Gloucester Harbormaster

Gloucester is a wonderful harbor with lots to do. The harbormaster and crew are exceptional! The only thing I would improve upon is to add a second pennant line to the moorings, or at least state it on the website so that those that have a multi-hull will be prepared ahead of time with an additional line. Other than that, I highly recommend!!

Moorings are easy to grab. Launch service is timely and efficient. Folks in the office and on the launch are very friendly. Easy access to a grocery store, laundromat and plenty of restaurants. We've stayed here twice going up and down the coast.

Great communication, easy access and a free launch service to town by a very friendly and competent launch captain.

Was ok

Beautiful working harbor with so much to see. Free launch takes you to many locations including Rocky Neck for excellent views and resturants.

Great stay over Labor day Weekend. The Harbormaster and crew are the best. The new IH mooring field is perfect.

Excellent service and very accommodating.

Booked through Dockwa and harbormaster sent mooring assignment. Launch service included with mooring Fee and we were on One of the 15 IH ( inner harbor) moorings. Downtown has a nice main street and had yummy sandwiches from Virgiglios Bakery and great meal at Passports both on Main Street.. Harbormasters building recently restored With new bathrooms and lounge ready for use post Covid 19. Will be back.

I wish I asked the name of the tender driver… He was amazing! Harbormaster, too. More of the boat, headed out to get some laundry done, need it back to the boat before the sky opened up raining cats and dogs. Sheltered, quiet, and everything we hoped for and more. Would totally recommend this place!

Gloucester Harbormaster was very helpful when entering the harbor and locating our mooring. The launch was efficient but covers a lot of territory so you have to plan ahead as it can sometimes take 1/2 hour + to arrive and may still take you on a tour of other mooring areas on your trip into town. Our mooring was off Stage Fort Park and quite rough due to boat wakes and even some swells later at night.

Excellent. Exactly what we asked for. So convenient.

Excellent harbor, friendly and clean Harbor Master has a great system for dockage/moorings Launch operators very friendly

Great weekend, Harbormaster staff were friendly and helpful. Good facilities.

Great location and excellent moorings

Was great. Peaceful and picturesque. Great local restaurants close by. Shuttle service available til 9pm.

very well managed, unfortunately the shore faculties were closed

Great location! Safe place to try out paddle board in mooring field and close to river for a fun day trip.

Mooring in the Inner Harbor was perfect with easy access to town. Friendly and helpful launch service. Would be a 5 star, except the showers were closed.

Third time morning in Gloucester. Better every year. Moorings well marked with pickup masts, launch service included and prompt and will take you anywhere in the harbor Restaurants and services short walk from landing.

The interaction through Dockwa is great. The mooring balls are solid and easy to grab. Clean pendants and clever idea to use lobster pot buoys to indicate the end of the pendant. The maps on Dockwa need updating as they do not show all the new mooring ball locations. Email did though. Did not use the launch service but looks very flexible. We stayed in Inner Harbor which is a mix of eclectic charm and industrial fishing facilities. Close to the restaurants, wonderful inlets and very little wash from passing boats as it is no wake zone. Only down side was the fan noise from the seafood processing plant which did turn off at nigh though.

Thank you! We love coming here. Shopping and the view is beautiful

Inner harbor layout made it a snap to find our assigned mooring. Mooring was great for our deep draft sailboat. We had 2 nights of great sleep. Provided launch service was very accommodating dropping off and picking up at various areas. Friendly staff. Regards, s/v Bewitched

Been coming for years live the new mooring setup. Didn't even need a boat hook.

Other than background noise from the fish factory at night, our stay in the Inner Harbor went well. We are looking forward to the opening of dockside facilities when the pandemic is over, likely next year. That will make staying in Gloucester even more complete.

Gloucester is a magnificent bargain at half the cost per mooring of Salem. Treat yourself to a museum entrance in Gloucester for the savings.

Another great stay, simple process. nice to have a lot of amenities around. Fuel docks, ice, showers, restaurants etc.

Very responsive harbor master, great launch service, excellent location. Highly recommend.

Well maintained and easy to use moorings, great Launch service.

