Welcome to BoatMaine.us

Terms and conditions: BoatMaine.us gathers information from public sources. No representation is made as to the accuracy of information provided. Always verify depth, tide and obstacle information from the most up-to-date official US government or other authoritative sources.

Boat Maine - Planning tools for boating and sailing in Maine

Services

Marinas, Dealers in Maine, Boat Yards in Maine, Suggest a Marine Service

Reference

Tides, Weather - marine, Weather - land, Cruising Info - Coast Pilot, Cruising Info - other websites, Floatplan Maker, Checklist Maker, Suggest a Reference Item

Places

Photo Gallery (places), Screen Saver (places), Gunk holes, Harbors, Family Places to Go, Web cams, Islands, Ramps, Wrecks, Lighthouses, Suggest a Place

Books About Maine Sailing and Boating

Cruising Info - books, Books - Maine coast, Books - Reviewed, Books by Maine Authors, Children’s Books and Maine, Books - About Maine People

Education

Boating safety links, Coast Pilot tutorial, Seaclear software tutorial, GPS Knowledge Test, Nautical Terms in Audio, Coast Guard, Suggest an Educational Item

Articles

Interviews, Slide Shows, Articles & most popular, News Archive, Submit an Article

Calendar

Upcoming events, Desktop Calendars, Add Calendar Event

Community

Discussion Board, My Boat, Boating Journal Maker, Clubs & organizations, Suggest New Community Item

For sale

Boats for sale, Coastal Maine Real Estate, Maine Marinas for Sale

List on BM

Free Listing, Vendor home page

Marinas

Bangor
Major city on Penobscot River.
Bar Harbor Regency, Bar Harbor, Maine
A gated marina for vessels up to 150’. Allows use of facilities of the Regency such as an outdoor pool, jacuzzi etc.
Beggar’s Wharf Marina, Rockland, Maine
A marina that focuses totally on being… a marina.
Biddeford Pool Yacht Club, Biddeford Pool, Maine
A private yacht club focusing on sailing and teaching seamanship. Transient moorings on a space available bases. Includes shuttle service.
Boothbay Region Boatyard, West Southport, Maine
A year-round Marina, boatyard and chandlery
Brewer South Freeport Marine, South Freeport, Maine
A large marina and boat broker located on the Harraseeket River in South Freeport, Maine. Ready access to Casco Bay. The Harraseeket Lobster Co restaurant and the Village Store for supplies are close by.
Brown’s Wharf, Restaurant and Marina
A three-for: eat, drink and make merry.
Buck’s Harbor Marine and Charters
Moorings, comfort facilities, repairs, supplies, slips and boat charters
Bucksport Marina (Bucksport, Maine)
Marina and marina store
Carousel Marina
Deepwater floating docks for vessels up to 180’, fueling, restaurant, moorings, pump-out, pub / bar, ramp.
Wireless Internet! Chicks Marina, Kennebunkport, Maine
Chicks does not try to be all things to all people - they focus on being a superb Marina.
Code End (Marina, restaurant)
Fresh seafood in their restauant, fuel and moorings
Dark Harbor Boat Yard
A full service boat yard with some Marina, moooring, supplies and overnight facilities
DiMillos Old Port Marina, Portland, Maine
In the heart of Portland Harbor, this marina and brokerage can support boats up to a whopping 250’.
All tide! Dolphin Marina and Restaurant, Harpswell, Maine
The Dolphin Marina and Chowderhouse Restaurant provide plenty of mooring opportunities, limited slips and an all-tide ramp. Located in well protected Potts Harbor with ready access to all points in Casco Bay.
Dysart’s Great Harbor Marina
150 slips for up to 180’ boats, there’s a lot of Marina here.
Fisherman’s Wharf Inn
More a restauarant on the water than a marina, it’s a great place to have a meal or spend a night off the boat.
Great Island Boat Yard (and Marina), Great Island, Maine
A marina, boatyard, yacht brokerage and launching ramp with plenty of slips and moorings. Located at the northern most tip of Quahog Bay with access to Maine’s Casco Bay.
Handy Boat Service, Falmouth Foreside, Maine
Marina, moorings, launch service and boats for sale
Harborside Hotel & Marina
A luxury hotel on the water in Bar Barbor. Their marina is open to transient boaters and can accommodate boats to 160 feet. You can use facilities normally reserved for hotel guests.
Knight Marine Service, Rockland, Maine
Offers docking, mooring, boat yard, boat hauling and storage.
A Must-Stop-At Place Maine Maritime Museum, Bath, Maine
The museum offers a few overnight moorings but allows shorter stays for FREE with entry to the museum. Visit the museum to see and experience a rich visual history of Maine’s maritime past, participate in workshops and lectures, or hop on one of their sponsored cruise boats!
Maine Yacht Center, Portland, Maine Marina
The Maine Yacht Center in Portland is a year round marina, broker, boat yard and storage facility located on just north of Portland harbor. Transient boats are welcome; new for 06 is a 650’ breakwater.
New Meadows Marina, Brunswick, Maine
Permanent and some temporary dockage, no moorings and a small but well stocked marine supply store. Excellent protection.
Ocean Point Marina, East Boothbay, Maine
Formerly C & B marina. Fuel, travel lift, slips, moorings, laundry facilities, boats for sale.
Paul E. Luke Inc. Marine Hardware and Services, East Boothbay, Maine
Yacht repairs, parts, storage and marine hardware including deck hardware, galley stoves, ventilators, propellers and winches. Moorings for transient boaters.
Port Harbor Marina (South Portland, Maine)
Marina, marina store, new and used boats for sale and a service department
Port Harbor Marine at Jordan Bay Marina (Lake Sebago, Maine)
Located on Maine’s beautful Sebago Lake, they offer a Marina, store, new boats for sale, used boats and service.
Portland Yacht Services, Portland, ME 04101
A well established yet growing marina, boat yard, parts, new and used boat sales
Robinhood Marine Center - Yacht Builders, Brokerage, Marina - Georgetown, Maine
Robinhood Marine Center in Georgetown, Maine is a full service yacht yard and marina with winter storage, new and used yacht sales, Spartan Marine hardware manufacturing, and the well known Osprey Restaurant. Located on beautiful, secluded Riggs Cove (Chart 13293) just 50 minutes north of the Portland Jetport, 7 miles southeast of Bath, Maine.
Rockland Harbor Boatyard, Rockland, Maine
A full service boatyard offering repairs, moorings, boat hauling and storage. Specialists in wooden boat building.
Sebasco Harbor Resort, Sebasco Estates, Maine
Sebasco Harbor Resort is a boater-friendly luxury resort that offers moorings, two restaurants and resort amenities like golfing, salt water pool, Health Club and shower facilities. Located near the mouth of the New Meadows River.
South Port Marine, South Portland, Maine
Marina, store/supplies, all manner of repairs and service, nedw inflatables for sale
Southwest Boat Marine Services, Southwest Harbor, Maine
Barges, cranes, year-round dockage, storage, water taxi, mooring and pier work
Stockton Harbor, Maine
An excellent small dock, moorings, a town ramp and ready access to Northern Penobscot Bay make cozy Stockton Harbor a good stopover point.
Wireless internet! Strouts Point Wharf Company, South Freeport, Maine
A full service Marina, boat builder, boat repair and a certified Honda marine outboard sales and service dealer located on the Harraseeket River in South Freeport. Moorings, dockage and boat storage.
Sunset Marina, South Portland, Maine
A full service marina located in Portland Harbor.
Tugboat Inn, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
A colorful resort on the Boothbay waterfront featuring multiple inn buildings, slips (for boats to 100’) moorings, showers and more. Includes marina.
Up Harbor Marina, Bass Harbor, Maine - FOR SALE
This marina is currently for sale, and is listed on www.mainecoastproperties.biz. Interested parties should contact Maine Coast Properties (Scarborough, Maine) at (800)-238-0395 or email info@mainecoastproperties.biz.

