The harbormaster has control of the anchorage of vessels in the harbor. He will usually be found at the Edgartown Yacht Club and can be contacted on VHF-FM channel 16 or by telephone (508-627-4746). Copies of harbor regulations may be obtained from the harbormaster.
The depth at the Town Wharf is 25 feet. Depths at the other wharves are about 11 feet. A marina, boatyard, and a yacht club are at Edgartown. The boatyard has a marine lift that can handle craft to 9 tons for hull and engine repairs and dry open or covered storage. Gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies, and moorings are available. Launch service to moored craft is available.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Edgartown Harbor, on the eastern side of Martha’s Vineyard and westward of Cape Poge, is divided into an outer and an inner harbor. The outer harbor is used principally as a harbor of refuge in southerly and easterly winds and as a night anchorage. At the head of the outer harbor, a narrow arm makes southward into Katama Bay, forming the inner harbor. The inner harbor affords good anchorage and is the approach to Edgartown, a fishing and resort town on the western shore. Many yachts and pleasure craft use the harbor during the summer.
Katama Bay, used by local fishermen and small pleasure craft, is large and shallow. Extensive shoaling has been reported in the southerly end of the bay. A 4 mph speed limit is enforced in the bay.
Edgartown Harbor Light (41°23’27″N., 70°30’11″W.), 45 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower on the west side of the head of Edgartown outer harbor. Also prominent are: a church belfry in the town, a microwave tower 1 mile to the west-southwestward of the light, a standpipe about 1 mile southwestward of the light, and the numerous beach cabanas on Chappaquiddick Point.
The buoyed channel through the outer harbor has depths of 20 to 36 feet until nearly to Edgartown Harbor Light. Near the light, the channel narrows and makes a sharp bend westward, leading to the wharves at the town. In 2007, a depth of 15 feet could be carried from the outer harbor to off the town. Abreast the town, the channel narrows and has depths of 13 to 33 feet. The channel, bordered on the eastern side by Middle Ground, curves southward to Katama Bay with depths of 15 to 31 feet available to the bay. Katama Bay is subject to frequent changes, as is the shoreline between the bay and the ocean; a breach in the shoreline occurred in 2007.
Dangers
On the western side of the outer harbor is a shoal area extending 2.8 miles northward of Edgartown Harbor Light. A bell buoy marks the northern edge of the shoal; vessels entering or leaving the harbor pass eastward of this buoy. The depths over the remainder of the shoal are irregular, and there are a rock awash and several rocks covered 3 to 5 feet. Strangers should never attempt to pass across this shoal. The channel into Edgartown Harbor is marked by a lighted buoy and unlighted buoys.
Sturgeon Flats, covered 2 to 18 feet, extend about 600 yards off the southeastern shore of the outer harbor between the narrow entrance to Cape Poge Bay and the entrance to the inner harbor. In 2004, an obstruction covered 19 feet was reported in about 41°23’31″N., 70°29’27″W.
A sandbar is making off eastward from Edgartown Harbor Light. A buoy is on the eastern end of the shoal. Except for this shoal, the entrance to the inner harbor is not difficult to navigate. Middle Ground, in the inner harbor south of the town, has a least depth of 10 feet.
