On the North Shore where I live it’s far and away moorings over slips.
The moorings are permitted by the town or city harbormasters. There are a few
marinas with slips in Salem and Beverly. Very few in Gloucester and zero in Marblehead. Geography and existing development primarily drives this.
Rockport , Essex, Ipswich are all very limited in terms of deep
water or availability as far as I know. Newburyport has that Merrimack River bar to cross.
I hesitate to list specific
marinas because I will forget some.
I can speak to Marblehead Harbor and the Marblehead side of Salem Harbor. Marblehead Harbor has a 12-20 year wait list. The Marblehead side of Salem Harbor is about a year wait. Launch
service from the West Shore to your boat is about $700 a year. You can rent or buy mooring
gear. The
permit from the town is the least expensive bit.
With a little planning you can do it for sure.
Pm me if you want.