Located in Bass Harbor with good access to Mt. Desert and Acadia National Park. Up Harbor Marina has dockage for up to 50’ yachts; power, water, internet access. Dingy dock, parking. Yacht services including haul outs and winter storage. Drop off and pick up for Mt. Desert adventures.
Wayfarer Yard and Marine Services
A boat yard and Marina, capable of 55’ boats, with complete facilities.
Yankee Marina & Boatyard, Yarmouth, Maine
A well outfitted marina and boat yard on the Royal River with ready access to Casco Bay.
Yarmouth Boat Yard, Yarmouth, ME
Located on the Royal River, Yarmouth Boat Yard provides marina, supplies, boat yard services and boat sales.
York Harbor Marine Service
Full marina, restaurant, sales and service

Coast Pilot

Coast PilotThe U.S. Government’s Coast Pilot® is a free downloadable publication for mariners. Its extensive chapters provide a huge amount of invaluable information like:

Federal regulations applicable to navigation

Maine is covered in 6 chapters of book 1 of the Coast Pilot. You can see the areas below. Chapters 1 through 3 cover general information. Each chapter is separately downloadable or you can download all chapters as a single zip file (click here to pull the full zip file direct from their site). You can download individual chapters below.

Key Point: The government publishes critical updates to the Coast Pilot. Be sure to go to the NOAA site to get the latest.


Chapters
Front Pages
Title page, Preface, and Graphic Index

Chapter 1
General Information

Chapter 2
Navigation Regulations

Chapter 3
Eastport to Cape Cod (Overview)

Chapter 4
Quoddy Narrows to Calais, Maine

Chapter 5
Quoddy Narrows to Petit Manan Island, Maine

Chapter 6
Petit Manan Island to Jericho Bay, Maine

Chapter 7
Jericho Bay to Penobscot Bay, Maine

Chapter 8
Muscongus Bay to Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Chapter 9
Cape Elizabeth, Maine to Cape Ann, Massachusetts

Chapter 10
Cape Ann to Boston Harbor, Massachusetts

Chapter 11
Boston Harbor and Approaches

Chapter 12
Minots Ledge to Provincetown, Massachusetts

Appendix

T-Tables
Distances, Meteorological and Climatological Data

Helpful Cruising Guide Websites

Featured here are reviewed boating and/or cool Maine related websites.

