9 Ferry Lane
Marblehead, MA 01945
Dock
$6/ft
Mooring
$75
Day Trip
Not Offered
Book faster with the free Dockwa app
121 Reviews
by Charley C. - Verified user on Oct 03, 2023
Great spot! Beautiful harbor.
Marina Response:
Thank you so much, we are very proud of our beautiful harbor!by mike o. - Verified user on Oct 02, 2023
All was fine, bathrooms were clean.
Town is lovely.
Marina Response:
Thank you for your nice review! we enjoyed having you.by Aric W. - Verified user on Sep 22, 2023
It was my first visit to Marblehead and the Harbormaster and his team we’re so accommodating. The slips are beautiful and easy to access.
Marina Response:
thank you, we are very proud of our beautiful harbor.by Billy C. - Verified user on Sep 05, 2023
Perfect weekend. Gorgeous spot
Marina Response:
Thank you so much for visiting us. We hope to see you again soon!by Douglas L. - Verified user on Aug 31, 2023
Moored 50 yards from dinghy dock. Well protected 20 plus ft deep everywhere. Clean showers friendly staff.
Marina Response:
We have a super deep harbor...thank you for visiting and hope to see you again!by David L. - Verified user on Aug 26, 2023
Always a favorite stop for me. Helpful, accommodating staff, great proximity to provisioning, West Marine, restaurants, etc.
Marina Response:
We enjoy having you!! Thank you for the kind words!by Bobby w. - Verified user on Aug 23, 2023
Nice town, harbormaster very accommodating.
Marina Response:
Thank you for visiting...we are very proud of our beautiful town!by Harrison B. - Verified user on Aug 21, 2023
The facility, the staff and the location were terrific! I had a mechanical issue and the staff helped me find a yard to take care of my problem. The staff are fantastic!
Marina Response:
We aim to please...thank you for the great review!by Jed R. - Verified user on Aug 21, 2023
Really appreciate the Harbormaster and the team.
by Rod F. - Verified user on Aug 21, 2023
Harbormaster in Marblehead is responsive and very helpful!
We will be going back again
by John c. - Verified user on Aug 20, 2023
Great harbor master, easy access to moorings!
by Roger B. - Verified user on Aug 16, 2023
Not great. Took us close on an hour to find the mooring. Directions were near useless and by the time we tried to call the harbourmaster they’d closed for the day-at 3pm!(and you can’t arrive before 2). Nasty slip all night, party 2 boats down. Waste of $75 when we had a perfectly good anchorage at Salem.
Marina Response:
So sorry that you had trouble contacting us. We have a dockmaster on until 5pm on weekends, our harbormaster crew is available until 11 on channel 16 and we monitor messages through Dockwa. We are a Municipal Harbormaster office and are not open 24/7 like a hotel. The price of moorings includes power, water, shower, laundry and restroom facilities and all our contact info is available on the Dockwa website and in pre arrival email.by Janet F. - Verified user on Aug 14, 2023
always enjoy our time in Marblehead! Harbormaster - jared was so helpful!!
Marina Response:
Thank you, we will be sure to let him know you enjoyed his service.by Erin O. on Aug 13, 2023
Gorgeous harbor with everything within walking distance for all ages. We have a 2 year old and could walk to the park, grocery store, toy store and fire barn to see fire trucks! Harbormaster was super accommodating and helpful. Loved our time there!
Marina Response:
Thank you so much, we love having young families enjoy our beautiful town.by Denis A. - Verified user on Aug 11, 2023
We greatly enjoyed our stay at Marblehead Harbor. The marina is well located, the moorings inspire confidence and the view of all those boats is fantastic. The toilets and showers are quite adequate and I must admit that a large grocery store located 3 minutes walk away is a plus for a transient sailboat. Add to all this that the city is absolutely amazing and we literally fell in love with the architecture and land use planning of the Tourist District. If the future offers us to go back there, it will be with great pleasure… Thank you for everything!
Marina Response:
Thank you for your kind words. We are very proud of our facility and quaint little harbor town.by Paul S. on Aug 08, 2023
My niece lives in Marblehead so we decided to stop in for the night on our way to Provincetown. I Regret the decision… TO ONLY STAY ONE NIGHT! Helpful Staff, great facility, historic New England town and fantastic food all within an easy walk from the dock. What’s not to like. Niece is getting married so I am looking forward to my first sail in wedding and a longer stay. Thanks for a great time.
Marina Response:
Come back again and stay longer! Thank you.by Matthew S. - Verified user on Aug 04, 2023
Marblehead Harbormaster and office staff are always welcoming, and they have well maintained facilities!
Marina Response:
Thank you for being such a loyal customer!by Bill e. - Verified user on Aug 03, 2023
As always, terrific place to stay. Good moorings, easy access to Marblehead center, clean restrooms and showers. We always stop here when going north.
Marina Response:
We love having you every year...see you soon!by Stephen B. on Jul 28, 2023
Had a nice stay. Very convenient to town restaurants et Al. Wi-Fi was excellent which is always a plus. Would come back.
Marina Response:
thank you Stephen, we are very proud of our little town.by Alok K. - Verified user on Jul 27, 2023
Great location and dock.
Marina Response:
It was truly our pleasure having you.by Jeffrey K. - Verified user on Jul 26, 2023
Friendly staff. Great location. We will be back.
Marina Response:
thank you very much for the great review...see you soon!by Rick N. on Jul 26, 2023
Clean, convenient, comfy.
Helpful and polite staff. Docks are well marked and have easy approach. Great location.
