Gloucester Harbormaster

This was our second trip and we had another great visit! We’re very impressed with the mooring gear, the field is very convenient to town, launch well operated and the staff we engaged with are delightful. We look forward to another visit soon

Great except #5 is not sufficient for a 54 ft. boat. We kept hitting #4

We called at the last minute and they were very cordial and got us checked con an assigned a mooring in just a couple of minutes

Class act! Harbors always accommodates requests regarding mooring location requests, prompt message responses on DOCWA, outstanding bathroom and lounge facilities. My favorite place to stay while in Gloucester.

Outstanding facilities and helpful staff. We will visit Gloucester again.

Only a one night visit. Will be back. Mooring ball right in the center of the harbor. Excellent launch service included. Very friendly Harbormasters.

Booking and finding the mooring was simple and the harbormaster answered various questions I had during the booking process very quickly. The launch service associated was prompt. We went to Rocky Neck and checked out some galleries and shops and had dinner at Studio before heading back to the mooring.

One of the best mooring ball experiences ever! The best detailed instructions on the mooring ball location ever received including overview of the different mooring fields, detailed views showing the numbering scheme in each field, a description of the ball and of course the assignment days before we arrived. Great launch service with from 8 am to 10 pm. Very clean lounge, bathrooms etc. and launch drivers full of facts, suggestions and history of the harbor. I’ll be back again and will stay longer than the 2 nights this time.

Improved mooring layout, so was easy to find. Great new mariners lounge.

Great harbor. Great harbor master. One of the best harbors to visit in the area.

We stayed on a mooring in the Inner Harbor which was convenient for shuttle service to town. We were there for an overnight during Schooner Fest. The shuttle service was stretched thin, one launch for the entire harbor during a busy time. Although the wait time was a bit longer than we have experienced elsewhere, launch driver and harbor master office were extremely friendly and helpful. We would definitely stay there again.

Great! Awesome time in Gloucester

The first night was perfect. The second they made move for the fireworks but it all worked out with the support of the Gloucester Harbormasters. Great weekend

Overall very good. However we were told that the launch ran until 9pm by someone that answered (978) 726-0155 also by someone in the Harbormaster’s office. So we made dinner reservations for 7 PM When the launch driver picked us up at 6:10 PM so we could go to dinner we were told that he was only running until 8 pm. As a result we had to rush dinner. This process could be improved. We love coming to Gloucester and we will be back. Great visit, clean restrooms and helpful launch drivers.

We absolutely love sailing into Gloucester and staying on the Harbormaster Moorings. Terry, and the other Harbormasters are just the friendliest , most accommodating people. I cannot praise them enough! This particular stay, we were assigned a mooring in the Niles Beach field and we nearly canceled thinking it was too remote ( or would be rolly) as the Inner Harbor Moorings were all reserved. But we ended up staying there, at Niles Beach, and the setting was magnificent! It wasn’t rolly or uncomfortable at all. It was tranquil and serene and the launch would have serviced us, but we were so happy and relaxed, we stayed on the boat all evening and had a great swim in the clear, warm water. We shall definitely return and stay on the Harbormaster’s moorings. Thank you so much!!

Great mooring location and facilities. The inner harbor is very protected and smooth. There was a bit of commercial traffic, but the wakes were very minimal. Harbor launch, dinghy dock, and harbormaster office all very close and convenient. The Transient Boaters Facility (restroom, showers, air conditioned wi-fi lounge) seemed new and was very clean and well-maintained. Restaurants and shops downtown are close by and walking distance. Would definitely come here again.

Always a great take!

Wonderful stay. The launch service was excellent and the Dockwa info was very good. We got notice of the mooring number and location ahead of time.. thank you!

Stayed on Inner Harbor mooring, Harbormaster sent helpful confirmation email and met us on arrival. Fun taking launch into town for dinner, can’t wait to visit again!

Directions to mooring were clear, friendly harbor master, excellent launch service!

Amazing, friendly staff!! Great facilities, and everyone was eager to make our stay seamless and pleasant. Thank you!

We loved our stay in Gloucester Harbor. Our mooring was in Smith Cove - protected and close to shore and the harbor master facilities. The showers are very nice and clean. The launch service was excellent and was able to take you to many places. Great restaurants to choose from. I would recommend a visit to Gloucester.