Maine Harbors

Maine Harbors is a rich resource for Maine Boaters that has existed since the dawn of (internet) time - 1996. It contains detailed tide charts, information on currents, marinas and boatyards and more. It’s obvious that its owners have a passion for boating and for helping boaters enjoy Maine water.

Maine Port Authority

The Maine Port Authority website was a part of the inspiration for BoatMaine.us. This excellent website has a wealth of information covering many aspects of coastal boating both commercial and private. Find port information, ferry schedules, weather and safety information, marine transportation services and air freight.

The Maine Coast Guide

The guide is the internet version of the popular cruising guide in book form. You can find much information about harbors and gunk holes. The book version also adds a degree of history. Buy the Casco Bay version here.

Visit Portland - Greater Portland and Casco Bay

When visiting land in the Casco Bay region near Portland, Maine (Mapit!) and need a place to stay or a place to play, pre-visit www.visitportland.com. Their very active staff are constantly combing the region looking for the latest activities and events for their calender. Go to their visitor’s page here. You can also check out their listings of restaurants, hotels etc.

Books - Maine Boating Related

A Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by James L. Bildner
Beautiful aerial photography of 100+ harbors and boating locations along the Maine coast, with superimposed route information as an aid in boating and sailing navigation.
Maine Coast Guide for Small Boats - Casco Bay
An essential book for small and larger boats visiting the Casco Bay area. Well written; with details on apporaches, anchoring, shore facilities and more. Even a historical perspective.Specifically covers Casco Bay. Take the Coast Pilot guide from the U.S. Government, add personal experience across the coast of Maine and simmer in a dash of history and you have the Maine Coast Guide.

Although the guide implies that it is written for small boats like kayaks and canoes it is equally valuable to larger boats. In fact, this is the one book we never leave shore without.

You can explore this book more by clicking on the AMAZON link at left.
A cruising guide to the Maine coast (By Jan and Hank Taft)

Maine Sail: An Artist’s Journal of a Cruise Down East
Book Description from AMAZON
Artist Margaret McCrea and her husband are avid sailors, often taking extended cruises. As they progress, she keeps detailed journals, jotting down her thoughts and observations as well as recording the relevant facts of the trip. But what sets her journals apart is that she also illustrates them with beautiful and evocative watercolor sketches. In Maine Sail, highlights of several of her Maine cruise journals have been amalgamated into a single travelogue, illustrated more than 250 of McCrea’s watercolors, both her small original studies and the larger, more detailed paintings she makes from them once she returns to her studio ashore.

Explore this book more by clicking on the AMAZON link at left.

Coast Guard in Maine

The United States Coast Guard has a long history in Maine, dating back to its founding in 1790. The Coast Guard is charged with so many missions, one wonders what don’t they do on the water? Some of their activities include:

Aids to Navigation (ATON)

All of the bouys, lighthouses, range lights, fog signals etc. on federal waters are installed and maintained by the Coast Guard. Needless to say, with literally thousands of bouys, this is a major undertaking.

When you are out on the water you may see Coast Guard vessels servicing these aids. You can tell CG vessels used for this purpose since they are painted black. For a complete list of all ATONs in Maine, see the CG Light List.

One of Maine’s most famous lighthouses is Portland Head Light, which is open to the public.

Law Enforcement (LE)

As the United State’s premier maritime law enforcement agency, the CG has since its founding been responsible for enforcing our customs and immigration laws on the water. Today the mission has expanded to include fisheries law enforcenent, marine mammal protection, and general enforcement of federal laws and treaties.

You should be aware that at all times. the CG has the authority to board a US vessel anywhere in the world as well as all vessels in US waters. Prior to conducting a boarding the uniformed CG boarding team will inform you of their intentions and identify themselves. Initially they will conduct a safey inspection to identify any obvious safety hazards and ascertain the seaworthiness of your vessel. Assuming no problems of violations are detected, you will be issued a yellow copy of the official boarding report. If however violations are found, you will be issued a white copy which may be either a notice of violation or a warning.The procedures to follow will be explained by the boarding team and are also printed on the reverse of the white copy.

Search and Rescue (SAR)

Hopefully you will never find yourself in peril on the sea, but if you do, the CG is vigilant 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The best way to contact the CG is via a marine radio on channel 16.
Once contacted, the CG will assist you in finding someone to help you with minor problems such as running out of fuel or, if the situation warrants, dispatch a CG unit, be it a motor lifeboat, cutter, helicopter or airplane to assist you. The CG has a proud tradition of saving lives in all weather and sea conditions.

U.S. Coast Guard Infoline - 800-368-5647

Contact BoatMaine.us

BoatMaine.us is operated by two boaters in Maine - John Tarbox and Rick Dieffenbach.

Rick Dieffenbach
email rick@boatmaine.us
(207) 725-4515 - home office. Leave a message if not there

Mailing:
BoatMaine.us
c/o Rick Dieffenbach
177 River Road
Topsham, Maine 04086

Need a website or print design? Visit Rick’s web and print design business in Brunswick, Maine www.allurecreative.com

John Tarbox
email john@boatmaine.us