The cruising grounds in Maine have an undeserved, bad reputation for being “difficult”. I have been boating the Maine coast since I was six months old, and Andy has spent eight seasons sailing the Pine Tree State. We both agree, while there are some challenges, the rewards for sailing here are huge. Hundreds of secluded, protected anchorages, cute coastal towns, fresh seafood, and the wildlife just to name a few perks.
We want to share some of the best resources if you’re considering cruising or sailing in Maine.
Our Other Maine Cruising Posts
A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast
A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast is the Maine Coast Cruising Guide to beat them all. Even after years and years of cruising in Maine, we still regularly reach for the “Taft” as many sailors here will refer to it. This book covers the entire Maine coast, lists hundreds of anchorages with things to do and how best to visit. We really like the protection and beauty/interest ratings. Each region also as a map that marks the anchorages, and most importantly, the hurricane anchorages available.
There is also some valuable general information at the beginning of the book, covering topics such as tides, fog, and the types of weather you can expect. If you are going to purchase just one cruising guide for Maine, let it be this one.
Maine Island Trail Association
The Maine Island Trail Association was founded in 1988 and is a member-based organization dedicated to maintaining access to Maine’s coastal islands. They work with private landowners, nonprofits, businesses, and members to keep the island trail open for outdoor recreation. They hold regular volunteer clean-up days, host fundraisers, and provide guides and an app to ensure that landowners’ wishes are clearly communicated to the public.
That last bit is the most important for boaters. We highly recommend downloading the app or becoming a member to receive their annual guide to understand where and how you can access the hundreds of islands that make up the Maine Island Trail. Many islands are closed for sea-bird breeding during certain times, or have only a few trails open to the public. Some have camping or fire restrictions, and some have only a few spots where landing a dinghy is acceptable. The app includes all of that information. The Maine Island Trail Association has worked so hard to keep these islands open to recreation and it’s important that we follow the rules so that everyone can continue to enjoy these beautiful places.
Maine Sailing and Cruising Facebook Page
Facebook groups can be a great way to learn information in real time. We always share these groups with a grain of salt. This is crowd-sourced information and may not always be 100% accurate but it can help with your research. The Maine Sailing and Cruising Facebook Page is filled with local sailors and boaters who have a wealth of information. We highly recommend using the search feature before asking a question, as this active group has covered most topics previously!
No Foreign Land
The thing we like most about the No Foreign Land app is that it doesn’t just mark anchorages and marinas. It has icons for pump-outs, grocery stores, water sources, laundromats, playgrounds, hiking trails and more. We particularly like to use it for finding public dinghy docks. Even though we’ve been cruising in Maine for years we have still found a few new dinghy docks on the app!
One other perk of the app is that you can download whole areas for use offline which can be especially helpful in the many areas of the Maine coast without cell service.
Local Knowledge
As a Mainer I am willing to admit that we have a reputation for being kind but not nice. Meaning, we will give you the shirt off our backs, but we are probably going to grumble a bit about you forgetting your own. Some folks find it intimidating, but I promise that even though we might not go out of our way to be sunshiny, we are generally a helpful lot.
Harbormasters, dockhands, wait staff, fellow boaters, and shopkeepers are all going to be willing to help you out if you’re lost, looking for a dinner recommendation, or sometimes even need a ride to a grocery store. But don’t expect us to give you all our secret spots. We are a state that is flooded with tourists for the best 5 months of the year, and we do keep a few places to ourselves. You can’t really blame us.
Cruising Consulting
Still feeling nervous about sailing some of the best cruising grounds in the United States? We offer Virtual Cruising Consulting where you can pick our brains about all things sailing in Maine!
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