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by E.C. F. - Verified user on Sep 09, 2026
Mooring or Anchored its Always a good stay at Abel’s
by William B. - Verified user on Aug 24, 2026
Good mooring. Fabulous restaurant
by Emil M. - Verified user on Aug 22, 2026
Extremely accommodating staff and Dockmaster. Excellent support and safety.
by Harriet L. - Verified user on Aug 14, 2026
Nice stay. Took dinghy and dog in to shore early morning. We walked little less than a mile to trailhead. Hiked the slide to Sargent mnt and Gilmore peak. Nice loop trail. We got back to the mooring 1130 ish. Marina was fine about us being a little late. There was a huge crowd for the restaurant the night before so, we ate on board. Plan to return and hike again. Views were spectacular!
by Barbara H. - Verified user on Aug 13, 2026
staff was very helpful and the restaurant was excellent
by Ryan & Jenner Y. - Verified user on Aug 13, 2026
Great mooring. Helpful marina staff.
by Sue W. - Verified user on Aug 11, 2026
We arrived at Abel’s on a Saturday afternoon. No one answered our radio or phone call. The restaurant was closed. The bathroom was a porta potty no services at all. The next day we triedto get transportation to town and again there was no help as described in the cruise guide. We walked a mile and a half to the free shuttle. We had a nice day in town and shuttled back. we discovered that Maine boaters are very inconsiderate. Everyone flew through the mooring field rocking our boats constantly.
by Bev M. on Aug 11, 2026
We stayed at Abel's marina & boatyard for 9 days - 7/30 - 8/8. The view you get to look out your window every morning is breathtakingly beautiful overlooking Somes Sound. The GM, Christian, was very good at communicating with us. We had a small issue with getting water to refill our tank and he responded quickly and got it resolved. Although they are very upfront that they don't have all the amenities of a marina (no showers) etc. Everything else was great. It is very well protected and I probably had the best sleep there than I've had in weeks at other places! Although it's a bit 'remote', if you have bikes as we did - it was easy enough to get the free Island Explorer bus to Bar Harbor (pick up at the Mt. Desert High School) and get around all the Acadia Park trails and we used it most days. We were able to get an Uber several times into Bar harbor but sometimes you have to wait awhile as they are few and far between but there are taxis available. It was nice to have the restaurant on site - we ate there twice for lunch and dinner. Lobster and burgers were both great.
Highly recommend this spot if you need a dock/mooring for Bar harbor/Acadia. Thank you Christian!
by Mark L. - Verified user on Aug 09, 2026
Abel's did their best for us start to finish! Our mooring reservation request was handled promptly on Dockwa. Additionally Abel's found I had credit from a reservation I had canceled several months earlier and credited me the full amount of that cancelled reservation. Abel's was also a great help in advising us how best to get to other parts of Mt Desert Isle by land. They alerted us that the restaurant at the marina was closed on Saturday only so we could make other plans in advance. When we arrived, it was dense fog. We called the marina. Although no one was actually at the marina, the phone was answered immediately and that staff member guided us by phone through the mooring field to our mooring. The mooring itself was excellent and robust.
Abel's could not be more helpful. I highly recommend them.
by Joseph C. - Verified user on Aug 07, 2026
Excellent people at this marina and boat yard. Easy to work with and very helpful. Yes, it’s a little farther to go past the popular harbors at the south end of Somes Sound, but I believe the effort is worth the extra time. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to stay here again.
by John C. - Verified user on Aug 07, 2026
Mooring # 1 needs service . Covered in mature mussels
Marina Response:
Mooring #1 is one of the last moorings we rent out, so my apologies for the inconvenience. We have been pretty full over the past few weeks and have had to extend our reservations to it. But If we had known this issue we would have moved you to a different mooring - assuming another one was available. Please inform us next time as we would have made things right. But thank you for the notice as we will go out and get her cleaned up. Safe travels!
by Kurt U. - Verified user on Aug 05, 2026
Great stay at Ws as always. Moorings are in good shape with pick up sticks. Awesome lobsters at Abel’s restaurant.
by Adam K. on Aug 01, 2026
Not a complaint, just a heads up if you are considering taking a mooring here and have a dog. It might be a long ride in the dinghy to shore. The restaurant on the property is good.
