Boston Harbor boating

My wife and I bought our boat last year and since the boat was only in for a short time before we had to take it out, we didn't get to explore very much and now with the 6 month old on board there isn't much time for exploration. we kind of need a "plan" when we go out. of course things change due to weather and cranky baby syndrome, but i'm looking for a list of things to do in the Boston harbor area by boat including anchorages, beaches, exploration spots, your favorite island and destinations for lunch/dinner that we can do as a family and when we get the chance to utilize my inlaws for adult time only with friends aboard.

I am from Plymouth and spent quite a bit of time in Falmouth with family and my boating experience never left those areas. we will be going to Brown's Bank a few times this year with friends but that is quite a hike for an afternoon or short day, we will also be heading to Falmouth and MV later in July for a small family trip with a possibility of hitting up Nantucket as well.

I know activecaptain has tons of information but it is all in map form and not list form so you can just look at a list of "beaches" and go or "restaurants" and go to them. I know there must be a ton of places that you can just pull up and walk into the restaurant but i don't know of any or how to contact them we can put that info here.

I would like to modify this post along the way to keep a list for anyone to be able to check out places they haven't.

any important information could be added to each as well.

maybe this thread will take off...maybe it is stupid but i figured there have to be other people out there in the area that are looking for things to do.

Harbor boating information.
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...wenglandboating.com/new-england-boaters-guide

I'll start in no particular order

Anchorage
1. world's end Hingham/Hull
2. Back river Weymouth/Hingham
3.
4.
5.


Restaurants
1. Venezia - dorchester private dock
2. Capt. Fishbones - marina bay
3. Siro's - marina bay
4. Port 305 - marina bay
5. Hingham Beer works - Hingham shipyard VHF# 9
6. Alma Nove - Hingham shipyard VHF# 9
7. Whalburgers - hingham shipyard VHF# 9
8. Atlantica - Cohasset 781-383-0900 private dock shallow at low tide
9. the olde salt house 781-383-2203 private dock shallow at low tide
10.


Beaches
1.Spectacle Island - Beach/Dock
2.George's Island - Mooring rental/anchor - snack shack
3.

Islands, morrings free. reserved for a fee
1.Rainsford Island - pebbly beach/Quiet
2.
3.

Marina's
1. Constitution Marina - Charlestown -617-241-9640 VHF #69

Hi,
I know the Boston Harbor very well.
First, if your boat is in Plymouth, I'd suggest cutting across to P-town for the most bang for your buck at the least distance.

for the Boston Harbor, during the season, there really aren't places you can just pull up for dinner. There are a few docks in the seaport, but a very popular spot and not easy to get a slip. Better to go to the Constitution marina, pay for transient dockage and walk over to the North End.

Beaches:
Spectacle Island - dock and beach
George's Island - rent a mooring or anchor and dingy ashore
World's End in Hingham - anchor, raft or mooring and swim off the boat, dingy over to Steamboat Marina and get ice cream, mini golf, beach, etc.
Rainsford Island has a nice quiet cove you can anchor in and a pebbly beach

Perfect. Thanks. I'll add those to the list. I'm in Hingham at the shipyard which is why I asked about the harbor specifically. I grew up in Plymouth I'm not there now.

A few years ago we picked up a transient at Hingham Shipyard. We spent several days exploring the islands. Some places that are a must are Spectacle Island, they have first come first serve slips for a cheap cost. Boston Lighthouse if it's open. Also if the baby is in a good mood Boston Harbor and up through the locks to the Charleston River. A great ride. X2 on Constitution Marina, nice facility and an easy stroll to the North End.

Does anyone know which islands are dog friendly if any? Looking for a day trip this weekend if the weather cooperates.

No dogs allowed on any of the islands. I've looked into it. Unless they are unstaffed then you could possibly get away with it.

So as a follow up- what are the dog friendly places to go by boat from Cape Ann down to the Vineyard?

JV II said:

Hi,
I know the Boston Harbor very well.
First, if your boat is in Plymouth, I'd suggest cutting across to P-town for the most bang for your buck at the least distance.

for the Boston Harbor, during the season, there really aren't places you can just pull up for dinner. There are a few docks in the seaport, but a very popular spot and not easy to get a slip. Better to go to the Constitution marina, pay for transient dockage and walk over to the North End.

Beaches:
Spectacle Island - dock and beach
George's Island - rent a mooring or anchor and dingy ashore
World's End in Hingham - anchor, raft or mooring and swim off the boat, dingy over to Steamboat Marina and get ice cream, mini golf, beach, etc.
Rainsford Island has a nice quiet cove you can anchor in and a pebbly beach

Click to expand...

Best advice you are going to get. We've stayed at Constitution in the past when we've come down from the North Shore during greenhead season. Although, last year we did go to Portland for those two weeks.
Spectacle Island is also a great place to overnight. No services, but the docks are protected, and the morning views of the city are beautiful.

