Exploring the outdoors is the epitome of what a vacation is all about, and there are endless opportunities to do it in the Boothbay Harbor region. Get comfortable on the water and explore Maine’s jagged coastline by sail, power, or paddle. Play a game of tennis or golf, bring a picnic, and unwind by the water. Miles of hiking routes with everything from leisurely strolls to strenuous treks are just waiting to be found. Let the aromas of pine trees and saline air revitalize you as you spend a relaxing day in one of nature’s most beautiful gardens or parks. Continue to read and you will be able to learn about the best Boothbay harbor cruises.
Without experiencing a bit of the local culture, a vacation to the Boothbay Harbor Region wouldn’t be complete. You may find studios and galleries selling artwork to entice every taste and pallet in this area, which is home to over 200 artists. Broadway musicals, classical concerts, and performances by Grammy Award winners are all available at nearby performance spaces. To experience Maine in the past, go on a tour of one of the nearby lighthouses or stop by a museum. The chefs from more than 50 in-season restaurants will tempt your palette with everything from fresh seafood to ethnic cuisine, while artisans and merchants will seduce you with handcrafted goods and treasures.
We hope that our website will help you plan the ideal trip by giving you a feel of what this area has to offer. We warmly welcome you to our vacationland paradise, whether you come here to camp out or stay at a five-star resort, travel here by boat or rail, or stay for a day, a week, a month, or a season.
Understanding Boothbay Bay Harbor
With slightly over 2,000 residents, Boothbay Harbor in Maine’s Lincoln County is home to the communities of Sprucewold, West Boothbay Harbor, and Bayville. Boothbay’s original settlers were the Abenaki people who named the place Winnegance. Townsend was established in 1730 by Colonel David Dunbar and was renamed Boothbay in 1842. The town of Boothbay Harbor was founded as a distinct entity from Boothbay in 1889.
As a significant fishing hub with a harbor large enough to accommodate hundreds of ships, Boothbay Harbor was created. fishery and canning sectors in 40 years. Thousands of tourists flock to Boothbay Harbor each year to enjoy the fresh seafood, the chance to see marine life, and the coastal leisure.
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Best cruises in Boothbay Harbor
Boothbay Harbor is a boater’s dream with ports and inlets, earning the moniker “The Boating Capital of New England” from numerous seafarers. This picturesque seaside town draws tourists of all types and provides wonderful opportunities to explore the adjacent islands and ocean. Here are Boothbay Harbor, Maine’s top boat excursions and rentals.
In Boothbay Harbor, there are several sailing cruises and trips available. They provide a variety of activities, including whale viewing, lighthouse touring, and lobster fishing.
1. Tidal Transit Kayak
Tidal Transit Kayak provides harbor boat trips with trained kayakers and has two docks to meet high and low tides. The tour guides are keen to impart their knowledge of the region’s nature and history. During the harbor and wildlife trips, you may discover a lot while taking in the beautiful coastline. You may personalize a tour in addition to sunset excursions.
2. Eastwind Schooner
The 65-foot Schooner Eastwind offers sailing cruises and schooner excursions. The biggest schooner in the port is this one. Its two-hour sailing excursions allow visitors to observe lobstermen, marine life, lighthouses, and uninhabited islands. Up to four trips are offered each day.
3. Cabbage Island Clambakes
Cabbage Island Clambakes, which was founded in 1956, provides exclusive day trips to Cabbage Island on the Bennie Alice. When you get there, you may have a classic clambake that is cooked over an open fire by the water. You may rest or explore the island after the lunch until the boat departs for Boothbay Harbor.
4. Cap’n Fish’s Cruises
You have a few choices when booking sailing trips with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises. It offers the first 3.5-hour whale watch cruise in Boothbay Harbor, which ensures that you’ll encounter marine creatures including seabirds and whales. If not, the firm will grant you a standby ticket for a subsequent whale-watching excursion or one of its other sailing excursions.
The other choices include a separate 1.25-hour harbor trip that includes lobster fishing and a 1-hour harbor cruise that features seals and lighthouses. You may also schedule individual sailing excursions or combine a puffin watch with a whale watch.
5. Balmy Days Cruises
Balmy Days Cruises will suit your needs for either day cruises or sailing charters. It provides sailing excursions to Monhegan Island, where you may spend over four hours taking in the views and seeing the lighthouse, hiking trails, and museum. Along with 1.5-hour sailing excursions, 2-hour mackerel fishing outings, and 2.5-hour lighthouse visits, Balmy Days also provides hour-long harbor tours.
6. Lazy Jack Cruises Schooner
The 48-foot Schooner Lazy Jack, which provides day sails and private sailing charters, was constructed in 1947, making it the oldest windjammer in Boothbay Harbor. You may assist the crew as they sail to Burnt Island Light, Ram Island Light, and Squirrel Island during their two-hour schooner excursions. On your journey, you could witness osprey, harbor seals, and bald eagles.
7. Midcoast Sailing Company
Day sails aboard the Wind’s Will are available from Midcoast Sailing Company to let you explore Boothbay Harbor. The 30-foot sloop transports you to Linekin Bay, Burnt Island Light, Squirrel Island, and Rams Island Light during the half-day sailing excursions. Cuckolds Lighthouse, Fisherman’s Island, Monhegan Island, and Damariscove Island are further attractions on full-day trips.
8. Sportfishing and sightseeing tours at Breakaway
Breakaway Sportfishing and Sightseeing Tours employs the biggest and most comfortable charter boat for the finest fishing chances. There are three options for where you may go fishing. You may choose from a number of sightseeing trips that take you around the harbor’s shoreline and to distant islands if you’d rather take a picturesque sail.
