SOUTHWEST HARBOR

44° 16.40’N 068° 18.85’W

4th ed. Cruising Guide page 305

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Charts: 13321, 13312, 13313, 13318

Chart Kit: 74, 23

Mount Desert region overview chart Harbor chart

THE ENTRANCE to Somes Sound is flanked by the great boating centers of Mount Desert— Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor. Both are working harbors, with an interesting mixture of fishing boats and handsome yachts.
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There are two concentrations of boats in Southwest Harbor. Along the southern shore, in Manset, the well-known Hinckley yard provides a multitude of services for yachtsmen. On this side of the harbor, however, you will be a long way from the town of Southwest Harbor..
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The working fleet is concentrated along the north shore of Southwest Harbor on Clark Point, near the Coast Guard, the town dock, and many other facilities, a mile or less from the center of town. The extensive floats of Great Harbor Marina, lie right at the head of the harbor.
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Except for a channel along the northern shore, the harbor is full of moorings, but there usually is room left to anchor. Southwest Harbor offers good protection except for winds out of the east.
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Although Hinckley is probably the best-known name around here, half-a-dozen other builders are also based in Southwest Harbor, including two Maine boatbuilding legends, Jarvis Newman and Ralph Stanley. To serve the working and boating community, a broad range of marine service organizations are also based here, so you can probably find any help you need, from supplies and repairs to charters—or even that new cruising boat you’ve been looking for.
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Approaches. Southwest Harbor is easy to approach by either Western Way or Eastern Way.
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Coming from the west, start at green gong “1” off Long Ledge and run north through Western Way, between Great Cranberry Island and Mount Desert Island. The start of the narrower portion is marked by red-and-white bell “WW” (44° 14.15’N 068° 17.13’W) followed by a nun and can marking shoal areas on either side. Thereafter, the passage is clear to the nun on Cow Ledge, which you leave to starboard, and the red-and-white gong “SP” (44° 15.51’N 068° 17.07’W), marking the end of Western Way.
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Eastern Way runs along the north shore of Sutton Island. Coming from the east, pass north or south of East Bunker Ledge, and then follow Eastern Way past several red marks and the lighthouse on Bear Island. Leave them all to starboard.
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Anchorages, Moorings. The town of Southwest Harbor puts out 6 moorings with white floats marked “rental.” Call Gene Thurston, the harbormaster (Ch. 09, 16; 244-7913), for details. A few rental moorings are available from Beal’s Lobster Pier (red buildings next to the Coast Guard station). The Southwest Harbor town dock lies next to Beal’s, for temporary dockage. Adjacent Southwest Boat may have moorings or dockage available.
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There may also be room to anchor among the moorings, although technically this is not allowed. Make sure you are not in the main channel to the north, and be prepared to move if asked to do so. Holding ground is good in about 10 feet at low. Exposure is to the east.
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Great Harbor Marina sits on the site of the old Stinson cannery at the head of the harbor. They rent slips to transients but have no moorings. Reservations are advisable. The Hinckley yard in Manset also has dockspace and moorings (see following write-up, page 308).
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Getting Ashore. Go in with your dinghy to the town dock. If you want to land closer to town, use the upper town dock, near the head of the harbor, next to Ralph W. Stanley’s boatshop or the dinghy dock at Great Harbor Marina.
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For the Boat. The Coast Guard station is at the end of Clark Point (244-5517). In an emergency use channel 16 or call 244-5121.
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Beal’s Lobster Pier (Ch. 16; 207-244-3202). Next to the Coast Guard, Beal’s has water, gas, and diesel at their floats with 12 feet alongside at low, as well as ice, marine hardware, and lobsters crawling or on the plate.
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Southwest Harbor Town Dock (Harbormaster Gene Thurston, 207-244-7913), next to Beal’s, has floats for limited tie-ups. The town also has several rental moorings.
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Southwest Boat (207-244-5525). Identifiable by its large marine railway tucked next to the town dock, Southwest Boat specializes in steel boat work. Depending on their work load, they may have moorings or dockage, with depths of 10 to 12 feet and pump-outs.
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Downeast Diesel & Marine (207-244-5145), lies beyond the town dock. Their floats are for repair work only, but they are the place to bring your boat to make your engine behave.
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When we put in here with a jury-rigged fuel pump, owner John Spofford pulled one of the semi-exotic pumps from his spare-parts shelf and lent it to us for our trip home. He would take neither money nor my name. “But you’ll need mine,” he added, “so you can send it back.”
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Rockland Boat (207-244-7870). This branch of Rockland’s famous chandlery is located on Clark Point Road, across from the town dock. This is the area’s most extensive dive shop and the place for heavy lines, ground tackle, and foulweather gear that’s thicker than tires.
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Village Electronics (Ch. 16; 207-244-7227). Located next to the town dock, Village Electronics sells and repairs electronic gear.
