Obtaining berths in distant ports?

[jsc7]

I am new to boating and I wonder what is the right way to go about arranging for berths in distant ports? Are there hotels for boats?

For example, I live in Boston and am contemplating a trip to Maine that might involve stays in Brunswick, Camden and Bar Harbor. How would I go about finding a berth and making a reservation for each place?

 

[seasalt007]

Active Captain.com or a Waterway Guide will have it all.

 

[Russell Clifton]

Get there contact information from a travel guide and call them. Give them the date you want and ask for over night moorage( or how ever long you want to stay) Sometimes you can call the marina when you arrive and see if they have moorage, you just need a back up plan if they don't.

 

[DavidM]

Register for Active Captain: https://activecaptain.com/index.php. Then go to the Live Map tab which is an interactive chart and scroll to the harbor of interest. Icons showing marinas (hotels for boats) will show up and give contact info, overnight pricing (sometimes) and user reviews.

Another source but not as comprehensive is Dockwa, an online marina reservation system.

But consider anchoring or renting a mooring- lots more private and often beautiful, particularly in Maine. AC shows these too. There are nice moorings available in Northeast Harbor on Mt Desert Island where you can get to BH by shuttle bus.

David

 

[MurrayM]

Here's some free advice...try to time your arrivals for slack tide.

 

[ranger58sb]

I am new to boating and I wonder what is the right way to go about arranging for berths in distant ports? Are there hotels for boats?

Marinas.

As others have said, cruising guides are your friend.

ActiveCaptain happens to be a (good) electronic version. Marina names, useful factoids (depths, $$, etc.), contact info... and often, user reviews (although sometimes you have to read those between the lines).

As you get closer to the electronics topic, you'll see some navigation tools can incorporate AC data, and show you those markers on your charts. Those can be marine chartplotters, tablet apps, smartphone apps, etc.

-Chris

 

[kchace]

I sometimes use a free iPhone/iPad app called Dockwa. Its purpose is to help you find and book slips and moorings. It doesn't cover all marinas but it has a lot.

Ken