Mooring in great shape and Leslie in the Harbor Masters Office was very helpful!

Great town, great mooring, fantastic staff. A must visit.

Gloucester is a great town to visit and the Harbormaster crew is excellent. On this trip we visited the Cape Ann Museum. Nice collection of both art and nautical stuff. We never bothered to launch the dinghy, the free launch runs late daily. A mooring in the inner harbor provides plenty of relaxed entertainment as we watched the fishing fleet come and go.

Great location. Easy in and easy out. All boats very considerate about their wake. Harbor Masters are extremely helpful

Such a great place! Professional, attentive staff and clean facilities. Thank you for all you do to ensure a pleasant stay!

We so enjoyed our four nights in Gloucester's Inner Harbor. The launch drivers are full of great local info, and everyone was super friendly and helpful. Access to the dock with our dinghy was also easy and we were able to dispose of trash as well. We had a 40 knot thunderstorm roll through during our stay and the mooring held perfectly - and we are a 55 Nordhavn so there is some weight involved! Provisioning is easy, restaurants are great, and the people all around town are lovely. A local boater gave us a ton of intel on Maine (where we were headed) and even loaned us a guide book! A great visit - we'll be back!

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

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

Excellent new (to us) shower facilities! A lending library bookshelf would help the “lounge” area, and a washer/dryer unit would be most appreciated. Lovely to get our “welcome packet” straight from their office in the same building. Beautiful place to stay, with a wide variety of boats!

Outstanding unplanned visit to Gloucester while waiting for the wind to shift to sail north. Mike expertly guided us to the proper mooring and helped us with restaurant suggestions. The shower and bathroom facilities are brand new and immaculate. There is something for everyone in Gloucester between whale watching, walking tours and historic schooner charters. It’s still a working fishing town and the waterfront has that flavor. While not the prettiest harbor, the folks are genuine and happy for your visit. I encourage any cruiser to check it out!

Great staff, solid & secure moorings tucked up at the top of the channel. Very convenient to the Cape Cod Canal.

Excellent all went well

Great services. Very friendly launch drivers. Wonderful new shower and bathroom facility. As we were moored in the inner harbor, it was very busy at 4;30am until 6:30, as the fishing fleet steamed close by. Went back to sleep for a short time after, so not an issue, just interesting.

The City of Gloucester and the Harbor Master have done a great job of creating a very welcoming harbor with excellent shore side facilities for transients. The Cruising Guides do not do the city justice. Gloucester is a great mix of commercial fishing, recreational boating, places to eat and for the land tourists plenty of boat excursions. We stayed in the inner harbor on a mooring. Moorings are first rate and easy to pick up. Dinghy dock is a short distance away by CG station. Harbor walk is very nice. Would definitely keep Gloucester on my list of ports to return to when heading north or south.

Harbormaster office was extremely responsive and helpful. Provided suggestions for sightseeing. There’s a very nice boaters lounge with clean and modern shower facilities! We generally anchor but there isn’t much room in the harbor so we took a mooring for the night! Well worth the $50. Highly recommend!

Always fun in Gloucester. Easy to find moorings. Clean onshore facilities. We will return.

Very friendly, accommodating staff. Launch service is excellent and the Mariners’ Lounge with its new facilities is wonderful. It was disappointing that ice was no longer available at the Harbormaster’s offices.

Nice quiet moorring field. Great staff and launch service. Enjoyed the visit. Wifi workde only at the town office. Cell service was great! V. cute town.

Stayed here for a week. Loved the Inner Harbor mooring. The free Launch service is great. Everyone is very friendly. We really enjoyed our stay in Gloucester.

Nice moorings, friendly staff

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.

Mooring, directions, facilities all are great. Only issue was that launch was overstretched. It took us an hour before picking us up at 5:15. One launch to serve 5 far flung mooring fields is not sufficient.

Nice moorings but ours did not have a pick up. The launch service needs improvement. Be sure to bring your dinghy.

all staff of the office are friendly and great-very helpful and we had a great time- but waiting for the launch twice- for over an hour as they service the beach- i guess it is good to have service and the facilities are A= but waiting for such a period of time was not good and not fun- but the drivers are all nice and we know- doing the best they can

Booking was easy and for last minute accommodations they got me mooring fast. Very happy with the Gloucester Harbormaster and There building was clean and easily accessible. I will definitely be back.

