Coming to Maine by Boat during Summer 2020

[TDunn]

The Covid-19 epidemic had put some limitations on coming to Maine by boat (or any other means) this Summer. As of today (May 24), the state has a 14 day quarantine requirement for all people except essential workers coming to Maine from out of state. The current end date of the quarantine requirement is August 31. The 14 day quarantine begins on the day you enter the state. What this means is that if you come by boat, you will have to stay aboard for 14 days after entering the state waters. So, if your plan is to anchor out for 14 nights and NOT go ashore you will not be impacted. If you come to Maine you can tie up at a Marina, but you will have to stay aboard until you have met the 14 day quarantine requirement.

What all this means is that if you plan to come to Maine this summer expect to stay on your boat for the first 14 days of your visit. So a visit of less than two weeks is likely not such a great idea.

On the plus side, the quarantine requirement should keep the number of boats from out of state to a minimum making cruising very nice this year.

Note - The quarantine requirement could change at any time so check the Maine state web sites before you come.

Note 2 - Massachusetts also has a 14 day quarantine requirement in effect, but I don't know when it is scheduled to end except that it will end when Massachusetts reaches Phase III of their reopening plan. They are currently in Phase I (started May 18) and each phase will last a MINIMUM of three weeks, so Phase III will not start before July 1.


Note III - As of today (May 24) very little is open here on Mount Desert Island, ME. Acadia National Park is closed and is enforcing the 14 day quarantine requirement after they open (now scheduled for June 1). Restaurants were allowed to reopen as of May 18, but I have not seen any in Southwest Harbor that are open except for takeout(two places I have seen). The last time I was in Bar Harbor (two weeks ago) the town was pretty much closed. The Marina in Southwest Harbor is open, but there is the quarantine requirement.

 

[jleonard]

I replied to the original just as this was moved so I’ll say again how do they expect to enforce that? Difficult at best.

 

[Frosty]

It probably can't be completely enforced, but nevertheless it lets one know what they want to see visitors doing. I would comply voluntarily if I were going to Maine. So at least some people will do it which is more than if there were no guideline.

 

[TDunn]

As I understand it local harbormasters (they are law enforcement officers) will enforce it. People notice boats with out of state hails. Marinas will also enforce it since they can lose their ability to stay open if they let people from out of state boats come ashore in less than 14 days. Also the Maine Marine Patrol will enforce it.

 

[jleonard]

But I've been in Maine for more than 14 days officer, anchored out. Honest.

 

[Frosty]

But I've been in Maine for more than 14 days officer, anchored out. Honest.

So, maybe someone with that (your?) "plan" would get away with it. But look at it this way: If they said nothing then closer to no-one would quarantine. People like me would wonder how they wanted to handle visitors.

This way -- with a clearly stated policy -- it will only be people whow are looking for loopholes and ignoring the spirit of the thing. And maybe some of those will be stopped by the means TDunn outlined. The majority (I would hope) will comply.

It's hard to make guidelines "airtight" if people want to flout them; but not everyone will so it's better than ignoring the issue, IMO.

 

[Jeff F]

How are they handling summer visitors by land? I'm not knocking the message or the rule, but can't help but think of the normal flood of visitors coming up I-95.

 

[FF]

"How are they handling summer visitors by land? I'm not knocking the message or the rule, but can't help but think of the normal flood of visitors coming up I-95."


And if they do shut down tourists , what will they eat next winter?

Endless food stamps? Or drive to Florida for work?

 

[TDunn]

"How are they handling summer visitors by land? I'm not knocking the message or the rule, but can't help but think of the normal flood of visitors coming up I-95."


And if they do shut down tourists , what will they eat next winter?

Endless food stamps? Or drive to Florida for work?

There are signs at the border stating the quarantine requirement. In addition, all lodging (what little is open now) is by reservation only and the rules prohibit making reservations for out of state people. Starting June 1, out of state people can make reservations IF they have met the quarantine requirement.

A lack of tourists will impact business owners, but at least here on Mount Desert Island (where Acadia National Park is), the bulk of people that work in the tourist industry are not local. Statistics show that Maine generates something like 6% of its GDP from Tourism. That said, tourism is heavily concentrated in a small area of the Maine coast between Portland and Bar Harbor. West of Interstate 95 and north of Bangor you would hardly know that tourists exist, relatively speaking. So the bulk of us will do just fine.

 

[CaptTom]

In Southern Maine, where it's an easy day trip from Boston, the highways are already filling up with those lovely red-and-white license plates. Restaurants are all open for take-out or outdoor dining. The outlet malls are closed, but the Kittery Trading Post (selling outdoor gear, and especially, guns) has a parking lot full of those out-of-state plates.

Towns are experimenting with opening parks and beaches. If I had to bet, I'd say the 14-day rule will be gone earlier than the current order predicts. But all it will take is one video of an unruly crowd of tourists demanding their "rights" to bring the lockdown rules back.

 

[jleonard]

Read an article on line this morning saying not many are abiding by the quarantine order.

 

[TDunn]

I was in Bar Harbor today and saw THREE cars with out of state plates. Normally this time of year it would be the other way around. There is zero lodging open here on MDI and we are a bit far from the border for a day trip. Hancock county which includes Acadia National Park still has had only 11 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and only one case is still active. Southern Maine, which Capt. Tom describes is a different world. Very little is open in Bar Harbor and I didn't see a single restaurant advertising dine in and only a couple doing take out.