SEAL HARBOR Mount Desert Island

44° 10.63’N 068° 32.92’W

4th ed. Cruising Guide page 319

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Charts: 13321, 13312, 13318

Chart Kit: 74, 23

Mount Desert region overview chart Harbor chart

THE FIRST home in Seal Harbor was built by John Clement in 1809, but Rockefeller is the name more commonly associated with this harbor. Peggy and David Rockefeller, who summer in Seal Harbor, helped found the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which has been influential in preserving and protecting many of the state’s islands and shores that yachtsmen enjoy today.
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The harbor itself is exposed to the south. During normal summer weather, you will be safe here, but there is likely to be a roll even when it’s calm. During strong southerlies or southeasterlies, the harbor would be unpleasant.
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Other than the town wharf and the Seal Harbor Yacht Club, there are no boat facilities. The big gray shed at the western end of the harbor is the Rockefeller boathouse.
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An entrance to Acadia National Park is nearby, with access to Jordan Pond House and to Wildwood Stables.
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Approaches. Chart. The approach to Seal Harbor is easy (see sketch chart page 312). Nun “6” is an Eastern Way buoy that marks Bowden Ledge, off the entrance. Can "1" marks a ledge on the left side of the entrance. Leave can “1” to port as you enter. From the east, the white pyramid on East Bunker Ledge is a good landmark.
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Anchorages, Moorings. The Seal Harbor Yacht Club has some guest moorings, marked “SHYC.” Pick one up and check at the club. Or look for the harbormaster at the town dock and ask if there is a vacant mooring. Otherwise anchor in 9 to 18 feet at low anywhere convenient except to the north of the yacht club floats, where a ledge is reported. Holding ground is good.
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Getting Ashore. Tie your dinghy behind the float at the town wharf or at the yacht club docks.
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For the Boat. Seal Harbor Yacht Club (207-276-5888). The Seal Harbor Yacht Club is perched on the rocks on the east side of the harbor with stairs and an elevator leading down from the road above. Water and electricity are available at the floats, with about 6 feet alongside at low, and there are restrooms in the beautiful clubhouse. Contradances are held every Wednesday night.
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Town Wharf. The town wharf is a substantial granite dock on the east side of the harbor, just south of the yacht club. The two 40-foot floats have 10 to 13 feet alongside at low and drinking water. Dockage is limited to two hours on the outer float and 15 minutes on the inner float.
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For the Crew. The Seaside takeout on the town wharf is a unique dining experience. Here they will serve the daring almost anything that comes out of the sea—urchin roe, crabs, whelks, quahogs, razor clams, scallops, steamers, and, of course, lobsters.
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Seal Harbor is half a mile from the town wharf, past the head of the harbor. The crossroad village has a post office, the Lighthouse Restaurant (276-3958), a gas station with beer, wine, soda, ice, and ice cream, and a general store.
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The Seal Harbor General Store supplies groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, gourmet foods, ice, and wine and has a pay phone by the door.
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Things to Do. A highlight for many visitors to Acadia is Jordan Pond House, a unique restaurant that serves luncheon, tea, and dinner (276-3316). It is about a 2-mile walk from the Stanley Brook entrance to the park, at the head of Seal Harbor, but you can probably hitch a ride. A sign at the restaurant reveals something of its history: “In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s fashionable cottage dwellers and wealthy visitors dined in rustic style at the Jordan Pond House. Built as a simple farmhouse in 1847, it later expanded into a restaurant with several wings. Fire ravaged the entire structure on June 21, 1979. Rising from the ashes a new tea house and restaurant has replaced the old, continuing a tradition of gracious dining in an atmosphere of genial surroundings—luncheon on the porch, tea on the lawn, dinner by the fireside. Now, as then, specialties include chicken, lobster, homemade ice cream, and fresh popovers—big, brown, and featherweight.” Tea on the lawn has been a special event for generations of patrons. Jordan Pond House is not a secret, however. Make reservations well in advance.
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North of the restaurant, a number of lovely trails skirt Jordan Pond (1.8 miles) to the Bubbles, Asticou, Sargent Mountain, and Pemetic Mountain.
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One of the most delightful ways to see Acadia National Park, including Jordan Pond House, is by horse-drawn carriage over the 57 miles of carriage roads that meander through the eastern part of the park. Wildwood Stables (276-3622) will pick you up for one of their scheduled tours.