Marina Response:
we look forward to seeing you again!by Richard M. - Verified user on Jul 24, 2023
Fantastic weekend. Great harbor for boat watching. Marblehead is a little slow at night but an Uber to Salem and there’s more to do. Easy launch service or a nice place to tie up your dinghy on the town dock. Beautiful
Marina Response:
Thank you for the great review. Salem is a city and does have a bit more nightlife.by Beth W. - Verified user on Jul 23, 2023
Good 1 day stay on mooring. Paid extra for inner harbor after reading reviews. Saw big boats rockin and rollin in the outer harbor (default location if vessel > 40') when we headed in
WARNING -pumpout boat only operatea Fri-Sat-Sun! Self-service pumpout does NOT work! Locals told us it hasnt worked in a very long time. So plan ahead.
Marina Response:
Unfortunately, the free state of MA pump out station DOES work but breaks down often. The locals are not correct. All we do is repair this station...hahahaha. The city of Salem has a pay service that is more reliable, and we always offer a mooring to use over there to pick up that pump boat, but it is not free.by Rob B. - Verified user on Jul 23, 2023
Very well run and harboumaster excellent
Marina Response:
Thank you for the great review!by Chris J. - Verified user on Jul 21, 2023
Very smooth. Great location.
Marina Response:
Thank you, Please come again!by Matthew S. - Verified user on Jul 21, 2023
The Marblehead Harbormaster put us on a mooring that was in a poor location. It was right out at the end of the harbor beside the channel where all power boats were creating wakes, and swell from the ocean was entering the harbor. Our crew could not sleep on this mooring. We requested to be moved to another mooring, but were told that our boat was too big for the other mooring. This was strange because a near identical boat was on these other moorings. We cancelled 2 out of 3 nights of our mooring booking and were told that no refund could be offered. Disappointing, considering the mooring we were provided was unacceptable even to ocean going sailors. Unfriendly interactions were had with the staff at the Harbormaster's office. The friendly staff at the Boston Yacht Club was very happy to help us.
Marina Response:
You were here from Canada for the Halifax race and all of our moorings and docks were booked solid with a 3-day minimum on 3/15/23 at 9:03am when we opened reservations for the season. We had an extended waiting list that could not be utilized 2 days after your arrival on July 5th. The BYC should have warned of the conditions in the outer harbor moorings as 5 other crews were also on those moorings and our website clearly states in Bold-Red lettering, the size limits on our moorings and the uncomfortable nature of their location. We are unable to assign recreational moorings down harbor that are permitted to individuals. The BYC used one of their members moorings with that member's permission. If you come back in 2 years for this race, make sure to get a mooring through the BYC right away. They sponsor the race and have free moorings for most of their participants. I have no idea why they encouraged participants to pay for outer harbor moorings while others received free ones.by Kimberley M. - Verified user on Jul 19, 2023
We had a wonderful time in busy Marblehead. The staff at the Harbor Master was friendly and helpful and the facilities were nice and clean. The location is perfect. We can’t wait to go back!
Marina Response:
it was our pleasure to have you. We have been working extra hard with cleaning protocols to keep our guests safe!by peter m. - Verified user on Jul 16, 2023
We had a great stay. Thank you
by Richard W. - Verified user on Jul 14, 2023
Great location. Very close to dinghy dock
by Matthew R. - Verified user on Jul 14, 2023
I always stay on the outer harbor so short stops in of about 2-3 hours. Pricing adjustments are made as to not pay the full daily. Looking forward to coming back.
Marina Response:
thank you we are dabbling with an hourly rate to see how it works and so far so good. Thank you for being a part of our experiment and your feedback. We are moving forward on the hourly visits.by Emily D. - Verified user on Jul 12, 2023
Great stay on the mooring! Close to everything with a reliable and quick launch service.
Marina Response:
Thank you for staying with us. Jordan's Launch is the best!!!by Nancy R. - Verified user on Jul 10, 2023
The whole process was easy! The Harbormaster’s crew were pleasant and very professional. Also, the facilities were clean.
5 Stars!
Marina Response:
We were happy to host you and hope to see you in the near future!by Samuel B. - Verified user on Jul 10, 2023
Excellent. Dock staff very helpful. Pricing more than fair. Great experience and a very professional operation.
Marina Response:
Thank you for visiting our beautiful harbor. We look forward to seeing you soon!by Michael C. on Jul 08, 2023
Harbormaster and staff were very helpful. Great harbor.
Marina Response:
thank you, hope to see you soonby Benjamin B. - Verified user on Jul 06, 2023
had a great time on the dock. the bathrooms being nearby were super helpful!
Marina Response:
We enjoyed having you!by Glenn W. - Verified user on Jul 05, 2023
Harbormasters staff was very professional and courteous.
Marina Response:
Thank you for visiting!by Richard S. - Verified user on Jul 05, 2023
Great mooring… easy access to town
Marina Response:
Thank you, we hope to see you soonby Pierre M. - Verified user on Jul 02, 2023
We read that the moorings in the outer harbor could be rolly but no sleep for 2 days with only 5-10 knots of wind. swells from ocean were not pleasant. This was on a 60' 85000 lb motor yachts. Loved Marblehead....forget the moorings unless you are under 40' in the inner harbor.