9. Sweet Action Charters
Sweet Action Charters offers options for sightseeing and lobster fishing. There are further chances for mackerel fishing on the Kennebec River, Back River, Sasanoa River, and Hockomock Bay. Even striper fishing might be possible. The business not only provides boat excursions but also family adventures that include fishing and lunch or supper at Georgetown’s Five Islands Lobster Co., which is close across the Sheepscot River. There are also boat charters available.
10. Boothbay Harbor’s top boat rentals
You are quite welcome to explore Boothbay Harbor on your own without a guide. Tidal Transit Kayak also provides boat rentals in addition to boat cruises. Basic training, a life jacket, and a paddle are all included with each stand-up paddleboard and kayak rental. A wetsuit is also included with each SUP rental.
11. West Harbor Recreation Inc
West Harbor Recreation Inc. provides the boat rentals that you desire, whether you like sailboats or powerboats. You may hire a boat for a half-day, full-day, or week if you want to go fishing, island hopping, or water tubing.
12. Best Boat Rentals & Tours Outside of Boothbay Harbor
While Boothbay Harbor is the best place in Maine to go boating, there are a lot of other boat rental and tour businesses close by. View a few of the more impressive ones below.
13. Maine Kayak
Maine Kayak, with a location in Bristol, provides boat rentals and trips for sea, lake, and whitewater kayaking. Numerous 2-hour, half-day, full-day, and multi-day rentals and excursions are available for booking.
14. Midcoast Kayak
Midcoast Kayak provides canoe, kayak, and SUP rentals as well as trips in Damariscotta. Recreational and marine kayaks are available. Boat excursions offered by the company include full moon and sunset cruises as well as explorer and oyster ecological trips.
15. Damariscotta River Cruises
Additionally in Damariscotta, you may sign up for day cruises on the Damariscotta River with Damariscotta River Cruises. Oyster farming, seal watching, wine or beer sampling, and autumnal leaf viewing are some of the boat experiences offered by this company. Even private boat charters are available.
Maine’s oceans, rivers, and shorelines are the subject of spectacular day excursions offered by River Run Tours in Bath. You may board the River Runner, a pontoon boat with a unique design. You are free to bring any food and drinks you would like.
16. Sail Muscongus Day Cruises
Sail Muscongus Day Cruises features two windjammers and offers sailing charters and lobster boat tours. This 42-foot wooden lobster boat is called the Sarah Mead. You’ll follow the wind on the lobster cruise for the opportunity to view seals, lighthouses, and porpoises. Boothbay Harbor island cruises are available in the 25-foot wooden catboat known as The Paula Anne. Even at dusk, excursions are offered.
Take a boat tour in Boothbay Harbor
The Boating Capital of New England has been referred to as Boothbay Harbor. There are adventures waiting for visitors of all ages with over 25 daily boat trips departing from the busy port! The finest things to do in Boothbay Harbor are outdoor activities due to the area’s breathtaking beauty, which is one of the town’s primary charms. Numerous boating companies provide water-based port excursions, and there are numerous hiking paths and gardens to explore.
The region may be explored and adjacent islands like Burnt Island and Monhegan Island farther out to sea can be seen on harbor cruises. Enjoy a thrilling windjammer ride or a romantic sunset schooner cruise with experienced captains. Visitors may also visit nearby boat yards to learn how the heritage of top-notch boat construction is being practiced today. Numerous tours also provide up-close interactions with Maine wildlife, including puffins, seals, and even whales! Balmy Days cruises, Schooners East Wind or Lazy Jack, and others provide harbor cruises, daily tours, and sunset trips out to visit Boothbay’s three lighthouses, all of which depart from the docks every day.
Examine the lighthouse on Burnt Island
The second-oldest lighthouse in Maine still standing, Burnt Island Lighthouse, was built in 1821 and is open to the public. It is set on a 5-acre island and provides superb, historic leisure and educational facilities. You may go back in time to the 1950s with the living history lighthouse tour and learn about the lifestyle of the lighthouse keeper and his family.
Sea Kayaking is a great way to test your sea legs.
A boat is the finest way to view Boothbay Harbor. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from Maine Kayak or Tidal Transet, then paddle across the bay past lobster boats and luxurious pleasure ships in the harbor before reaching Tumbler Island.
You’ll quickly “sea” why Boothbay Harbor is regarded as having the greatest kayaking in all of Maine. There are many options for kayakers of all ages and ability levels since the water ranges from open oceans to more tranquil, sheltered rivers and inlets. You may either bring your own kayak or hire one from one of the numerous stores in the area. For kayaks who want to explore local islands or just paddle about the port at their leisure, these rental establishments also provide guided tours of the neighborhood.
Journey to Monhegan Island
It is definitely worthwhile to visit adjacent Monhegan Island if you are staying in Boothbay Harbor and have spare time. Monhegan is a tiny, rocky island that is about 10 miles offshore of Boothbay Harbor and may be reached by ferry. Monhegan is a distinctive getaway from busy areas since it lacks paved roads, automobiles, lighting, and many stores and inns.
The forested Island is endowed with 17 miles of lovely walking trails that are perfect for anybody who loves the outdoors, but since some of the routes may be rocky and uneven, it’s best to wear appropriate shoes and examine local trail maps before you go. Built in 1824, the lighthouse atop Monhegan is still operating today. The whole hamlet, the port, the adjacent islands, and the mainland are all visible from the lighthouse location, which offers breathtaking views.
Final words
Now you are aware of the best Boothbay harbor cruises. Keep these cruises in mind and make sure that you have an unforgettable time during the stay here. All you have to do is to pick the best cruise that matches with your preferences.
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