Prominent Features:
The most prominent landmarks approaching the harbor are the pavilion and bath houses of Hampton Beach State Park on the north side of the entrance, a tank at the north end of Hampton Beach, the operating tower of the bridge crossing the inlet and the numerous buildings along the beaches north and south of the entrance. It is reported that the buildings of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station are visible behind the beach.
Small Craft Facilities & Anchorages:
Anchorages are available in the basins or in the narrow channels of the Hampton and Blackwater Rivers and other rivers and creeks northward and southward of the inlet.
Several party fishing boats operate from the float landing of the state park inside the harbor, close northward of the bridge, and from a sport fishing pier and a service landing in the cove close to the northwestward of the park float. Water is available at the float, and a restaurant is on the pier.
A marina is in a privately dredged basin protected by wooden jetties, about 0.4 mile northward of the bridge. There are slips with floats for 135 boats up to 60 feet in length with reported depths of 5 to 7 feet along side. In 2003, the entrance channel had a reported depth of 6 feet. Gasoline, diesel fuel and water are available at the service float on the south side of the entrance to the basin. Water and electricity are available at all of the berths. The marina has a 25-ton mobile hoist to haul out craft for engine or hull repairs and dry or open winter storage. The marina may be contacted on VHF-FM channels 16 or 10 or by calling 603-929–1422. Ice, a pump-out station, provisions and marine supplies are available.
There is a small-craft launching ramp north of the basin.
Motels, restaurants, lodging, markets and other conveniences are available at the village at Hampton Beach.
Taxi and bus services are available.
There are a town wharf and two service wharves with 3 feet reported alongside at Seabrook at the southern end of the harbor from which a number of party and charter fishing boats operate. Water is available at the floats of the service wharves. A snack bar and refreshments are on the wharves, and a restaurant is nearby. A narrow dredged channel leads southward to it from the inlet. Numerous small craft are usually found moored in the channel as well as barges and workboats used in the construction of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, Public Service Company of New Hampshire.
Hampton Harbormaster Don Bernard can be reached by calling 603-365-0511.
Navigation:
The entrance to the inlet is between two rock jetties. The outer part of the south jetty is submerged. A daybeacon is on the north jetty, and a daybeacon is off the end of the south jetty.
Hampton Harbor is entered by a dredged entrance channel leading southwestward of the shoals off the north side of the entrance to two privately dredged harbor channels just above a highway bridge. One channel leads north to an anchorage basin and the other leads south to a turning basin off the pier at Seabrook. The southern harbor channel is subject to shoaling and should only be used only with local knowledge. Several rocks awash are on the north side of the entrance channel at the junction with the north harbor channel. The rocks extend a considerable distance into the channels and are marked by a danger buoy; mariners should exercise extreme caution and transit the area only with local knowledge. A lighted bell buoy marks the approach to the entrance channel, and buoys mark the channel to the bridge.
Dangers:
Extensive rocky ledges obstruct the approaches to the entrance to the inlet. Hampton Shoal Ledge, covered 19 feet, about 2.8 miles eastward of the entrance, is unmarked.
About 0.5 mile off the entrance is an extensive area of drying and covered rocky ledges consisting ofOld Cellar Rock, Inner Sunk Rocks, Outer Sunk Rocks and other rocks between Inner and Outer Sunk Rocks; a buoy is northeastward of the area.
State Route 1A Highway bridge crosses the inner end of the inlet. It has a 40-foot bascule span with a clearance of 18 feet. It is reported that the flood velocity under the bridge is 1.5 to 2.2 knots and the ebb velocity 2 to 3.2 knots.