Marina Response:
We warn of the situation on the outer harbor moorings on the website in bold, red, capital letters and additionally private message each outer mooring reservation right after booking giving an opportunity to cancel without fee or pay more for a slip. We are well aware of the "uncomfortable" nature of the outer moorings and we do not use the term "rolly". We do not in any way downplay the possibilities of weather or boat traffic and have dockage available for 60' motor yachts.by Steven O. - Verified user on Jun 08, 2023
excellent, professional
Marina Response:
Thank you for visiting! Hope to see you soon!by Carter Y. - Verified user on Jun 02, 2023
Perfect harbor. Town mooring couldn’t be more convenient to this great little town. Rest rooms and shower/laundry are not fancy but adequate. Excellent communication from Harbormaster about the approach to the harbor. Moorings are on the channel acrofrkm the town dock.
Marina Response:
Thank you for visiting, we are very proud of our Harbor!by Stephen S. - Verified user on May 28, 2023
Perfect! Great info and communication of instructions
Marina Response:
Thank you so much!!! We enjoyed having you...please come back again!by Denis M. - Verified user on May 27, 2023
Convenient mooring, though pricey compared to Maine. Launch service hours were not convenient for an early departure and there was no dinghy dock. We tried to get a BYC launch that came to the dock to take us the 60 yards to our boat and we’re refused. This would not have been the case at Camden Yacht Club.
Marina Response:
We are sorry this happened to you. Because it is early in the season, we may not have been as prepared as we usually are. We have free dinghy tie up at the ends of dock 1 and 2 on the yellow cleats. The website should say that but I will check into it right away. All launch services in Marblehead do not start the early hours until memorial day. We are truly a recreational harbor and up until this week we had very few boats launched. We thank you for your feedback and hope that you come back later in the season when we are in our "groove" and can accommodate your needs better...apologies.by Jim B. - Verified user on Oct 01, 2022
Friendly people. Stayed on mooring ball. Convenient launch service. Clean shower, laundry, lounge area. A courtesy car was available to us. Walking distance to restaurants and attractions.
Marina Response:
It was our pleasure having you! Thank you for the great review!by Brice K. - Verified user on Aug 24, 2022
Great stay! It’s been a great couple visits with you this summer- cheers!
Marina Response:
Thank you and see you soon!by Thomas W. on Aug 22, 2022
We love the town dock in Marblehead. It is central to town and restaurants. There is also a wonderful store, Crosby’s, in easy walking distance. The personnel from the Harbormaster’s team are competent and really helpful, and couldn’t be nicer. And you can see all parts of one of the most wonderful protected harbors in the world. We try to always stop on our way north and south on our way to Maine.
Marina Response:
Thank you, we always look forward to your visits...see you soon!by Bill P. on Aug 09, 2022
The facilities, while small, are clean and spacious. Proximity to downtown is perfect for walking, provisioning, or just general sightseeing. Even though Marblehead is a very crowded harbor, there was plenty of maneuvering room adjacent to the docks.
Marina Response:
Thank you very much for visiting Marblehead. We hope to see you again soon!by Janice Y. - Verified user on Aug 08, 2022
Surprised and happy to get a virtually short notice reservation. Phone contact was pleasant and upbeat.
On arrival, three professional staff made the approach and dockage on a very windy day stress free....made me look good at the helm.
The docks are very stable and clean. Lots of interesting harbor boat traffic but the no wake enforcement makes it very comfortable even at busy times.
We were right in the heart of historic Marblehead. Need I say more.
Will put Marblehead on our cruising itinerary every year!
Addendum: we’ve been back several ,ore times since this review was written. Each time is such a great stay. It’s become our favorite “northern port” when leaving Cape Cod and heading north. Once again, the entire staff is focused on the boater. We prefer slips when traveling and the docks in Marblehead never disappoint.
Marina Response:
thank you so much for your kind words about our wonderful harbor and facility. it was our pleasure to have you visit.by Anonymous - Verified user on Aug 05, 2022
More than comfortable with everything needed for a worthwhile stay. Everything is a short walk away.
Marina Response:
thank you...we aim to pleaseby Wynn M. - Verified user on Aug 05, 2022
Great stay, always efficient, clean secure bath/shower facilities, easy in and out of harbor.Stayed here many times.
Marina Response:
Thank youby Rob M. on Aug 04, 2022
We moored our J105 Blow Boat!! on H4 right in front of the Harbor Master's office. Excellent spot and very close to shore. Restaurants and town shops were just a short walk away. (Especially enjoyed Maddie's!) Harbor Master was very easy to deal with when we needed to make some changes. Highly recommend. :)
Marina Response:
We are very proud of our beautiful town and harbor... thank you and see you soonby Mark L. on Jul 24, 2022
Docked at one of the floating docks & had an amazing time. The Harbormaster crew are beyond helpful & friendly. We had fantastic. Theres water on the dock & I was able to clean my boat which was a real plus. Had a blast walking around Marblehead and checking out the sites. The harbor is active so lots of great people & boat viewing. Facilities are A+. Will definitely return and definitely highly recommend.
Marina Response:
It was our pleasure having you! We are very proud of our beautiful harbor and eclectic downtown area. hoping to see you very soonby Douglas T. - Verified user on Jul 18, 2022
Harbormaster Staff are super friendly and helpful. Bathrooms/showers were an 8 out of 10 - floors were soaked. Dinghy dock was great and finding a spot was always easy. Mooring was good and well tended. The one negative to our experience was the launch drivers from the Yacht Clubs. They travel at high speeds making a wake and passed very close - I'm talking a couple of feet - by our boat consistently. Suggest the Harbormaster watch these vessels and slow the drivers down.
Marina Response:
Thank you for the nice review. We have launch speed issues in the harbor every season. Do you know which club(s) it was?
