Come Cruise Maine's Coast

A guide to exploring Maine by boat

Escape to Maine this Summer

Leave the bustling cities behind and become a Mainer this boating season. Find a cozy anchorage along the coast of Maine where you can wake up with songbirds and seals every morning. With 4,600 islands dotting the coast, the Pine Tree State is the perfect escape for boaters searching for a protected sanctuary.

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Summer Sailing in Maine

Whether you’re an annual visitor to Maine’s waters or you’ve never had the opportunity to cruise the coast, you’ll quickly understand why there’s no place better place to explore by boat than Maine.

Islands in Maine

Miles of Coastline

Average August Temp

lighthouses in maine

Dockage & Service

Looking for service or maintenance while you’re cruising the coast? Maine is home to some of the world’s best boat builders and repairers. We’re spotlighting some of the state’s most efficient full-service yards for boats of all sizes.

Front Street Shipyard

A custom boat builder, service yard and marina in mid-coast Maine, Front Street Shipyard is the most capable boatyard in the Northeast. The mid-coast Maine yard has a 485-ton lifting capacity, deep-water access, and an in-house talented workforce, making it the premier boater’s resource on the east coast.

Advice From Fellow Cruisers

All the stories, photos, and navigational suggestions on the Maine Yachting website come from fellow cruisers. We spend all our summers on the water in Maine, and we love to share these experiences with folks from away. Read about who we are, where we’ve been, and where we still hope to visit.

Cruise Through Town

When it’s time to provision the boat or enjoy a night on the town, Maine has plenty of coastal communities that will welcome you and your crew. Here’s some local knowledge about a few of our favorites.

Mid-Coast
Belfast

Southern Maine
Portland

Downeast
Stonington

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Five Fabulous Destinations

1. The Basin on Vinalhaven

Swirling eddies and scattered rocks make The Basin one of Maine’s most challenging — and rewarding — gunkholes to enter.

2. Butter Island

Bring your hiking boots to Butter Island. This well-preserved property in East Penobscot Bay has a 186-foot peak with a walking trail.

3. Frenchboro on Long Island

Explore an independent island community when you find Frenchboro at the entrance to Blue Hill Bay.

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Cruising Gallery

Here are some quintessential Maine photographs, taken by Billy Black. Send us your own photographs of Maine cruising and we’ll feature them here for other sailors to see.

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