Henry

I spent last summer out of Marina Bay and concur with JVII thoughts. We did spend many a night on the hook on the E-NE side of Lovell island. See image for our anchorage. We have three small dogs and while dogs are not allowed, we spent countless hours roaming Lovell...(picking up after pets religiously as we do everywhere and leashed) and never had an issue while even having had several encounters with park officials. In the right wind(S or SW) that anchorage is very nice and offers fantastic views and some harbor seals on the distant rocks...ram flats.

There is also the Sunset Bay Marina on Hull that offers transient dockage....I found them to be usually available and they have one restaurant/bar for casual dining and drinks.

Worlds end is a nice spot to grab a mooring which I found best to reserve in advance. See image as well.

Tom


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Great info. As far as Lovells I would do the "ask for forgiveness before asking for permission". We want to be able to take our dogs with us on weekend trips so we are looking for places that make it easy to have with us. Does worlds end offer easy access to shore (we have a dingy) and is the area dog tolerant for walks and such? I suppose all places must have to be somewhat tolerant of dogs since many boaters have them,

Yes...very short hop to a few less rocky spots on worlds end to pull up a dingy. We did it many times. Stay in the channel at worlds end....low tide has beached a number of corner cutting.

The rangers we ran into on Lovell and Peddock for that matter could see the dogs were leashed and we had waste bags. I can't tell you how many times we saw other dog walkers as well. It's the abusers of some liberty that will result in a strict clamp down....nothing better than to see your dog run on a beach carefree but it's not worth the situation when you can't take your dog at all. My experience....be responsible and all of the rangers I happened across didn't say a word and carried on with their business.


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When anchoring are you talking on the back side...where do people usually anchor?

Just beyond Hingham shipyard and tern harbor is an off leash dog park that is a peninsula called Stoders neck. It's on the south side of the river. Very easy to get to from a dingy there is also bear cove further under the bridge which allows dogs off leash as well.

When I get to my laptop I'll update the first post with all this info and thank you everyone.

Does anybody have any info on " the spit" in Scituate/marshfield? I have heard it is packed with boats for the beach.

They have a Facebook page. Looks like boat party central...sand there looks amazing. Most of the boats there are outboards. Not sure how a big stern drive cruiser will do.

https://www.facebook.com/ScituateSpit

I was wondering the same thing. I went there 3 years ago with a friend of mine in a 13' whaler but it was pretty dead, we put in at Mary's boatyard and went down the river. It was a nice day but almost nobody was there. I couldn't believe how strong the current was, boats must hit each other all the time at change of tide. I was thinking about the west side of the sand bar being the safest place but don't know about depth.

Any information about going through locks for a virgin? do you have to call ahead or does an attendant see you and you wait, if calling what phone number or VHF # ? do they tie you off or does the admiral need to go up to the bow?

for dinners from the boat...the barking crab has a dock and i have seen larger boats there before but there is a low bridge on Northern ave. I believe it's a rotating bridge. does anybody have any information about how to contact the bridge or if there are set times that it swings?

does anybody know if there is anybody to contact at the seaport for a slip or is it first come first served find an open spot kind of place. I have been there by car and foot and wondered about docking in front of Jery Remy's or Temazcal Cantina.
thanks again everyone

Check out
Boston Harbor Islands Trip Planner

http://www.bostonharborislands.org/visit-island

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The locks monitor the same channel as bridges which is 13. I am assuming you mean the locks on the Charles. Whenever I have gone through I just gave a couple toots of the air horn. They usually see you coming...be prepared to float for a bit as if there is foot traffic it can take a bit.

I scoured that site and really couldn't find anything specific to boaters or pets. They specify no dogs while camping but that's it.

i found this site to be much more useful. http://newenglandboating.com/new-england-boaters-guide

AFD said:

Just beyond Hingham shipyard and tern harbor is an off leash dog park that is a peninsula called Stoders neck. It's on the south side of the river. Very easy to get to from a dingy there is also bear cove further under the bridge which allows dogs off leash as well.

When I get to my laptop I'll update the first post with all this info and thank you everyone.

Does anybody have any info on " the spit" in Scituate/marshfield? I have heard it is packed with boats for the beach.

Click to expand...

Get there early or you will not get a spot. You can beach your bow in nice soft sand and have your stern drives at least a foot off the bottom. I've done it on my 290 and 330. Skinny water. Stay in the channel and don't get distracted. The North River inlet is one of the east coast's most dangerous, so pay attention and don't change you mind once committed. On an outgoing tide, if you beach it bow in on the sand, go up river a bit to stay away from the big shoal near the end of the spit. You NEED a big stern anchor. The current is very strong and will swing your stern onto the beach. You really better know how to let out enough scope on the stern anchor and secure it before your bow hits the sand. Enjoy and if you can, walk to the end of the spit and watch the amateurs drift onto the shoal.