We are waiting for repairs on the shower stalls to stop the water from getting all over the floor...we are aware and we apologize.by Mark R. - Verified user on Jul 16, 2022
Once again the service was above and beyond what we expect. We had to move down a dock after we arrived. I think there was a staff member for each line on the boat and then some. Even the harbormaster showed up to help. A favorite spot for my family. Head to Maddies or the Barnacle for a great meal and some generous cocktails.
Marina Response:
Thank you for the nice review. We enjoyed having you !by David L. - Verified user on Jul 15, 2022
Friendly, helpful Harbormaster and staff. Great location, with excellent access to restaurants as well as shops for provisioning. Good facilities.
Marina Response:
we are very proud of our harbor and town. thank you for your kind words!by Kenn P. - Verified user on Jul 02, 2022
Good mooring. Well serviced. Close to town.
by Julee C. - Verified user on Jun 28, 2022
The location is excellent, however the price has gone up since last year. The new launch service is available, however not included in the mooring fee. The Harbormaster dock is convenient to restaurants , grocery etc.
by Chris S. - Verified user on May 30, 2022
Harbormaster is always quick to respond and moorings are in great shape right off old town.
by Robert P. - Verified user on May 23, 2022
Super helpful staff. Great location.
Marina Response:
we enjoyed having you!! See you soon!by Donald V. - Verified user on Aug 15, 2021
Nice dock right in the heart of town, walking distance to everything.
Marina Response:
thank you for the nice review. We really do have an incredible location! See you soon...by Diane M. - Verified user on Aug 13, 2021
As always the outer harbor is a bit of a ride - but nice to take the dinghy into the dock.
Marina Response:
yes our outer harbor moorings for vessels over 40' LOA can be rough. we are careful to post this on our website and also give a personal warning via message through Dockwa. Thank you for not taking points off about a situation you were aware of like others have in the past. We truly appreciate that! Moving forward, we are actively seeking to have a mooring or 2 inner harbor for larger vessels but with a 20 year wait for moorings in the harbor it is not easy.
thanks again hope to see you soon!by Anonymous on Aug 10, 2021
Easy approach to dock.
Nice staff.
Great location near restaurants, grocery store and park.
What's not to like?
Marina Response:
so happy you enjoyed your stay. thank you very much for the great review!by Michael M. - Verified user on Aug 09, 2021
Picturesque harbor, easy access to the dock and nice clean facilities. Add in good restaurants, a beautiful historic district and a grocery store a short walk away it is a perfect place for an overnight or two. Take the time to visit the Crocker and Sewell parks nearby. Harbormaster staff was helpful and patient.
Marina Response:
thank you...hope to see you sonby Shawn K. - Verified user on Aug 08, 2021
Really great opportunity to get rare dock space in this wonderful historic town. There are only room for about five boats. Harbormaster guys are great, facilities our very adequate and clean.
Marina Response:
thank you so much. We are very proud of our harbor and facility.by Karen O. - Verified user on Aug 04, 2021
Easy to get on the mooring and a beautiful view!
Marina Response:
thank you! It was great having you and we hope to see you again soon.by Andrew C. - Verified user on Aug 02, 2021
Great option for a quick stopover - easy docking and very helpful. Look forward to another visit!
Marina Response:
thank you so much...see you sonby Kevin W. - Verified user on Jul 31, 2021
West Shore transient moorings have no dinghy docks. There is only a 30 minute tie up at the pier. No dinghy tie up available. The launch has limited hours and is $8 or more / person / trip.
At Village St pier there was no trash barrel and at the parking lot there was no dumpster - unlike past years.
The transient fee increased from $40 to $50 / day. That's pretty steep for this lack of accommodations.
Marina Response:
We do supply dinghy tie up on the dock for the West shore. We apologize if your stay was not what you expected. I will check into the dockwa services and make sure that amenities for the West shore moorings are up to date and info sent out in the welcome email.by Bill b. - Verified user on Jul 28, 2021
Because our LOA is almost 45’ we were put all the way out in the mouth of the harbor at
42° 30.413' N 70° 50.362' W
No protection from swells which made for a rolly pitchy night despite decent conditions & we’re on an Island Packet. It would really stink on a fat, light displacement/lwl boat
Marina Response:
We always give a warning for the outer moorings both on the website itself and via personal message prior to confirming the reservation. It is worth mentioning that we did not JUST put you all the way out at the mouth without fair warning.by Kathleen W. - Verified user on Jul 18, 2021
Our first visit to a very lovely harbor. The inner harbor moorings are easy to find and very accessible to the town docks. I hope that they will be able to reinstitute a launch service next season. That's always a plus.
Marina Response:
thank you for your kind words. Our intention is to reinstate a launch service for 2022by Steve O. - Verified user on Jul 15, 2021
We had a wonderful stay at Town of Marblehead Harbormaster. The harbormaster was available during arrival and departure to assist with docking and to answer any questions we had. Facilities were outstanding and we were steps away from the historic neighborhood area. We will definitely be back!
Marina Response:
Thank you for staying with us. We really enjoy all of our seasonal friends and have many boats that have been coming for years. Looking forward to seeing you again soon!by Brian H. - Verified user on Jul 08, 2021
Convenient to downtown, decent facilities and easy to access. My one negative, it is expensive .
Marina Response:
thank you for the nice review, we enjoyed having you. I am posting our rates so the people reading the review can decide if it is too much or them before reserving. Thank you again!
our rates are:
$5 per foot for docks and $50.00 per night for a mooringby Jeffrey F. - Verified user on Jun 25, 2021
Great location. Dockmaster helpful and responsive. Bathrooms/showers modern and well kept. Dinghy dock had enough room for our dink. Town was charming and supportive. Fun to get around using our folding bikes.