We reserved a mooring ball ahead of time on Dockwa - very easy and got a quick response. The Gloucester HM sent several very helpful emails ahead of time about the various mooring fields, our mooring assignment, complimentary launch, facilities, things to see and do, etc... These were very helpful. The Inner Harbor mooring field is tight and we were very close to the next boat (we are on a 50 ft SV). After talking with the HM, they let us move to a different mooring. That was great. Also, the pump out boat staff were very responsive - coming to our boat very shortly after we called. Launch staff were nice and we used the launch several times for sightseeing, dinner, etc.... We midget another helpful email from the HM office after we left - probably was supposed to have been sent ahead of our arrival. We emailed them back about this. We would come back.

Very friendly and helpful staff at Gloucester Harbormaster. One of the most complete and informative confirmations received to date.

Very friendly and welcoming. Front row seat to the daily activity. All boats very considerate about their wake.

Nice spot, off a small beach with only 3 moorings. About a 10 minute dinghy ride to the public dock. A bit roll prone due to wakes, but not as bad as we have experienced at the Eastern Point Yacht Club on a transient mooring there. Only stayed for an overnight stop on the way to Provincetown.

The Gloucester Harbormaster and staff do an outstanding job!! Very accommodating and the moorings are always well maintained. Thank you for another great stay!!

Easy to find mooring. Launch drive was great! Highly recommend

Our Gloucester stay was great! New clean moorings and pennants. Friendly staff. Launch brings you close to shops and restaurants.

Nice moorings easy to pick up lines. Harbormaster keeps them clean and untangled. Thank you

One of our favorite harbors . the new moorings are very well marked and the tall pick up bouys are easy to retrieve. Great place to stop for a couple of days.

Easy access to dinghy dock. Great info on email that directed us right to the mooring!

Always a pleasure to stay in Gloucester! What is better than lobster on the dock?

It was great staying in Gloucester. We plan to do it again.

Excellent the office was so professional the moorings are beautiful nice and clean we enjoyed very much perfect stay

Low frills but friendly helpful launch driver and harbor master.

Mooring equipment is in excellent condition. Thank you.

Beautiful brand new moorings with pick-ups! It was so easy to get settled and the launch service operators were great!

Very nice mooring that was easy to pick up. Inner harbor is a bit noisy from the refrigeration compressors of the Gorton's fish company but is well protected from rough seas outside the harbor. Public launch is not included in marina fee. Lots of restaurants accessible to the launch. Add WiFi and free launch for 5 stars.

At 55' and 7' draft, we really appreciate that the inner harbor moorings can accommodate us. Gloucester is always a fun stop with so much going on around the harbor and the local boaters are always friendly and welcoming. We'll be seeing you on the return trip!

Last minute decision after coming down the Annisquam; the Harbormaster was very helpful.

As always terrific experience. Looking forward to the new shower facility opening.

Vinnie the laUnch driver was courteous and helpful. Disappointing that showers & wifi were not available.

Very helpful staff. A much quieter mooring than I expected in such a busy harbor. Wonderful to have the Gloucester Harbor launch service as part of the mooring fee to take us to restaurants on Rocky Neck.

Loved that we recieved an email with excellent instructions on how to get to our mooring. Very long day getting there, so we did not take advantage of the included launch service. Instead we stayed on the boat and enjoyed the scenery.

Great mooring area, having the exact mooring to go to made it easy to settle in. Launch service was friendly and helpful - I needed to find a propane refill station within walking distance and they gave me great advice (the Building Center just near the public dock)!

Very good. Harbormaster staff was excellent Can’t wait for the showers to be open.

nice but lot of boat traffic rock rock rock

Great spot. Harbor master very friendly and helpful. Nice town and harbor to walk or dink around. Will definitely stop by again.

Inner harbor was a perfect place to moor.

Gloucester Harbor is Great. There is a lot of boat traffic, but it is a favorite stop and the Harbor Launches are the finest on the Coast of New England.

Great stay! Harbormaster was very helpful.

Harbormaster was great. Nice dinghy dock. Few wakes from passing fishing boats, but nothing to complain about. Moorings are very clean and easy to pick up.

Harbormaster was very friendly and also helpful with some local tips. Enjoyed bing in the inner harbor with the active marine life happening all around. Was a nice shelter from NE winds. Free launch service with the mooring.

Very well maintained moorings and easy to pick!

Other than the rain (blame Mother Nature!) this is a great harbor to visit and the Harbor Master staff is terrific. Very helpful and friendly.