New restaurant, Decklyn’s, is outstanding. Very close to Harbormaster’s office.

Gloucester is the finest run operation in the northeast! The facilities and launch services are top notch and virtually new - one addition that would be terrific is a laundry

Great spot in the inner harbor, the new facilities are beautiful. The Launch is great service included in the mooring cost, they will pick up and drop all over town.

Friendly folks. Great location. Best bathroom facilities on the East Coast.

The Gloucester harbormaster and crew do a great job. The moorings and pick up sticks are new and well maintained. The launch staff are attentive and efficient but their range of coverage is so great there are times you'll have a long wait for service. Still one of the best values for a mooring and a great city.

Friendly and helpful staff. Facilities new and very clean. Dinghy dock close walking distance to restaurants.

Very clean, the harbor master staff is extremely helpful. The facilities are the best we’ve experienced. The launch was running and the hours made it so we could enjoy our time shore. Highly recommended.

Fantastic mooring! Launch service is included. The driver was extremely helpful and prompt. During the summer months the town hosts a block party along its main drag. It was a lot of fun.

Beautiful harbor!! Easy in and out. Met friends for dinner at the Blue Collar Lobster Co. Good food and great company. Check out the fish mosaics on the back side wall of the refrigerator building. All hand made pieces with the story of Gloucester !!! A must see!!

The harbormaster staff was amicable and informative, and the facilities were excellent, with a clean shower and comfortable lounge for transient moorings. The launch was very helpful in finding us the local places to eat breakfast and with all local questions

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

Great facility. Clean bathrooms, showers and Captain’ lounge. Unfortunately launch was out of commission. It happened after we made our reservation so we didn’t know it was out. Spent an hour hauling them with no answer. Had to cancel our dinner reservations.

Such a beautiful iconic harbor always a pleasure to stay here and watch the boats go by

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

Great staff, great facilities, great stay. Launch service was prompt and helpful, and the showers were roomy and clean (I really like that there’s a dressing area as part of the private shower room). Stayed in the inner harbor. This is a working harbor, so there is a hum to it, and fishing boats will ease by you before sunrise. Fun to watch the comings and goings, and town is an easy walk from the launch dock. Stop and Shop grocery store is a short walk from where the launch can drop you art the top of the harbor.

Great public moorings and friendly staff!

Very responsive on the radio and were very helpful. Totally going to stay again!

Gloucester Harbormasters office always a pleasure to deal with and very accommodating!

Very accommodating team and facilities.. ALL positive interactions. Great location for exploring Gloucester. We’ll be back soon!

Great location for the weekend Easy dinghy ride into town.

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

As always, responsive, accommodating, easy. Love the in-app ability to send/receive messages (and the Harbormaster timely use of it). Nice job Gloucester.

Gloucester was our favorite stop. There is so much going on. It is fun to sit on the back porch and watch.. The moorings were well marked and easy to find….

Fantastic, great support, very knowledgeable staff. The launch was quick, accurate and safe . Great Team, Bona Fiesta!

Really enjoyed our trip to Gloucester in June 2022. The Harbormaster and launch driver were very helpful. We had an excellent time visiting town to walk around and have dinner and breakfast.

Launch ok, facilities nice. Lotts of roll in mooring field. Very uncomfortable aboard. And then the wakes from Commercial Boats add to mess. Then the lobsterboat

Excellent service. Very courteous and professional. Got put on a mooring in Inner Harbor. Launch and pumpout boat are first rate. Pumpout is free but leave a tip. Moorings are large cans with bumper ring on top and receptical for holding the pickup wand. Inner harbor location is excellent. Most everything you might need is within walking distance.

Easy to follow channel to mooring field (Inner Harbor). Harbormaster is quick to respond to questions and reservations. Mooring penenats were easy to pickup. This is a noisy harbor. There is an ambient din from various plants and trucks. There is a good deal of ambient light all night. Early (5am) departure of fishing fleet with wakes and engine noise. Access to shore is via the Harbormasters dock which is crowded and the dinghy dock is tucked in where it is hard to find (harbormasater explains the location clearly). Lots of stores and services within walking distance of the harbor.