Marina Response:
Thank you so much for coming. Many passers by enjoyed looking at your beautiful vessel.
hope to see you soon!by Trisha O. - Verified user on Jun 23, 2021
Perfect. I believe the price increased by 50% so that was disappointing but everything else was perfect. The facilities were clean and easily accessed. We enjoyed.
Marina Response:
Thank you for your kind words. We did raise our rates in 2018 from $3.50 per foot to $5.00 per foot and moorings from $25 to $50. Unfortunately our waterfront property and proximity to town makes our upkeep expensive. See you soon!by Elizabeth H. - Verified user on Jun 22, 2021
Easy to find stout moorings just off the Harbor Master dock. Perfect location to enjoy a stroll around the beautiful historic town. Provisioning is a 5 minute walk to Crosby’s for everything you need. Harbormaster bldg. has nice showers, laundry and garbage drop off.
Gas and diesel next dock over. One of our favorite places to visit.
Marina Response:
thank you for the great review. We are very proud of our beautiful town and Harbor. See you soon!by Debbie S. - Verified user on Jun 15, 2021
When making our reservation we received the following reservation from the Harbormaster: "The only mooring available for your sized vessel is at the mouth which can be rough in weather. We do have dockage available fir $5 per foot. Please advise."
We looked at the weather and knew it was going to be calm and went ahead and took the mooring. The problem wasn't the weather. The problem was all the boat traffic. This mooring is right at the channel and the harbor entrance. Had we known this we would have made another decision. In addition, there were several other moorings at the entrance that may have been more comfortable, and appeared that they would have been able to accommodate our boat. All these mooring balls were available.
One other item - the email we got which gave directions to the mooring ball were for the mooring balls inside the harbor, not the outside mooring balls.
by Roy S. - Verified user on Jun 13, 2021
Nice spot. Our mooring was a short dinghy ride from the town dock. Wonder why the launch service is not working? Your tax dollars at work? Nice friendly town. Everybody we met said hello. We ate outside at the Landing restaurant because we had our dog with us. Nice restaurant!
Marina Response:
We are very proud of our little waterfront town and it's business owners. Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you soon.by Eric S. - Verified user on Jun 13, 2021
Nice mooring close to docks. Very clean and convenient rest rooms, showers.
Marina Response:
Thank you! It was our pleasure having you...see you soon!by Carla H. - Verified user on May 30, 2021
It was a strong northeast wind and rain and the harbor master crew were there to help and advise. They even assisted us from the moring to the dock as the winds made it too tough to row our dinghy back!! Many thanks for the warm shower and facilities as well. We will be back!
Marina Response:
Thank you for the nice words as we try to be as helpful as possible. Looking forward to seeing you soon!by David F. on Sep 20, 2020
Friendly, accommodating staff; great location. Marblehead Harbor is easy to approach and easily navigated; private channel markers guide you down the fairway right to the harbormaster's inner-harbor moorings. Those moorings are easy to find even in the dark, and are situated just a few strokes of the oar from the dock, which is steps from the picturesque town. Other plusses: A supermarket a 5-minute walk away; an excellent restaurant one dock over; a 24/7 self-service pump-out station a five-minute putter from the moorings; a fuel dock (none of those in adjacent Salem!) Marblehead Harbor opens to the northeast, and the well-sheltered waters where the inner-harbor moorings are located can be a little rocky in a stiff breeze from that direction (though having done it, I can tell you that passing the night isn't bad even in that). About the only other downside is that the moorings fill up fast in the summer, which is why you'll see me there right now!
Marina Response:
Thank you for your fabulous review! We are very proud of our beautiful town and harbor...see you soonby Kim B. - Verified user on Sep 20, 2020
Beautiful quaint town. Great friendly and helpful staff.
Marina Response:
Thank you very much for your kind words and staying with us! We look forward to seeing you again.by Doni B. - Verified user on Sep 08, 2020
Not great actually. We were assigned a mooring in the far outer harbor. #2-0. I believe these are simply positioned too far out because the first night was quite rocky as was the next day. On day 3, the side waves were hitting us such that our boat was pitching 90 degrees back and forth. As we arrived back to the boat late last night it was downright scary getting into the boat from our dinghy. I hit my head on the boom (a first) because it was as flailing so badly. We’ve had our boat nearly a decade and never experienced this bad of a situation at a mooring especially in non-inclement weather. Finally we decided at 9:30pm to leave the mooring and go inside the harbor where it was calm and nice and we tieD up to the harbor masters dock. Luckily it was open and available. I wouldn’t use those outer moorings ever again. That said, the town and bay of a Marblehead is marvelous.
Marina Response:
I am sorry for your experience. I do not believe we charged you dockage during the northeast storm which is worth mentioning. We do disclose the location of "outer harbor" moorings and the size limit of 40' on inner harbor moorings on Marina's.com and Dockwa. We also try to send a personal message prior to accepting a reservation for vessels over 40' that cannot fit on our inner harbor moorings. I apologize if anyone confirmed without that personal note prior to accepting the reservation to back up the info on the website. I wanted to respond because a 2 star rating is devastating to us! Was it just the location of that mooring and the storm that weekend or was someone rude and unaccommodating to you? Please let me know, We are simply not a large boat harbor with a 20+ year wait for a mooring so we cannot accommodate your 48' vessel in harbor unless it is our docks which are much more expensive.by Ed B. - Verified user on Sep 06, 2020
Excellent harbor, great staff, great town to visit
by Dennis P. - Verified user on Sep 04, 2020
The Harbormaster was very accommodating and located us near the dingy dock. The bathrooms and showers were clean and modern. The town was just blocks away with an excellent grocery store. A little rolley in the harbor but there was a SE swell running in the bay. I would definitely return.
by Matthew A. - Verified user on Aug 29, 2020
Excellent place to stay in MBH with fantastic views of the harbor. Floating docks with reliable electricity and fresh water. Convenient location within a 5 min walk of downtown shops and restaurants.
