FALMOUTH FORESIDE

43° 43.66’N 070° 12.38’W

4th ed. Cruising Guide page 74 Maine Coast Guide: Casco Bay 62, 63, 64

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Charts: 13292, 13290, 13288

Chart Kit: 59, 17

Casco Bay overview chart Harbor chart

FALMOUTH FORESIDE is one of Maine’s great boating centers and home to the Portland Yacht Club, the second-oldest yacht club in the United States. PYC’s handsome old clubhouse overlooks an enormous fleet of handsome yachts, and the members heartily welcome visiting yachtsmen. Handy Boat Service next door can meet every need.
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Approaches. Harbor chart. The forest of masts off Falmouth Foreside is visible from as far away as Portland. The various dangers are well marked, and the approach is easy from north or south. Look for seals on Clapboard Island Ledge to the south. In the harbor, watch for York Ledge hidden among the boats, marked by small green beacon “YL” and can “17.”
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Anchorages, Moorings. The big complex of buildings and docks to the south belongs to Handy Boat Service. The dock farther to the north belongs to Portland Yacht Club. Check with the PYC launch to see if a mooring is available. If not, hail the Handy Boat launch. Handy’s maintains a sizable number of very heavy moorings which can be reserved (781-5110).
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Falmouth Foreside is on an exposed stretch of coast. The only protection comes from Clapboard Island to the east, so a strong chop can build up over the long fetch from the south. There is plenty of room to anchor out beyond the moored boats, and the bottom mud holds well. If there is not too much chop, it may be possible to lie along the floats at Handy’s. Check with the dockmaster.
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Getting Ashore. The Handy Boat launch monitors channel 09, and the PYC launch is on 68. Row into either dock or to the town landing, one dock farther to the north, for convenient access to the Town Landing Market, .2 mile up the hill.
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For the Boat. Handy Boat Service (Ch. 09; 207-781-5110). Founded more than fifty years ago as a boat yard, Handy Boat now offers almost every conceivable service including an elegant chandlery and the Hallett sail loft. Major repairs of all kinds can be performed, and facilities include ice, water, CNG, electricity, and holding tank pump-outs. There are two docks at Handy’s, the southern one for gas and diesel and the northern one for service, with 81&Mac218;2 feet of water at the ends and 6 feet along the sides.
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Portland Yacht Club (Ch. 68; 207-781-9820). The Portland Yacht Club welcomes members of recognized yacht clubs (bring your membership card) and asks that you sign the guest register. The “facility user fee” includes the mooring, launch service, and the use of club facilities.
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The club was founded in Portland just after the Civil War when Portland Harbor was still crowded with great sailing ships and coasting schooners. Having survived fire and the Depression, the PYC almost foundered due to lost membership during World War II. It was born again with the acquisition of a Falmouth Foreside summer cottage on a bluff with grand views of Casco Bay. Today the club is a bustling, family-oriented sailing center, with a vigorous sailing program for juniors and popular races on weekends and Thursday evenings.
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Launch service is provided from 8 AM to 9 PM. Water and ice are available at the dock, but no fuel.

Town dock (harbormaster 207-781-7317). The town dock and float are at the north end of the harbor. Limited docking is allowed on the float, with 3 feet of depth at low tide. Town Landing Market is directly up the hill.
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Hallet Canvas and Sails (207-781-7070). Located at Handy Boat, Hallet can repair your sails or build you a new set.
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Fortune, Inc. (400 Route 1, Falmouth; 207-781-2628). Located on Route 1 in Falmouth, this is a large, full-service sailmaking, rigging, and canvas shop.
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For the Crew. PYC will hold mail for your arrival. There are showers, a washing machine, and a dryer. The dining room is open to visiting yachtsmen for lunch and dinner. Dress is informal, but not too informal. BYOB. Credit cards are now accepted.
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The Falmouth Sea Grill (781-9820) is located right at Handy Boat, and in season the have an open-air bar overlooking the harbor. Handy also has a pay phone.
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The Town Landing Market, directly up from the town dock or half a mile north on Route 88 from Handy Boat, has the closest groceries and sandwiches. A huge supermarket and a hardware store are located in the Falmouth shopping center, 2.5 miles away.