Gloucester is among our favorite destination cities either for a short trip or as a stopover recovery from a long one. Mooring rental prices are excellent which includes a launch service running until 2200L-very useful.

The launch driver was terrific and very helpful. It is fun to watch all the commercial traffic. We’ll be back!

It’s a beautiful place. They were very accommodating. Just wished they had showers.

Our mooring was well situated, and the launch service was prompt and friendly. The staff at the Harbormaster's office was also courteous and helpful when we made reservations. One slight bug: the city website, the harbormaster, and the launch pilot each gave different statements about the launch hours of operation.

Very easy to find nice quiet overnight

Always a pleasure to stay here while enjoying the town of Gloucester!

nicer bunch of folks you couldn't meet. Always a pleasure to visit!!

The Harbormaster took good care of us, relocating us from a mooring that would have been under the fireworks to one near Ten Pound Island, warning us it was a little tight with our neighbors. Since it was the Gloucester Schooner Festival weekend, we were pumped to have such a great location to view the fireworks and the parades.. The launch service is absolutely fantastic.

It was great that we were assigned a mooring number in advance because we got in late. This is an interesting, working harbor.

Got a quick response to my mooring request on Dockwa along with another email letting us know exactly where our mooring was going to be and the mooring number. It was very easy! Also the launch drivers were very friendly and the harbormaster staff were also super friendly and helpful.

We were in outer harbor, inside of Ten Pound Island. They should charge less for this outer harbor mooring than inner. The fisherman do NOT slow at the “No Wake” buoy... only use this as last resort! Can’t recommend TP2 ... almost in channel.

The process of finding the mooring was made easier by looking at the pictures supplied in the marina description. It is a very busy commercial harbour so it wasn't surprising to be rocked by fishing vessels. There is a nice public wharf to take your tender to and it is conveniently located near restaurants, drug store with some food. There is a shuttle service as well. If you need fuel, go to the opposite side of the harbour. Say hello to Brian, the very friendly dock attendant.

Like it so much we’er staying another day !

Great mooring field. Great help from harbormaster

Good moorings that now intrude on anchoring space. Filled up in cheapest diesel at capt dave fuel barge

Absolutely LOVED staying here! Harbormaster is one of the BEST and the launch service could not have been better! The folks here are very friendly and we will be back!

Excellent communication Great Launch Service

We had 3 great days in Gloucester! The mooring was secure and easily accessible. The free launch service was awesome! The launch always came quickly. The operators were professional and full of advice. We made great use of output time playing tourist. The Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester is a combination art and history museum. The current Winslow Homer exhibit is fascinating as are the exhibits on fishing, fishing schooners and granite mining. We also took a Cape Ann Transit Authority bus ( $0.60 for seniors) to Rockport where we took a free walking tour of the village. The guide was full of interesting stories. We also shopped and had a fine lunch on Bearskin Neck. On the way back to Gloucester the bus dropped us at a Stop & Shop where we did some provisioning. To top off the trip we found several ice cream shops within walking distance of the launch landing. “Holy Cow” was our favorite. We will return again!

Excellent Harbor, extremely responsive harbormaster. Only things I would like to see are an online mooring map (it was difficult to locate our mooring), also it would be awesome if there were shower facilities available.

Nice harbor, moorings far enough apart you won't hit or be hit by another boat, and the inner harbor pretty quiet except for the seagulls at all hours. The Harbormaster has a beautiful launch that will take you anywhere on the harbor but they have no facilities- showers, sinks, toilets. They say they will have by next year...we shall see if it gets done.

Launch delivered directly to a restaurant dock and picked us up when we were ready to go back to the boat

EASY PEASY We booked a mooring on Dockwa. They emailed us the assignment. We called the launch to show us the mooring but the harbormaster on duty escorted us first. He also gave us great information on navigating the Annisquam. Thanks to all

Very well maintained moorings. Beautiful setting snug behind ten pound island. Responsive and attentive Harbormaster office. But I think the launch driver was a rookie. A little shaky on approach. Overall great experience.

Great location off park, solid mooring. Easy working with Harbormaster to change from original assignment.

The Gloucester Harbormaster was attentive and helpful. He came by to check on us and suggested that if went ashore to bring our radio - which we did. We have a reservation for later in the summer and he told us just where that mooring was located.