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Ralph W. Stanley (207-244-3795). Stanley, a well-known builder of wooden boats, is located near the head of the harbor. He has three marine railways that can handle boats to 15 tons, and the yard can perform complete hull repairs. In recent years, Ralph was flown to the White House to be named a “National Historic Treasure.” Do you say thank you when somebody calls you that?
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Great Harbor Marina (207-244-0117). Built on the site of one of Maine’s sardine canneries, this large facility at the head of the harbor has numerous slips with big power, pump-out facilities, and plenty of depth. The fuel dock, around to the left, pumps diesel. Showers and laundry and associated marine businesses (see below) are ashore.
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Acadia Sails (207-244-5722). Located at Great Harbor Marina, this branch of Yarmouth’s Maine Sailing Partners is a full-service loft, providing new sails, sail repair, and canvas work.
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West Marine (207-244-0300). This branch of West is located at Great Harbor Marine, just up from the docks on the left.
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McEachem & Hutchins (207-244-7243). This hardware store, at the main intersection in Southwest Harbor, carries a variety of marine items.
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For the Crew. Dumpsters and restrooms are located at the town dock. A pay phone is in the oceanarium parking lot. Darling’s Auto Parts is located on Main Street, south of town.
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You can eat outside on the deck at Beal’s Lobster Pier, next to the town dock, or at Kay and John’s Lobster Pier, behind the Mount Desert Oceanarium. Walk up Clark Point Road toward the town of Southwest Harbor, and you will pass several inns that serve meals. There are restaurants in town, within a mile or so from the town dock. The Preble Grille (244-3034), on Clark Point Road as you enter town, serves an excellent menu of fresh seafood and pasta dishes.
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If you are at Great Harbor Marina, the Deck House Restaurant (244-5044) serves up everything from takeout to dinner theater.
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It is also possible to sail around the peninsula that forms Southwest Harbor and anchor off the docks and floats of the Claremont Hotel (244-5036), opposite Greening Island. The hotel maintains guest moorings, and there is 8 feet alongside the floats. Lunch and cocktails are served in the informal waterfront Boathouse, and dinner is in the formal dining room. For dinner, coats and ties are required, and reservations are recommended.
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Lobster and fresh fish are available at Beal’s. The excellent, hardwood-floored Sawyer’s Market, in the center of town, can take care of the rest. Sawyer’s Specialties, across the street, can provide the extras, with wines, cheeses, fancy cigars, and a dozen varieties of olives. Sawyer’s (244-3315) will deliver to the waterfront. So will Southwest Foodmart (244-5601), located about half a mile north of the center of town on Route 102 in a plaza with a laundromat. The Village Washtub laundromat (244-7228), is slightly closer, .2 mile north of town.
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On Main Street in town, you will find the library, banks, galleries, art supplies, a hardware store, a natural foods store, and even an espresso bar. The post office has a Fed Ex box outside, and Tom Cat, Inc., across the street, has an excellent selection of newspapers. For children, there is a wonderful playground at the school, behind the recreational center.
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The Southwest Harbor Medical Center (244-5513), a division of Ellsworth’s Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, provides emergency care at all hours. Walk up Clark Point Road and turn right on Herrick Road at the Medical Center sign. The distance from the town dock is .8 mile.
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The Southwest Harbor Chamber of Commerce can be reached at 244-9264.
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Things to Do. The Mount Desert Oceanarium (244-7330) is right on the waterfront, west of the town dock, marked by a blue lobsterboat. Its building once was a “coal and vittlin’ station” for coastal schooners. It’s well worth a visit, especially for the children. In addition to fish tanks and exhibits on commercial fishing, lobstering, and the causes of tides, there is a touch tank where you can pick up sea cucumbers, clams, and other shellfish. The lectures on lobstering and lobsters by David Mills, founder of the Oceanarium, are particularly interesting.
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The superb Wendell Gilley Museum is north of town on Route 102, about 1.3 miles from the town dock. The late Wendell Gilley earned his living as a plumber, but while fixing oil burners and thawing pipes, he started carving birds. Completely self-taught, he carved barn owls and ospreys, ducks and herons. Samples sent to Abercrombie and Fitch in New York were well received, and Gilley put his son through college with the proceeds. After 27 years in the plumbing business, he turned to carving full time.
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The handsome museum has an extensive collection of his work as well as a complete set of Audubon prints. They also show some good films and hold frequent classes in bird-carving. Even if you aren’t a dedicated bird-lover, this is a fascinating place.
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Free Island Explorer shuttle buses leave from Southwest harbor and roam all over Mount Desert. This is an excellent way to get to places like Bar Harbor if you don’t plan on putting in there by boat. They can also take you to trailheads, so you can explore Acadia by foot. Bikes can be rented at Southwest Cycle on Main Street (244-5856).
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If you are already yearning to get back on (or in) the water, visit Acadia Kayaks (244-3026) on Main Street, south of town. The ferry to the Cranberry Islands (244-5882) leaves from the upper town dock, and so does the water taxi (460-3977).

Chamber of Commerce

Southwest Harbor Public Library