented a mooring with an option to buy. That was a sweet deal as the mooring company changed ownership at the time and the new and still current owner was a nice guy who wanted to expand the business. So he basically let you end up with a mooring after 3 seasons of rental payments. So after that I just have to pay the town tax (under $100 for a 35 yr old boat) and the permit fee of now $5.50/ft (used to be $4/ft). And the launch sticker of $700 ($600 if you pay way in advance, unlimited rides and # of passengers with the sticker). The mooring service is $200/yr and $400-450 every third year (to replace chains, penants, etc). Averages to about $300/yr. So for all of my seasons there my seasonal costs were under $1,500, most years under $1,200. Not bad for that beautiful location.
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Old 28-12-2017, 11:56   #19
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

Thanks for the fantastic posts! Lots to chew on. Not a bad way to spend a frigid NE winter day.

I happen to own my moorings -I had to buy two of them for Mamaroneck. I think they are 500lb mushrooms. Maybe that will be an asset but not sure if I can even get them in my actual possession.

To buy them was about $2500, which looking back sounds like a real deal.

Thanks again for the great info. It is very much appreciated.
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Old 28-12-2017, 13:03   #20
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

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Originally Posted by Island Time O25 View Post
Wow! For that $$ you buy a fully equiped and installed mooring where I'm at (about $2K for your size) and you will still have leftover $$ for launch shuttle annual sticker ($700 or less if you pay at the end of the prev. season). Seasonal rent here is about $700-800 plus launch cost, either per trip or seasonal sticker.
Obviously you aren't in central New England. When I was preparing to take my boat down the ICW to Florida I thought it would be convenient to stay at a dock for a few days for provisioning and meeting crew. The cheapest I could find in eastern CT was over $100/night for a 42' boat. It was late season and the marina nearby was about 2/3 empty. I spoke with the owner and mentioned I could rent a hotel room with kitchenette, HBO, central heat and air for $85/night vs $125/night to tie up to his pier. Offered him $85/night for three nights and he turned it down so I stayed on the hook.
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Old 30-12-2017, 06:30   #21
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

Wickford Marina in Wickford, RI has slips and moorings protected on all sides. Reasonable rates.

Cataumet, MA has moorings and slips. Call Parker's Boatyard. Great staff.
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Old 30-12-2017, 16:09   #22
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

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Cape Anne Marina in Gloucester... Everything about the place was a very pleasant surprise!
We've stayed there as transients, and totally agree that the staff is almost unmatched anywhere for friendliness and helpfulness, and the facilities are great.

Their prices are a little higher that we'd like, but the location almost justifies it. Don't miss the Causeway Diner across the street. Portions, quality and price just can't be beat anywhere.
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Old 30-12-2017, 18:31   #23
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Re: Massachusetts Marinas

If your OK with joining a yacht club Thames yacht club in Newlondon is a nice spot with reasonable rates. Nice club house launch service docks etc. You pay to drop your mooring in their field. My family has been a member for around 15 years little rough due to commercial traffic but moorings seem to hold real well.
Thames Yacht Club | The family boating club of New London, CT since 1933

Lots of towns in New England have their own mooring fields that are very reasonable but alot have residence restrictions. Others have long waiting lists (Stonington CT for instance) So it takes a bit of research
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