Great location in the conditions that we had.

Very friendly facility. Service was great! HM made sure we were satisfied.

Making the transient mooring reservation went smoothly. Pre-arrival emailed info was quite helpful with mooring assignment included. The harbor launch service included in the mooring fee was efficient and capably run. The town block party on Saturday evening was a very nice event with excellent entertainment from varied musical genres. Street performers. The Rocky Neck artists area is a must see and the launch takes you there as well.

Excellent mooring field - great launch service but moorings are extremely difficult to identify. The numbers are etched on top of the mooring that you cannot read until you are practically on top of it. They now have small flags with mooring number that helps a little but still very difficult.

Had a geeat 4th and extended weekend it was great weather and great views. Thank you.

Launch staff was fantastic. Moorings near Ten Pound Island were a bit bumpy.

Well-maintained mooring, professional & courteous staff. What more could you ask for?

Busy weekend on the harbor - our late Rez put us in the outer harbor, off Niles Beach.* Moorings are well maintained, tho numbers not well marked. Launch service provided - it is awesome - *outer harbor leaves you unprotected to Southwest winds. All in all a great stay 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Dave, the harbormaster is one of the best in the business.....

Smooth reservations and good communication with Harbormaster. Great water taxi service that provides access to Rocky Neck and downtown Gloucester.

First, Gloucester is wonderful harbor and is very well protected. Before the trip I called the Harbormaster and confirmed the launch service was running on Columbus Day and that moorings would be available. He was very informative especially since it was our first time sailing into Gloucester. When we arrived, we had an Inner Harbor mooring as requested and by radio he directed us right to #8. Perfect. Only wish we had an extra day up there. Definitely will be a repeat visit. Thanks!

Great place. Good launch service.

The Gloucester Harbormaster was very accommodating. We made our reservation late and wanted a specific mooring. Very friendly and helpful.

Very difficult to reach harbormaster by radio and/or phone. Two attempts to extend our reservation via the Dockwa edit function (as instructed by the harbormaster) were never received and we were forced to leave our mooring. Thankfully the wind has turned otherwise this would not only have been very inconvenient but downright unpleasant.

Nice Mooring at Niles Beach

Good mooring in inner harbor. Excellent service.

Gloucester is always a great town to visit. Having launch service is a great addition and has us visiting more often that in the past years. This year they have added pick up buoys on the mooring pennants making the process much easier. Gloucester just keeps getting better.

Nice mooring, the harbor master answered right away and directed us to the mooring. The launch service was excellent. Good restraunts.

Very friendly and helpful staff. Dinner at Gloucester House was excellent. Do sit inside.

WOW what a place . Harbormaster and Deputy Harbormaster are amazing . This is a Must Stop if you are transiting the East Coast . Whoever Gave a one star review is a moron

Great Harbor the Harbormasters office is very helpful and the launch is a great service that is included with your stay the drivers are very helpful with area knowledge. I will be back

We spent the first afternoon and night on mooring #1 in the Ten Pound Island group. The wash from the traffic was terrible. My camera rolled off a setee. My wife was seasick. We went to shore for a while. The wash didn't settle down until late. We arranged with the harbor master to move to the inner harbor for our second night, mooring #4. It was much better. The harbor launch was OK but busy. Be sure to tell the operator which group of moorings you are in. There is more than one #1, etc.

Tom the harbor master and team are always terrific. On a packed holiday weekend with high winds we were accomodated. We pass this way many times a season from Cape Cod to Maine and the team is always great. Al Santoro

Cape Ann Marina was great. We got lucky and they were able to accommodate us at the last minute for the weekend. We had Patton assist us with our slip, two weekends in a row and he was very professional and great to work with. Thank you..

Always a great location to stay at.

We stayed in Smith Cove on a very secure mooring. The Harbormaster and staff we very friendly, gave us a welcome package and answered any question we had. They even offer boatside pumpout service. Downtown was very nice to stroll through and the harbor is beautiful! We can’t wait to come back!

Nice mooring. Good launch service. N wakes on the inner harbor.

The harbormaster put the SC2 mooring in the path of the local fisherman as they came within 2 to 3 feet of our boat on a consistent basis to make it uncomfortable 24x7. The Harbormaster needs to either move the mooring or get the locals to stop buzzing the SC2 mooring.

