Recommendations For Portland & Rockland?

[Evergreen]

Hello:

This summer we will be doing a four month cruise from the Chesapeake Bay to the Canadian border and back.

We plan to do some crew exchanges in Portland and Rockland. While in port we will also be reprovisioning and doing laundry etc.. For those reasons we hope to stay overnight in a slip in a marina at each place.

Question: What marinas do you recommend in Portland and Rockland? Also, please mention places where you have had negative experiences.

Thank you very much for your insights.

Sincerely, Philip & Sharon

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hi Phil & Sharon,

While in Portland, if you want to be in a marina close to where you can reprovision, do laundry, etc., I recommend South Port Marine (CH. 09; 207-799-8191). South Port Marine is a very short walk from a shopping center and supermarket. They also have showers, laundry, ice and a small chandlery. There's a restaurant there as well. It is the marina farthest into the harbor on the South Portland side right before you get to the bridge.

There are lots of marinas in the downtown Portland side of the harbor where you'll be a short walk to LOTS of restaurants and shops, but there's only a small convenience store if you need provisions.

http://www.southportmarine.com/

In Rockland you'll be able to walk to just about anything from the harbor so pick any marina, get a mooring or anchor. If you anchor it'll be a long dinghy ride. Try Journey's End Marina or Knights Marine.

http://www.oharabait.com/marina.php
http://www.midcoast.com/~knightma/

If you don't have one, get the following cruising guide:
A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast, by Hank and Jan Taft and Curtis Rindlaub

And hope you'll be able to join our rendezvous group during the CDSOA's Maine Cruise in August.

Fair winds,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Dalton]

They have courtesy cars you can use for the 15 - 20 minute drive out to Rt 1 and the Shaws supermarket in Bath. You can visit the Bath Maritime museum while you're there. Robinhood has a parts department and of course Spartan is there also. There will probably be a RH36 being built or perhaps a 33 down east power yacht. They have a restored Ty that marina guests can use for free. Spotless showers, speakers some nights, a library, historical artifacts and they might let you use a courtesy car to go to Portland to drop off or pick up crew. And if you hire them to do some maintenance they won't charge you for dockage. Not to mention there will be a variety of CDs and Robinhoods to grace your views.

[joeeb]

14th Annual North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland.
If you are lucky you might catch carter brey in the audience.
concert is right on the water, you can tie up to the dock right behind the performance stage. great seafood. At night you can do the club crawl for free. see http://www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com/
The two block walk to the Farnsworth Museum has the greatest collection of Wyeth paintings.
http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/

[Joe CD MS 300]

Phil, Sharon,

The Landings Marina is another option. I prefer it over Journey's End and Knights. It's just south of the CG station. It is in a slightly less commercial area. The showers are better from what I remember of Journeys End. From what I remember Journeys End shared the showers operated by Knights Marine which you reached by going through the ships store. Its been at least 5 years since I've been to Journey's End so this may not be current.

The Landings has plenty of parking, there is a restaurant next to the marina and the showers & restrooms are larger more open than Knights.

Joe

[Dan F]

I can't offer specific advice on marinas to go to or avoid (I use a mooring and avoid marinas as much as possible)-- but if you need a hand with anything while in Portland, feel free to send me a message. I live in town and will help you out if I can.

(Also, once you're tied up, I'd suggest you spend more than one night here, if you can!)

-Dan