Visited again in July 2026 for two nights. It is typically a very quiet spot. Not a complaint, just understand that the only real convenience is the restaurant next door. There is no commercial area nearby nor reasonable transportation . ASK
Marina Response:
Hi Adam, thank you for your review, and I'm sorry your stay didn't fully meet your expectations. We were very busy during your visit, and the only two adjacent moorings available for you and your cruising partner were farther from shore. Had we known getting your dog ashore was a higher priority, we would have done our best to move you closer. The local bus route recently changed and no longer services our marina, though we're working to have that restored. But there are local Taxi & Rental Car services available, and I apologize if that was not communicated to you during your stay. We're also intentionally located in the quiet waters of Somes Sound with beautiful views, sunsets, and hiking trails as close as a half mile down the street. I understand that might not be for everyone, but there is a convenience store less than 2 miles away. Regardless we certainly appreciate your feedback, and you are welcome back anytime! We wish you safe travels!
by Joao T. - Verified user on Jul 25, 2026
Beautiful area
Very helpful marina crew
We spent two nights there and had a wonderful time
Marina Response:
Thank you so much for the review! Safe Travels!
by Andrew G. - Verified user on Jun 01, 2026
A short walk to some beautiful hiking and of course a great restaurant for lunch or dinner.
Marina Response:
Good Morning Andrew! Thank you so much for the review! We wish you safe travels!
by Steve G. - Verified user on Nov 06, 2025
I rent a seasonal mooring here every year. It is the easiest dock to get in and out of in the region. I live in Southwest Harbor but choose to moor at Abel's for the convenience factor.
by joseph e. - Verified user on Aug 24, 2025
best mooring ground tackle I have seen yet, beautiful surroundings. The management is very nice and to the point...which I find refreshing, no long banter. I would consider having my boat worked on here, they seem very efficient . highly rated restaurant next door, people waiting in line to get in, so the food must be excellent.
by Eric T. - Verified user on Aug 20, 2025
Most excellent. Great staff and timely response
by Lance S. R. - Verified user on Aug 18, 2025
Beautiful location in Somes Sound. Quiet anchorage, friendly folks at Abel’s, and popular restaurant on site. Nice!
by Christian B. on Aug 15, 2025
We spent a very pleasant night on mooring number 6 earlier this week. Great location, everyone responsive and helpful. We were forewarned to get in line at 4:30 if you want to get a seat at Abel's Lobster when it opens at 5:00. Great advice and a very nice meal. We also got a pump out early the next day from the pump out boat which was fast, efficient, and clean. Many thanks to everyone at Abel's Boatyard.
by Jonathan H. - Verified user on Aug 09, 2025
They made it relatively easy to find our mooring by texting us a mooring map. The mooring was clean and seemed in good condition. The dock was in good shape and there was adequate room for our dinghy even at a high traffic time. However if you want to eat at the popular Abel’s Lobster shack get in line 1/2 hour before opening time. We gather 15 minutes after opening time and had an hour’s wait!! Food delicious though.
by Richard D. - Verified user on Aug 07, 2025
Wonderful mooring. Outstanding dockside restaurant.
Marina Response:
Come back soon, thank you for visiting
by George U. - Verified user on Aug 05, 2025
Two wonderful days at Abel’s, great base to explore the park. Also very helpful resolving an electronics issue before we left. We’ll be back!
by Stephanie H. - Verified user on Jul 29, 2025
Excellent staff who are full of local information. The accessibility of the pump out boat was a huge help with having extra people on board. The dinghy dock had plenty of room. Beautiful, peaceful mornings with bald eagles, osprey, loons, and seals in the harbor. Do not skip the lobster pound in the same parking lot!
by Charles C. - Verified user on Jul 26, 2025
Very welcoming staff if you need anything. Right off the dinghy dock, eat an exceptional meal at Abel‘s lobster pound. It’s a beautiful outdoor setting with delicious food and surprisingly excellent cocktails!
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