Easy in and out. Well marked mooring field .

Was great. Peaceful and picturesque. Great local restaurants close by. Shuttle service available til 8pm.

Used a city mooring for 3 consecutive nights to wait out a passing storm. The mooring fields are well maintained are in a location with quick access to downtown. The Launch Masters are very polite and attentive, even though that service the entire harbor with a single launch. Dockwa makes the whole reservation/payment process a breeze.

Keep coming back every year . On our list of favorite stops.

Simply the best crew anywhere.

We received an email with our mooring number in the inner harbor and a diagram which made finding the mooring easy. Low stress! Also launch service is included and the launch driver could not have been nicer! They will take you anywhere.

Great mooring and launch service in this beautiful and historic harbor!

Friendly harbormaster. Great mooring! Great launch service!

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

Great mooring in the inner harbor, quick service from the launch, clean bathrooms, awesome shower...

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

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

We are in the midst of a 2 month Connecticut to Maine and back cruise and just spent a week in Gloucester Harbor (including Hurricane Ida remnant days). This is a wonderful City with great food, waterfront, parks, all needed amenities. The Harbormaster's facilities are brand new and the team go far out of their way to accommodate any reasonable need of the cruising yachtsman. Gloucester is a destination - plan a few day visit and you will not be disappointed. A hearty thank you to the Harbormaster and to the whole City. We'll be back!

Great harbor. Good launch service. Very responsive.

Great launch drivers full of information and very helpful. The new Mariners lounge with fabulous showers was excellent. Since the launches have to service a inner and outer harbor, we recommend that a 2nd launch would cut down on pick up time delays. Hooray for Gloucester in providing a great service to visiting yatchsmen.

Great folks here in Gloucester. New boater's lounge 1st class. Very nice clean private showers and a small seating area. There is a laundromat across the street. Launch is included in mooring fee and runs from 08:00-22:00.

Great facilities and mooring tackle. The “crew” is the most accommodating we have encountered in years of cruising New England. Thanks to Birch and Vinnie - we look to coming back and seeing you again.

High wind out of the ENE made Stage Head area undesirable but we were last minute. Launch service and land based amenities worked well for us. Would definitely go again back but would not stay at Stage Head.

Great maintained mooring, easily to find in protected inner harbor. Great to have launch service which is so accommodating. Love doing this overnight stay in Gloucester waters💕

Excellent launch service and nice shower facilities, but the Ten Pound island moorings get very bad boat wakes. Avoid them if you can.

Super new shower facilities, friendly and helpful launch drivers!

2021Review: The plan for this stop was extended due to the approach of Tropical Storm Henri. We had planned on a short stop before continuing our transit south. But, Henri made it wise to find a good place to sit it out. The harbormaster actually called me a couple days before our arrival to inquire about our intentions and while the harbor was fully reserved through the anticipated arrival of the storm, kept me informed of cancellations until I was fully booked for 4 days. His dedication to helping me solve my problem in a stressful situation was greatly appreciated. As you can see from my earlier Comments about Gloucester Harbor, my wife and I really like this place. We’ll definitely be back in the future. 2019 Review: 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!

Enjoyable stay. The tender and harbormaster services we first rate.We highly recommend using the harbormaster moorings if you are visiting Gloucester, MA

Much nicer than expected. Gloucester is a beautiful mix of commercial and recreational waterfront. There's a lot going on to watch while you're on the mooring ball, with your toes hanging off the stern. I'd go 4.5 stars if I could, just due to a couple of early morning wakes from the commercial boats. Nothing too terrible though.

Good moorings and great launch service.

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.

Beautiful harbor. Very nice shower facilities. Walkable downtown.

We can't wait to go back to Gloucester. Communication regarding directions to the mooring, use if the launch and matiners lounge were excellent. The shower facilities were sparkling clean. The lauinch driver was very helpful with restaurant recomendations. We were very satisfied with this service.

Harbormaster really helped us out.

Gloucester Harbormastet has some nice facilities for boaters that rent a mooring. Private bathrooms and a lounge area, plus garbage disposal. The moorings are well taken care of and the pennants are neatly placed on top of the mooring, dry and clean!

