need some marina suggestions RI to NH

I am picking up my new to me Mainship 390 in Portsmouth RI and bringing it home to Eliot, ME on the Piscataqua river. I need some suggestions as to stopping points along the way so I don't wear out my wife on the first trip.

I suggest stopping in Newburyport MA on the Merrimack river. Newburyport is a VERY welcoming town and offers transients great town dock space and a few moorings as well. The center of town is a short walk from the town docks and has been wonderfully restored. The Merrimack River can be a little too exciting to enter during the middle to latter half of outgoing tides if the wind is anywhere out of the east, but at other times is perfectly reasonable and its an easy cruise up to Newburyport.

Ken

thanks for the info. also looking for first night so i imagine west side of cape cod canal.

+1 for Newburyport, but honestly it's not far from the Piscataqua, so I'd probably just push on if I got that far.

It might make sense to shoot for one end of the canal or the other, depending on the current when you get there. If you get a fair current, don't stop until you reach Sandwich on the East end. Otherwise, Onset Bay has slips and moorings. Both ends have fuel if you need it, but since you're coming up the Piscataqua anyway, you might want to wait and get it at the fish pier if you can. Much cheaper there.

If you want to push a little farther the first day, Plymouth would be a good stop. P-Town would be another option. If you can make it to Salem, that's nice too. Gloucester has lots of options, and Rockport is a nice little harbor too.

Where in Eliot are you heading? I heard there was a new Mainship 390 coming to our marina.

CaptTom said:

+1 for Newburyport, but honestly it's not far from the Piscataqua, so I'd probably just push on if I got that far.

It might make sense to shoot for one end of the canal or the other, depending on the current when you get there. If you get a fair current, don't stop until you reach Sandwich on the East end. Otherwise, Onset Bay has slips and moorings. Both ends have fuel if you need it, but since you're coming up the Piscataqua anyway, you might want to wait and get it at the fish pier if you can. Much cheaper there.

If you want to push a little farther the first day, Plymouth would be a good stop. P-Town would be another option. If you can make it to Salem, that's nice too. Gloucester has lots of options, and Rockport is a nice little harbor too.

Where in Eliot are you heading? I heard there was a new Mainship 390 coming to our marina.

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I am bringing it to Great Cove, my sailboat (Panache) is there on mooring already

Onset, is a good spot. When are you think of traveling? This time of year the Wareham Harbor master 508-295-8160 might let you stay for free on the Onset town dock.

thanks, hopefully traveling tomorrow through the weekend depending on weather. used to sailing, this trawler thing is new to me...

ricktara said:

I am bringing it to Great Cove, my sailboat (Panache) is there on mooring already

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Of course. See you when you get there. Welcome to the dark side!

With Tomorrow's tide and wind it could be a bit bumpy near Wings Neck, noon to late afternoon. If you don't make it to Onset, Cuttyhunk is a pretty harbor and with a real early start on Friday Buzzards Bay should be better. The tide will be against you in the afternoon. Enjoy your new Mainship, Trawlers are easy

thanks for the heads up. we plan a slow and easy trip.

If a slow and easy trip, so much the better. Cuttyhunk is a neat place, unique and worth a side trip. Also along the north shore of Buzzards Bay, right around the corner from the mouth of the Sakonnet, Westport (Tripps) is a pretty destination, slip or mooring, excellent reataurant at the Back Eddy. Talk to them about getting in there and avoid ebb tide. We lived on a mooring there for a couple of summers.
Sakonnet Harbor is cool but slips are less availbale, perhaps not so bad this time of year. Nice club there available to those docking. Perhaps too short a first day.

Next comes Padanarum, aka South Dartmouth. Again, slip or mooring, charming town right there.

It is much more out of the way, but Fairhaven/New Bedford is a good stop, Fairhaven a bigger version of Padanarum, very yuppy with a great boatyard to ogle. New Bedford has the fun Whaling Museum, a little more industrial docakge wise. Sea Fuels is probably the best fuel spot on Buzzards bay.

Matapoissett Harbor is very pretty, doin't recall what the marina situation is there, but there are moorings.

The boat basin at the east end of the canal is convenient, but not much there other than Joe's Lobster Mart for take out.

Agree that Plymouth is a worthwhile detour if you have never been there; the marina and moorings are right at Plymouth Rock and the town and sights and Mayflower stuff is right there.