I returned to the MBH town docks on my way back from Portland, ME to Annapolis, MD. Adding to my previous review...The Harbormaster staff is very professional. They asked for my ETA and were ready to help me tie up upon arrival.
Marina Response:
thank you so much for your fabulous review. We have a beautiful harbor in a great town and enjoy sharing it!!! See you soon!by Paul C. - Verified user on Aug 27, 2020
Great location. All harbormaster staff are friendly and helpful.
Love the boating action at the Landing.
Marina Response:
thank you for visiting. we hope to see you again soon!by William G. - Verified user on Aug 20, 2020
Very calm and nice part of this beautiful Harbor. Very attentive and professional staff looking after us. It’s a new go-to for our annual up and down from the Chesapeake to Maine. Thanks!
Marina Response:
We love our annual up and downers!!! Thank you for the great review and see you in the spring.by Jay S. - Verified user on Aug 15, 2020
Great people, great service, great venue
Marina Response:
thank you so much...hope to see you soonby Dj M. - Verified user on Aug 14, 2020
the Moorings available were at the mouth of the harbor along side the channel. The mouth of the harbor is too rocky rolly. We ended up leaving after the first night as it was too much. Otherwise found the harbor to be beautiful and quite a quaint quiet town, also felt unwelcoming to visitors
Marina Response:
We try to be very transparent about the location of the outer harbor moorings and the possibility of rocky seas. Unfortunately, Marblehead harbor has a 21 year wait for a mooring so large moorings down harbor are few and far between. We make every effort to be cooperative and welcoming at all times and refunded the night for you waiving our cancellation policy. We apologize for not letting you stay on the blue mooring you found but it is only used every 2 years for the Halifax race and does not have the correct gear to support your 56' power boat. Please let us know if it was our staff that was unwelcoming to you. As for the public...i think this COVID 19 situation has made people a bit more unwelcoming in general but we will certainly pass along your concerns to local businesses. Thank you for your review, we use this feedback to constantly improve our facility.by Peter J. - Verified user on Aug 11, 2020
Terrific dock, location and staff. 2 minute walk to Crosby Grocery, coffee, restaurants.
Marina Response:
best spot in town!! Thank you for the kind words, hope to see you again soon!!by Westy E. - Verified user on Aug 11, 2020
My special thanks to the Harbor Master and Assistant HM. They provided needed and greatly appreciated special assistance with a motor breakdown. And the basics were all down well. They help make a Marblehead visit a special time.
Marina Response:
We aim to please!!! Thank you and see you soon!!by Barry D. - Verified user on Aug 02, 2020
Nice moorings very close to town. Great spot to watch the constant activity of the harbor.
Marina Response:
thank you very much for visiting...we hope to see you soon!!by Lou V. on Aug 01, 2020
We love going to Marblehead.
Very clean facilities , a beautiful town . , a hidden gem as far as we are concerned.
My family loved it there , we will be back soon.
Linus
Marina Response:
we enjoyed having you...thank you for the great review!by Chuck F. - Verified user on Jul 30, 2020
Making the reservation through Dockwa went perfectly! The harbormaster messaged me with my mooring number and location so I was able simply to go directly to it without having to be escorted by the launch. Clear instructions on dinghy tie-up location and procedure were very helpful. Always a treat to be in beautiful Marblehead Harbor!
Marina Response:
thank you so much for your visit...we hope to see you soon!by drew p. - Verified user on Jul 27, 2020
A great weekend trip. The moorings were easy to find and well marked. Pendant lines were clean and in good shape. Great communication by way of an email the day before we arrived outline the mooring and where it is as well as local tips and instructions for where to dock our dinghy, showers, etc. Very nice. We were on an "outer" mooring right at the mouth of the harbor so it was a bit rocky due to boat wakes as folks returned to the harbor in the evening, but that wasnt a problem for us..just wanted to share that those moorings aren't as protected as the ones in the inner harbor. Highly recommended either way.
Marina Response:
thank you for the great review! We are working on some inner harbor moorings for larger vessels moving forward. We use all feedback to constantly improve our facility.by Benjamin C. - Verified user on Jul 06, 2020
Overall good, but there were people setting off fireworks very early in the morning right next to the Harbormaster dock and no one told them to stop. I'm all for fun, but it did make the morning hard to enjoy.
by Eric M. - Verified user on Jun 06, 2020
Harbor master crew was very helpful and friendly. Beautiful harbor. Had some great takeout from the Sail Loft. We will be back again
by Caleb A. - Verified user on Oct 06, 2019
premium facility and mooring location
Marina Response:
thank you...come again!by Pam I. - Verified user on Sep 30, 2019
As always, we had a great stay here.
They are always so pleasant to deal with. :)
Marina Response:
Thank you, it is always a pleasure to see you!!by Carolyn R. - Verified user on Sep 20, 2019
Tiny dock for just a few boats but if you are lucky enough to get a spot, grab it. Wonderful location in a charming town.
