Welcome to Vinalhaven, ME

Vinalhaven is a town at the head of Carvers Harbor on the southwest side of Vinalhaven Island.

Boating in Vinalhaven, ME Map View

The best anchorage for small craft is reported to be on the east and southeast side of Carvers Harbor; the western side is principally used by commercial craft and fishermen. In 2003, the harbor had depths of about 11 feet in the center, about 8.0 to 10.0 feet along the north and south sides, and 5.8 feet in the access channel leading to a basin off the town landing at the head; depths of about 1.8 to 5.4 feet were available in the basin.
There is a harbormaster who assigns the moorings in the anchorage. A speed limit of 5 miles per hour is enforced within the harbor.
The depths at the ferry wharf and float landings vary from 6 to 10 feet. Diesel fuel, gasoline, ice, water, provisions, and some marine supplies are available at a landing east of the ferry wharf. There are four boatyards on Vinalhaven Island, one on Indian Creek, one in Sand Cove, and two in Carvers Harbor. Craft up to 50 feet in length can be hauled out for hull or engine repairs or dry open or covered winter storage. Emergency radio repairs can be made.
There are churches, a library, bank, movies, inns, lodging houses, medical and nursing services, restaurants, and picnic areas.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
There are four channels in the approaches to Carvers Harbor. The entrance from southwestward is between Heron Neck Ledge and James and Willies Ledge; from the northwestward through The Reach; from the eastward through the channel between Vinalhaven Island and the islands and ledges south of it; and from the southward west of Colt Ledge and between Arey Ledges and The Breakers. The controlling depth in the entrance channel is 19 feet between Potato Island and Dodge Point on the north side of the entrance to the harbor.
Indian Creek, just eastward of Carvers Harbor, has an entrance from the sea and also a connecting passage to Carvers Harbor. A fixed highway bridge crossing the passage has a clearance of 8 feet. The passage is not safe for strangers.
Carvers Harbor Entrance Light 2 (44°02’03″N., 68°50’37″W.), 19 feet above the water and shown from an iron spindle with a red triangular daymark on the west end of Green Ledge, marks the entrance to the harbor.
Dangers
James and Willies Ledge, 5 feet high with rocks awash at the south end, is on the north side of the southwestern approach at its junction with Hurricane Sound. It is part of the extensive ledge area extending southward from Hurricane Island. A buoy is south of the area.
Heron Neck Ledge, 7 feet high, is on the southern edge of the southwestern approach and is unmarked.
Folly Ledge is a bare unmarked ledge on the west side of the channel at the junction of the eastern, southern, and southwestern approaches. Green Ledge is on the east side of the channel in the inner approach to Carvers Harbor. It is marked by Carvers Harbor Entrance Light 2.
Point Ledge, covered 4 feet and marked by a daybeacon, is 0.7 mile east of Folly Ledge.

Coastal Stories See All

Ouzel: A Modern Classic Built with Purposeful Elegance

11/2/2026

Rockport Marine’s 95-foot Ouzel: a modern classic sailing Superyacht built for world cruising By US Harbors – On a Sunday in November 2025, a mast standing well above the wood-clad buildings at Rockport Marine marked the end of a long build. Ouzel, a 95-foot contemporary classic sailing yacht, was launched… SEE MORE

A Guide to Ordering, Shucking, and Eating Oysters

11/1/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. October was National Seafood Month, and on the Maine coast it was also a month for oysters. We spent an afternoon at the 4th annual Camden Oyster & Beer Festival at The Wharf at Lyman-Morse on October 11, and in Portland, Maine Oysterfest took place on October… SEE MORE

A signboard thanking patrons at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in San Diego. Credit: Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.

Strengthening U.S. Fisheries, Coastal Economies, and Food Security

10/31/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. The United States manages some of the world’s most productive and sustainable fisheries. American commercial fishermen and seafood businesses operate on a foundation of rigorous science-based standards set through decades of fisheries monitoring and careful management. Despite the successful management strategies that have ensured abundance within domestic… SEE MORE

Vinalhaven, ME

Welcome to Vinalhaven, ME

Monthly Tide Chart

Weather

Maps & Charts

Featured Local Businesses

Billings Diesel & Marine

Rockland Harbormaster

Maine Boat & Home Show

Hamilton Marine - Rockland

Ocean Pursuits

Langley Photography

Camden Harbormaster

Lyman-Morse

Epifanes North America

Boating in Vinalhaven, ME Map View

Quietly Sophisticated: The Hood 42 LM

Coastal Stories See All

Ouzel: A Modern Classic Built with Purposeful Elegance

A Guide to Ordering, Shucking, and Eating Oysters

Strengthening U.S. Fisheries, Coastal Economies, and Food Security

Photo Credits