Welcome to Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Boating in Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, MA Map View

The harbormaster has control of the anchoring of vessels in the inner harbor; he will usually be found at the town dock on the west side of the harbor and can be contacted on VHF-FM channel 16, or by telephone (508-693-1368). A 4 mph speed limit is enforced inside the breakwater and within 150 feet of moored craft.

A ferry terminal, several wharves, two marinas and a boatyard are in the harbor. A yacht club is on the west side of the harbor, about 0.3 mile northward of the breakwater.

Guest moorings, maintained by the town, are available off the municipal wharf, 200 yards northward of the ferry terminal; other moorings can be hired from the boatyard and marinas.

Navigation:
East Chop and West Chop are prominent points on the north side of Martha’s Vineyard and on the east and west side of the entrance to Vineyard Haven. Both points terminate in high wooded bluffs which show prominently from the sounds; each is marked by a light.
West Chop Light (41°28’51″N., 70°35’59″W.), 84 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower; a sound signal is at the light.

A lighted gong buoy, 0.5 mile northeastward of the light, and a buoy, 0.5 mile eastward of the light, mark shoal water and rocks awash to the eastward of West Chop. It has been reported that during strong tidal currents, the buoy may be submerged.

East Chop Light (41°28’13″N., 70°34’03″W.), 79 feet above the water, is shown from a white tower on the east side of the entrance to Vineyard Haven. East Chop Flats, covered 5 to 18 feet, extend 0.2 mile northward and 0.5 mile eastward of East Chop. A lighted bell buoy, about 0.5 mile east-northeastward, and a buoy, about 350 yards northward of the light, mark the flats.

Vineyard Haven Harbor is a funnel-shaped bight in the northern side of Martha’s Vineyard between East Chop and West Chop, about 1.4 miles long in a southwest direction and about 1.3 miles wide at the entrance. This haven, easy of access, is the most important harbor of refuge for coasters between Provincetown and Narragansett Bay. The depths range from 46 feet at the entrance to 15 feet near the head of the harbor.

Although Vineyard Haven Harbor is exposed to northeasterly winds, vessels with good ground tackle can ride out most blows. The greatest danger encountered by vessels at anchor in a northeast gale is from vessels with poor ground tackle, which are likely to drift, foul other vessels, and then go ashore.

The harbor is the approach to the village of Vineyard Haven. A detached breakwater, marked on its southeastern end by a light, is on the flats on the western side of the harbor near the head. The natural channel is clear; soundings are the best guide for finding anchorage. When well inside the entrance, the water shoals gradually toward the western shore, but the eastern shore is steep and should be given a berth of about 0.2 mile.

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

Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Welcome to Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Monthly Tide Chart

Weather

Maps & Charts

Featured Local Businesses

Boston Yacht Sales at MacDougalls Cape Cod Marina

Falmouth, Massachusetts - Harbormaster

Boating in Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, MA 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