Marina Response:
thank you for your kind words. We would love to extend our docks to accommodate more vessels but as you may have noticed, our little harbor is packed. We currently have a 20 year wait for a mooring and that leaves little room for expansion. Hope to see you soon!!!by Pauline L. - Verified user on Sep 20, 2019
Loved the town of Marblehead, visitor mooring we'll maintained but very rolley. went along side for water and tried to find harbourmaster - (who is now in different building) but no face to face, only communicated by email. It would be alot more pleasent to actually see someone. No help with lines just instructed by email to leave the dock! Shame as all other American harbourmasters I have met have been very welcoming, present and helpful.
Marina Response:
I am sorry you had a bad experience. We have been in the same building for over 5years now so I am sorry if there was any confusion there. I as the Harbormaster was called out to assist other matters so I cannot always be present but did speak with you on the phone to help resolve reservation payment. As for assistance at the dock, we as a crew did not have a reservation to expect so the crew was unavailable to assist. I can assure you we always offer assistance to our reserved dockage guests. You where only asked to leave because you had requested to come along side to retrieve water. After 4 hours you where still along side and due to the high demand for our docks that extended your visit. I hope this explaination will provide you with a more welcoming and pleasurable visit next time. Your comments help us be a better facility.
Thank You
Mark Souza
Marblehead Harbormasterby Jerry M. - Verified user on Sep 02, 2019
Good facility although a little pricey. But the inner moorings worth it. Outer moorings very rolly from boat traffic. They are adjacent to channel and the beginning of the no wake zone. Weather is also factor in the outer moorings.
Ground tackle great. Shower and laundry provided. Good location for town.
Marina Response:
I will have to check the average price for moorings again. We thought we were right in line will all of the amenities we offer at $50.00 per night. I am glad we were able to re arrange things on the inner harbor to give you the extra nights we did on our utility mooring during this very busy weekend. We will always do our best to accommodate you. Thank you for the feedback.by Stephen M. - Verified user on Aug 21, 2019
Great dock and people.
Marina Response:
thank you we enjoyed having you!!by John B. - Verified user on Aug 18, 2019
We stayed on the dock for two nights. We had a very good experience. The dockmaster met us on arrival. The facilities were clean and modern, and convenient to Marblehead points of interest.
Marina Response:
We enjoyed having you...see you soon!by Jonathan K. - Verified user on Aug 10, 2019
The harbormaster met us at the dock which was a bit.if a tight squeeze hut made sure we docked safely. Unfortunately we had another boat come in that nignt at 3 am and the occupants were quite loud. The harbor master was there quite quickly and controlled the situation. Marblehead itself was lovely with excellent shops, history and a newlt renovated landing served excellent food.
Marina Response:
We have very limited dockage available in Marblehead so we do try to accommodate as many vessels as possible. I am so happy to hear that your concerns were handled in a timely manner and you enjoyed your stay. thank you for the feedback as we use it to constantly improve our facility.by Ken C. on Aug 08, 2019
First time to Marblehead and we will return. Had space on one of the floating docks. Mark and his team were very helpful and welcoming. Facilities were convenient and clean. Agree that not everybody observes the 'no-wake' rule especially the Yacht Club tenders.
Marina Response:
So sorry, we are constantly battling the yacht clubs over the "no wake" rule. Thanks so much for the nice review and we hope to see you again soon!by Al W. - Verified user on Jul 29, 2019
Came Friday late afternoon and missed the close of the office at 3p. Were not able to get in touch with Dockmaster for access code for facilities even on Saturday until a big mega yacht came in to dock. Dockmaster appeared for their docking and we got the codes. Nice facilities but over all we did not feel very welcome. Very busy and crowded.
Marina Response:
So sorry this happened to you. We are new to Dockwa and our business is growing faster than our staff is. We are already addressing this situation so we can make sure someone is available to help people coming in on the weekends. We are also going to add the access codes to our welcome email. We appreciate your feedback and use it to constantly improve our facilities.by Tad F. - Verified user on Jul 22, 2019
Lousy! Harbormaster put us on the furthest away buoy saying there were no others and all day long we saw their buoys going unoccupied. The no wake zone is non-existent so the further out you are the rougher it is. When we went ashore the harbormaster directed us to the wrong dinghy dock where we proceeded to get yelled at for docking there. The waterfront is pretty disjointed and after spending a few hours ashore decided to head out for another location. It will not be on our 'Places to return to" list.
Marina Response:
I am so sorry you had that experience. Our outer harbor moorings are for vessels over 35'power /40'sail generally and yes are not the most pleasant place in bad weather I am sorry the crew did not mention that to you. We had 2 regattas in the harbor and the Harbormaster crew was spread pretty thin but that is no excuse. Moorings in Marblehead harbor are permitted to individual, privately owned boats so if you saw empty moorings they are not under our control. All inner harbor moorings were booked for the entire weekend. We appreciate your feed back and use it to constantly improve our facility. Again, my apologies on behalf of the harbormaster crew for any miscommunication. Please give us another chance and email me through dockwa...Terri, office Managerby Donald A. - Verified user on Jul 19, 2019
Great location, easy walk to town, professional and helpful staff
Marina Response:
thank you so much...we really are in a beautiful location.by Allison B. - Verified user on Jul 18, 2019
Love this place. Great dock and very knowledgeable harbourmasters.
Fun town
Marina Response:
thank you so much for the nice review...we enjoyed having youby Charlie A. - Verified user on Jul 06, 2019
the dock was ready for our arrival and in great shape. after tie up, it was time to use the dock supplied electric power. the planned plug in gave me difficulty but along came assistant harbor master Charles Cullinane. He tried the plan plug in. Then he decided to try another outlet but my power cord short so Charlie loaned me one of the harbormasters cord and the day was saved. great service many thanks Charles
Marina Response:
Charles has been with us for many years and is definitely an asset to our operation. Thank you for your kind words...we look forward to seeing you in the future.by Eric M. - Verified user on Jun 25, 2019
Great stay on mooring number 2 at the mouth of the inlet. We put the reservation in as we were sailing by and decided to stop. A quick radio call to the harbormaster and he confirmed a mooring for us. Thanks for the great support.
