Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Tenants Harbor, ME

The anchorage with most swinging room in Tenants Harbor is halfway from the western ends of Northern and Southern Islands to the stone pier on the north side. Small craft anchor toward the head of the harbor. The bottom is mostly soft mud and good holding ground and shoals gradually westward. The north side of the harbor eastward of the stone pier is clear, while westward of it are spots with depths of 4 to 9 feet. The south side of the harbor abreast the western entrance point of Long Cove should be given a berth of 200 yards because of a ledge covered 2 feet making out into the harbor from the south shore. The harbor is open eastward, and an easterly gale raises a choppy sea in the harbor, but vessels with good ground tackle can ride in safety. It is reported that a strong chop can also develop with a southwest wind, and that craft of 6-foot draft or less can find calm anchorage in Long Cove on the north side of the harbor.
The village of Tenants Harbor is on the northern shore near the head of the harbor. There are two service facilities and a boatyard along the northern side of the harbor with depths of 4 to 8 feet reported alongside their float landings. The facility adjacent to the town wharf has water, ice, marine supplies, and maintains guest moorings. The boatyard has a marine railway that can handle craft up to 50 feet in length for hull and engine repairs or dry covered or open winter storage. Mariners are advised to avoid taking a direct route from one facility to another as partially bare ledges extend from the shore between the facilities. Lodging is available in the village.
Long Cove, making northward from the entrance to Tenants Harbor is reported to afford excellent anchorage for craft up to 6-foot draft. The entrance to the cove is about 150 yards west of the southwestern end of Northern Island between reefs partly bare at low water. A buoy marks the east side of the entrance to the cove. A bare rock is on the eastern end of the reef on the western side of the entrance. In 1982, shoaling was reported in about the center of the cove.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Tenants Harbor is easy of access. Southern Island, on the southern side of the entrance, is marked on its east side by an abandoned lighthouse, a white tower connected to a dwelling. A lighted bell buoy is east of the island. Northern Island is on the north side of the entrance. There are depths of 8 to 25 feet in the harbor.
Vessels entering Tenants Harbor can pass midway between Southern and Northern Islands and steer 268° into the harbor, slightly favoring the northern side.
The channel between Southern Island and Hart Neck is shoal and foul with rocks awash at its northwestern end.