Welcome to Manchester By The Sea, MA

Boating in Manchester By The Sea, MA Map View

The anchorage basins in Manchester Harbor are restricted to craft not over 45 feet in length. This regulation is strictly enforced.
Dredged anchorage basins are on either side of the channel about 300 yards northeast of Proctor Point.
A town pier and float landing, used by commercial lobstermen, are on the east side of the harbor, about 0.5 mile above Proctor Point; depths of 6 feet are reported at the face of the pier and 3 feet at the float; water and electricity are available.
There are commercial and private float landings in the harbor. Four public landings and two small-craft launching ramps are available; depths of 5 to 10 feet are reported alongside the landings.
Two yacht yards with marine railways with capacities up to 70 feet or 80 tons are on the west side of the harbor. Hull, engine, electrical, and electronic repairs can be made; a machine shop is available. The yard can provide gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, provisions, marine supplies, a pump-out facility, and dry covered or open winter storage; lifts up to 35 tons are also available. An outboard marina is on the west side of the harbor just above the bridge. The Manchester Yacht Club, at Tucks Point, has depths of 10 feet alongside its floats; water is available.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Manchester Harbor, about 5 miles west-southwest of Gloucester Harbor, is an arm of Manchester Bay extending in a northeasterly direction for 1 mile west of Gales Point to the town of Manchester. The entrance to Manchester Bay is northward of Bakers Island Light, between House Island, partly wooded, on the east, and Great Misery Island on the west. The ruins of two stone houses, one in the center and another on the west end, are on Great Misery Island.
Conspicuous objects include a white square observation tower on Gales Point, a large standpipe on Moses Hill north of the town, the bascule span of the railroad bridge, and the fishing pavilion at the end of the town wharf next to the yacht club at Tucks Point.
Manchester Channel, privately dredged and marked by buoys, leads from Manchester Bay to an anchorage basin at the head of Manchester Harbor.
There is a bad ledge locally known as Bow Bell, with a rock awash on it, on the east side of the channel opposite the yacht club and public landing on Tucks Point, just above Proctor Point. A buoy marks the northwestern edge of the ledge. It is usually covered, and the only indication of it is a hole, or clear spot, amidst the craft moored or anchored in the vicinity. Care should be taken to avoid anchoring on the ledge.
The railroad bridge, about 1 mile above the entrance and just above the anchorage basin, has a 48-foot bascule span with a clearance of 6 feet.

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Manchester By The Sea, MA

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