Gloucester is a great, friendly place to stay. Good access to wonderful restraints,museums and shopping within walking distance. Excellent launch device and hours at a reasonable price

We stayed on a mooring. It was very pleasnt. Thank You!

Stayed in inter harbor. Traffic was not bad. Launch service was great. Morrings are solid and well serviced. Very nice place will stop again.

We really had a good time. The harbormaster and crew were helpful and the town is awesome. Had the best dinner at the Seaport Grill and enjoyed walking the town.

Harbormaster was wonderful, very helpful. It was choppy due to weather, we were in puter harbor and did fine.

The Gloucester crew are super nice guys - there to help in any way. Great tender service too!

Gloucester Harbor was great with good amenities and fun waterfront restaurants. The harbormaster upgrades our mooring due to a cancellation which was awesome and appreciated!

No Showers but free launch

We would have given it a five but we got stuck Saturday night at 9:30 pm and could not get back to our boat as the launch driver took off early. This was a huge problem - otherwise the service was very good and the moorings were very well maintained. Getting stuck though at 9:30 pm without a way to get back to your boat is a HUGE PROBLEM!

Super launch service. Cute town and good restaurants. We will be back.

The shuttle service was quick and reliable the shuttle captains could not be any more pleasant and helpful. Looking forward to a return visit.

We rented a mooring two nights so far this season on our trip to Maine using Dockwa. I like how the reservation confirmation includes providing a mooring number. It would be a little better if there was a better way of showing where the moorings are located and how to identify them. On our second visit (July 22), I figured mooring TP-3 was located in the Ten Pound mooring area. When arriving in the area, I had to ask another boater which moorings belonged to the city. It turned out that they were orange and all were taken. I called the Harbormaster and received a prompt response. The person on duty was very helpful and courteous. Unfortunately, he had to move another boater who was confused on where his mooring was located. The other boat moved to another mooring field and we were all set, until the next morning. There was a lobster pot located near our assigned mooring. The next morning, with the change in tide, current and wind, our boat drifted over the pot and I could not see it. We caught the line to the pot’s float on our rudder and ended up having to cut the line. The boat was freed but I did not see the float until later. When operating my boat, I take particular care in avoiding lobster pots. They are someone’s livelihood and I respect that. Unfortunately, in this case, the person who place the pot in the middle of a mooring field, did not appear very concerned about respecting other boats. It took some doing to totally free the line from my rudder and I ended up having to dive on my boat. Perhaps it is within the Harbormaster’s authority to ensure that lobster pots are not placed within a mooring field. It is difficult for a boat to avoid them in this situation.

It was very nice staying in the inner harbor in Gloucester. It is well protected from the weather and now that they have a launch to get back and forth from the dock, a dingy is not required. It would be ideal if they had shower facilities.

Stayed on mooring SC 2 for two nights. Very helpful and friendly harbor master and launch boat captain. Will go back again.

Excellent.

The harbor masters are so friendly and the launch is a great addition. People are always being treated first class

First rate moorings & terrific launch service to multiple points in Town. The launch operators are true professionals - courteous, friendly, knowledgable and true advocates of Gloucester. We are too. Great harbor, wonderful vessel watching, variety of restaurants & shops. Gloucester and Harbormaster are 1st rate. "Way To Go" will be back!

Great mooring in the inner harbor. Very industrial though and a little noisy. Would go back.

We have been here before. Now launch service is included. That makes it easy to get ashore with laundry. Laundromat is not far from launch landing. The weather on this stay was the best ever. We must return and explore the wonders of Gloucester.

Very basic amenities but easy ocean access and inner harbor mooring allow quick downtown access also. Launch service is included however they service the entire harbor which is large so plan ahead.

It was a very quiet stay.Not much going on after the fireworks.I guess I was expecting more festivities for July 4th week.

A wonderful visit in a beautiful city. Unfortunately, we were there at a very busy time so our mooring was pretty far out in the Southeast Harbor. Great mooring and wonderful launch service! We will be back soon.

Very informative launch captains. Prompt service. Enjoyed the town of Gloucester very much. Found the people to be very receptive. The mooring was in great shape and it was comfortable in the harbor. Definitely, you will see us again. Thanks

Great place to stay and the harbormaster is so nice