Our stay was terrible we booked last minute and put on mooring field outside harbor never again so rocky so bumpy couldn't stand up in boat and didn't sleep. Never stay out there again.

Friendly and helpful staff.

Nice spot. Plenty to do and see

We are 44’ sail with 6’ draft. Several mooring fields. We were assigned to the inner harbor. Close to the harbormaster office. This is a minimum service marina. Great launch and harbormaster employees. You can get ice at harbormaster office. Laundromat is a short walk away. Many great restaurants and shops in town. This is a commercial fishing port and as such there is a lot of fishing and lobster boats coming and going. Very quaint and nice. Pumpout boat runs 1p-6 p. Kinda in the middle of the day, but it is free. If you need water and fuel or some small marine supplies, Browns marina in the in harbor is close by. You might see the crew of one of the show Wicked Tuna around as well. Several boats are docked here in Gloucester. Great stop. Will def stop again.

Great stop over on the way up/down the coast. The inner harbor mooring field is tight, but there was sufficient room to swing. The Harbor master was very helpful and reassuring, although, our neighbor was very nervous of our 60ft LOA. Over two days, we swung all around and never got within 20 ft. Neighbor was confused by where the mooring was floating, prior to us tying up and dragging out its anchoring chain. Facilities are clean and new. Topside pub was excellent. Tonnos was a very nice fancy Italian dinner place. Recommend both. Gloucester is a working fishing town, with a little tourism mixed in. Not exactly pretty, from the inner harbor, unless you’re really into commercial fishing boats and facilities (use the outer harbor for views), but it’s very convenient to the dinghy docks.

The Gloucester Harbormaster was very quick in responding to the initial dockwa request. And they were very profession in resolving an issue of mistaken identity (2 boats with the same name with the wrong boat assigned to our reserved mooring).

Enjoyed our stay, harbormaster very accommodating with request of mooring ball, close to town, enjoyed...thank you

Great location and friendly staff.

Good Moorings! Fantastic boaters lounge, showers and heads. Super clean. Launch driver was super friendly and helpful. The only negative thing I have is the fact the timing of Moorings. Having to be off mooring by 10am, having arrives late last evening, means I can't enjoy the town without making a 2-day reservation. Good luck. Please do checkin/ checkouts at 4pm so we can enjoy the town!

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. The shower facilities are very nice.

Clear email directions to mooring in inner harbor. Interesting spot in its own right but extra nice during a stormy night.

Well-maintained moorings. A prompt and friendly launch service anytime you need it. Free pump outs at your boat. The town is friendly and we found lots of excellent restaurants. Can't wait to come back! The only reason we didn't give it five stars is because of wakes in the mooring field. But, they were infrequent during the week.

Nice stop. Mariners lounge is great with clean, new showers. Launch service is great with friendly operator who does his best to cover large harbor in a single boat. Shaws is an easy walk. Lots of good restaurant choices.

Harbormaster came out to say hello and check on us, Very friendly and helpful. Great Location

As previously the Harbormaster staff was very accommodating and helpful. We were on an inner harbor mooring with easy access to shore and plenty to watch. Highly recommend as a stop off for Maine if coming from the south.

I've visited Gloucester twice and stayed at one of the town moorings, two different fields, each time. I can't say enough good things about the people in the harbormaster's office, in the launch, and in general. They were helpful, informative, and always friendly. I had to stay longer, unexpectedly, for family reasons, in high summer and they did their best to accommodate me. Their facilities (showers, a 'mariners' lounge,' etc.) are clean and pleasant. Gloucester harbor in general is a fascinating example of a working port with a strong maritime historical component and I highly recommend a visit.

The mooring was great. New showers and mariners lounge are very nice.

very friendly and helpful-- best harbormaster office in N England! Enjoy Gloucester with their moorings!

Beautiful new restroom & showers. One of two women’s showers inoperable already, neither men’s nor women’s showed signs of cleaning over weekend. These new facilities are worth caring for. Complimentary shore boat a nice service.

Gloucester has always gotten the 5 star City Harbor Award from us for many years. The Harbormaster has raised the bar for hospitality educating and connecting boaters to Gloucester's restaurants, shops, attractions and events. This is the first year we have used the new Mariner's Lounge, restrooms and showers which is icing on the cake. There is always something to see and do in Gloucester and will forever remain our favorite.