Marina Response:
stop in anytime...thank youby Mary K. on Sep 08, 2018
Tucker's Wharf is located perfectly at the center of Marblehead's Old Town which makes it a charming and delightful destination. The Landfall is great for dinner while the Driftwood is a local breakfast favorite. And you can't miss enjoying a spirit at Maddy's Sail Loft. There are plenty of shops and services to amuse and help. Mark and his team are gracious, welcoming, and helpful Harbormasters.
Marina Response:
Thank you so much for your review. we enjoyed having you visit our beautiful harbor!!by Christopher m. - Verified user on Sep 06, 2018
Harbormaster staff were great. Men's shower was filthy. Main issue is a 300% rate increase since the last active captain review with no advertised notice until getting to the dockwa reservation. More a reflection of what I have seen with dockwa and the use of it to justify ridiculous mooring rentals. I will use this site in the future to figure out which harbors to avoid and will gratefully thank the ones that have kept rate increases modest and do not require payment with my thumbs. Some of us still sail to distance ourselves from forced internet interaction.
Marina Response:
thank you for your review, we use this feedback to constantly improve our facilities.by Lawrence S. - Verified user on Sep 01, 2018
They were very helpful allowing me To move my boat to a mooring in a more protected location.
by Chris T. on Aug 29, 2018
Very Helpful harbormaster and staff. Excellent location and adequate shoreside facilities.
Marina Response:
thank you so much, we truly enjoyed having youby Christopher B. - Verified user on Aug 24, 2018
Great little harbor (jam packed with boats on mooring balls).
by Gordon C. - Verified user on Aug 07, 2018
Friendly staff and great facilities, including washer and dryer free to use. Only drawback is the price at $5/foot.
Marina Response:
Thank you for the nice review. We include all amenities including power and water on our docks so that is the reasoning behind the price. Thanks again and hope to see you soon!!!by Robert L. - Verified user on Aug 06, 2018
Courteous, pleasant, efficient. We came in after hours and found everything set up as promised. Easy access to amenities. Friendly , informative folks as we found our way to recommended watering holes. All good.
Marina Response:
thank you for the nice review, come back soon!by Holly D. - Verified user on Jul 22, 2018
Wonderful stay in Marblehead. The Harbormaster and team set us up with a fantastic mooring that was very comfortable and so close to everything that we didn't even put the motor on our dinghy! We look forward to coming back again!
Marina Response:
Thank you for the nice review. We enjoyed having you !by David B. - Verified user on Jun 14, 2018
The Harbormaster was great, very accommodating. It was a little inconvenient not to have a launch service, or showers. Fortunately we where able to finagle something with the help of the harbormaster. We had a nice stay.
Marina Response:
I apologize that you were not made aware of our Shower and laundry facilities. We are new to "dockwa" and "marinas.com" and are still navigating our way through. We have recently made the addition of a launch service for our inner harbor moorings only for an additional $25.00 per night. Hopefully all of our growing pains will be done by your next stay. Thank you for the nice review in spite of our shortcomings, it is much appreciated!
Terri
Office Managerby Christopher W. - Verified user on Jun 04, 2018
Arrived late on a Friday night and had no trouble coming in and finding our mooring. Location is tucked away deep in the harbor, so well protected and calm water. Good spacing between moorings.
Marina Response:
Thank you for the nice review. We enjoyed having you !About Town of Marblehead Harbormaster
Tucker's Wharf does not have slips but linear floating docks, 5 guest moorings in our inner harbor with a 40' maximum length and 7 at the mouth with a 60' maximum length. We have 30/50 amp power and water on our docks. Shower and laundry facilities and a small galley providing a coffee pod system, toaster oven and microwave. Dinghy tie-up for our guests is included in the basic price for a mooring and marked on our reserved docks with a yellow cleat.
Located a short walk to Marblehead's "Old Town" historical sites, restaurants, grocery store, package store, boat supply and many other unique shops.
Marblehead is one of the most picturesque harbors in the country and is known as the "Sailing Capital of the World" and the "Birthplace of the American Navy".
**Launch service provided by Jordan Launch Services Public Launch Service Main Harbor only. Jordanlaunch.com 781-631-5992 VHF 71
jordanlaunch.com
Booking Info
- Please be Advised: Dinghies are to be securely rafted alongside your vessel, NOT hanging off the stern.
- Please review our cancellation policy within the ""Info"" section below before completing your reservation request. There is a 3-night minimum applied to any reservations booking over the 4th of July holiday (7/2-7/4).
Vessel Restrictions
- Maximum LOA on inner harbor moorings is 40’
- Maximum LOA on Outer harbor moorings is 60’
Outer harbor moorings can be uncomfortably rough at times.
If your vessel is 40’ or over, you will AUTOMATICALLY be placed in the outer harbor
No vessel under 40’ will be placed in the outer harbor without prior contact from the marina.
The Town of Marblehead is providing a Sling Lift for public use to boaters at its State Street Dock, starting May 1st, 2023. The lift will assist people with mobility limitations to board boats. No reservations are necessary, use is free, and instructions for use are on the dock. A sling is provided or users may use their own sling. For any questions or for assistance, please contact the town Harbormaster at 781-631-2386.
Services
Amenities
Info
Photos