Gloucester has always been a favorite harbor! Inner Harbor mooring field is well laid out and moorings well numbered -easy-to-read! Launch hours convenient and drivers friendly and helpful!

The improvements in the mooring fields from a few years ago is remarkable. Moorings are easily identified and the pick up buoys makes grabbing a mooring so much simpler and easier. The launch service and the drivers are great. The harbor has everything such as great restaurants along with an abundant of services such as fuel docks and pump out stations. The Harbor Master is extremely friendly and helpful and you can see they are really trying to attract and maintain transient sailors. Could not recommend it more highly.

Excellent service and facilities. Friendly and helpful people are in abundance at the Gloucester Harbormaster’s. Nifty free four-hour dock and convenient dinghy dock. Pump out boat. Lots to do on shore. Inner harbor is very sheltered except for a stiff southwesterly. I love the sights and sounds of a working harbor (But you have to be ready for the sounds). Request one of the more remote moorings at Ten Lb. or Niles if you want silence. My favorite harbor bar none.

Launch drivers were friendly and helpful. The town is beautiful. We will be back, it’s a hidden gem.

Super friendly and helpful Harbormaster Michael. Great nights sleep in a town mooring in the inner harbor. Clean lounge, restrooms and shower. Gloucester has much to offer. We’ll stop here again.

Arguably THE most friendly and helpful Harbor Master team we’ve ever had the pleasure to deal with…,excellent.

Easy mooring pickup, beautiful new facilities, staff helpful and responsive. Nice protected harbor. Will definitely visit again!

Great stay. Very nice folks. Inner Harbor mooring, which was very settled and comfortable. We needed to change our arrival and departure dates multiple times because of weather and they were great about it.

Inner harbor moorings are conveniently located, with lots of activity to watch.

Inner harbor balls appear well maintained, and are a good place for watching harbor activity and close to dinghy dock. Nice town to walk around. Holy Cow ice cream was amazing.

I wish all harbors had such clearly laid out mooring locations and pre-arrival information as Gloucester offers! Very nice new boater showers and bathrooms too. The Harbor master was very accommodating to our changing plans due to the weather. So helpful! We love visiting Gloucester and now it is even more boat friendly . Thank you for a wonderful stay!

The amenities and service by the harbormaster here, is exemplary. The shower and lounge facilities are first rate. The launch crew is knowledgeable, helpful, and courteous. They actually called the crew from the boat next to us, when it was getting late. Instead of just going home, they called the crew to see if they were coming back and would need a ride out to their boat.

Very accommodating. We stayed in the inner harbor to get the real feel of this famous town. Visited the Cape Ann maritime museum. Deep history of the area!

This was our 5th stay in Gloucester (We love Glouceste). We have anchored twice and been on inner harbor moorings 2 other times, but it has been 3 years since we were last there. The improvements to their facilities are first class and their operation and staff work hard to make your stay successful. We thought the mooring fee was very reasonable for the services provided: the showere were brand new and well designed.

Always a great place, very accommodating and friendly.

Expensive but I liked the stay. The folks who run the launch (free with mooring) are very friendly and accommodating. All good.

This is a brand new facility—very nicely done common area, baths and very nice staff!!!

Beautiful New lounge and facilities!! Thank You.

More moorings ,launch is great

Gloucester Harbor Moorings are a great option to enjoy Gloucester by water or by land. Very well marked moorings. They have a dingy dock walking distance to restaurants and the boulevard or they also have a launch if needed.

Great location and service. Mooring ball easy to pick-up

The mooring field was easy to find, the mooring easy to pick up, and the harbormaster was helpful and courteous. The complimentary launch service was also a huge plus. We will be back!

Lots of things to see in Gloucester

A nice harbor and easy protected mooring. Annoying lobster traps continue the obstacle course into the channel. Hailing channel for water taxi was listed as both 74 and 72 in various internet locations. Also phone call goes right to voicemail so you need a handheld to get back to your boat.

Harbormaster was very accomodating and nice. Inner harbor is sheltered and you get a nice smell of fried seafood from the surrounding businesses.

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.

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

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.

Great location and excellent moorings

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Low frills but friendly helpful launch driver and harbor master.

Mooring equipment is in excellent condition. Thank you.

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!

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)!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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