Anchorage Review for Sandy Hook

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

The place to stop after a long ride up the New Jersey coast. Lots of room, good holding, protected from east winds, but can get very rolly from boat wakes.

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Anchorage Review for Barnegat Harbor - A

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Next to a sandy beach. Room for at least 10 boats. Saw 12-8 feet in most places. plenty of water, but not so deep as to require a lot of rode.
A few gentle wakes in the morning from fishing boats in the channel.

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Marina Review for South Jersey Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Solid concrete dock, with short finger piers, so we had to back in to be able to get on and off the boat. With our single screw and a tight fairway it was a bit of a challenge getting in, but the dockhand knew his stuff and was very helpful in getting us in with no drama.

Their showers and shower room are quite good - among the best we've seen in any of the 100 or so marinas we've been to.

They offer a free shuttle service to town, although it is a pleasant mile and a half walk to get there. We walked to town, explored a bit, bought groceries at Acme Supermarket and then called for the shuttle to pick us up from there.

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Marina Review for Schaefers Canal House & Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Fixed dock, strong current, 3.5' tide.
Fuel, but no showers or pump-out.
The restaurant is what makes this place worth stopping for.

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Marina Review for Eastport Yacht Center

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

We were put on the travel lift pier, nice face dock, solid fixed dock. Easy in and out.
Pleasant and helpful staff. Reasonable walk to downtown Annapolis. Great pub (Davis's) a couple of blocks away. Best Crab Cakes!

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Marina Review for Solomons Yachting Center

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Floating dock in a very tight fairway. Very nice restroom and showier facilities. 3 rooms each for men and women, with toilet, shower, and sink.

Pub has a friendly atmosphere, but the burgers were pre cooked and reheated (not even as good as McDonalds). My wife had a pretty good Chef salad though.

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Marina Review for Smith Point Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Charming old school boat yard. Clean and functional facilities (showers, toilets, & laundry). Solid fixed dock. The entry is a little tricky. Pay close attention to the channel makers. We saw no less than 6 (5 at MLW) on our way in.

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Marina Review for Regatta Point Yachting Center (formerly Dozier's)

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Very nice showers and restrooms
One washer and dryer, both are commercial grade and worked well.
Friendly and helpful staff
Solid floating docks

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Marina Review for Waterside Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Solid floating docks.
Located right in the heart of the tourist area.
Long walk to OK showers and restrooms, No Laundry

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Free Dock Review for South Mills

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

7 feet of water along a corrugated steel wall with good cleats.
Gas station convenience store nearby.

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Marina Review for Alligator River Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

New solid fixed docks. A little shallow getting in. The short finger pier (12') made it hard to get on and off the boat. The boat house had 3 home style bathrooms. Laundry and lounge with big screen TV.\ and Good wifi.
The gas station on site has a fast food grill style restaurant with good fried chicken.
The water there is hard. We filled one tank there and wound up dumping it and filling it again at our next chance. Fortunately it was in only one of 3 water tanks we have.

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Marina Review for Dowry Creek Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Solid fixed dock. Knowledgeable dockhand was very helpful in the very windy conditions we experienced.
Clean, home style bathroom and shower.

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Marina Review for Belhaven Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 28, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

One long fixed dock, boats tie along both sides. Rustic, but nice.
No pump-out, (The town dock, next door, has a pump-out station.)
Very slow WiFi
Decent showers and toilet facilities. Free Laundry.
The dockmaster, Greg, was very helpful and even gave us a ride to the store.

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Marina Review for Oriental Marina & Inn

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Fixed dock with 35' finger piers. Not fancy, but very nice. Helpful friendly staff Everything you need, good restaurant on side, a Tiki Bar and a pool. Nice showers, towels and soap provided. A few blocks from Inland Waterway Provision Company, food and other things with a very good selection of marine supplies.

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Marina Review for Beaufort Docks Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Great location in a great town. Near lots of good restaurants, shops and a wonderful (free admission) maritime museum. Showers and toilets are a bit rustic, but clean and functional. Great location in a great town.

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Anchorage Review for Mile Hammock Bay

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Big, popular anchorage. There were 10 other boats with us and room for several more. Good depth and swing room. Some people report having trouble setting their anchors, but our Rocna dug in fine and held well in 15 knots of wind. Good cell service.

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Marina Review for Federal Point Yacht Club Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Good location, easy walk to Publix, two hardware stores, and the Carolina Beach Boardwalk and beach. Clean, functional restrooms and showers. Laundry with a single washer and dryer, but not a lot of transients so it wasn't a problem for us. They put us on the tee-head so it was easy in and out.

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Anchorage Review for Calabash Creek

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Tight spot next to the river channel, good holdings, lots of wakes on the Sunday afternoon we were there.

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Marina Review for Wacca Wache Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Small marina, 2 unisex shower and restrooms, clean and functional. Helpful staff, good fuel prices.

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Anchorage Review for South Santee River–West

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Deep, open, and exposed (surrounded by marsh grass and some trees), but very nice in calm conditions.

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Marina Review for Safe Harbor Port Royal Landing

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

A long walk or a short bike ride (4 miles) south of Beaufort Long face dock for transients. Easy in and out, but exposed and there is a strong current when the tide is running. Good restaurant (Maker 244) on premises. Slow WiFi. Long pier over the marsh to get to the restrooms with showers which were clean and functional.

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Marina Review for Safe Harbor Charleston City

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Large (too big?) well run marina almost (1.2 miles) in the heart of Charleston. Free hourly shuttle service to anywhere in Charleston including two supermarkets with daily trip to West Marine. The Mega Dock is solid and huge. If you are on the end, it is a 5 minute walk to the facilities. (The dock hands will give you a ride in their golf carts if you give them a call). The laundry, showers, and restroom facilities are all modern and clean. WiFi is typical marina quality (sometimes good, times bad).

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Anchorage Review for South Edisto River-Sampson Island North

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Big, deep anchorage. Scenic. Anchored in 18' (at MHW) with plenty of swing room.
1 mile west of ICW

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Marina Review for Isle of Hope Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Charming residential area outside of Savannah. About a $35 Uber ride to downtown Savannah. 2 unisex tilted showers with toilet and sink. Clean with good water pressure and hot water, but could use a few more hooks and/or a shelf. Easy in face dock, Wifi unusable.

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Anchorage Review for South Newport River- Wahoo River

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

We didn't good up past the bend, no need to. We found a nice spot about a mile up off the ICW. Deep and plenty of swing room.
Good cell service, yet isolated (feeling) location.
Only other boats were a couple of shrimp boats anchored at the river entrance just off the ICW.

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Marina Review for Jekyll Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

3 unisex showers with toilets and sinks. Not fancy, but functional. Could be a bit cleaner, but not too bad.
One long face dock with slips behind not too far from a mud bank. If you get a slip in the back it can seem a little tight to get in, but the bank is steep soft mud so you can safely get close to it and the docks hands are very helpful. WiFi was very good.

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Anchorage Review for Sisters Creek

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

You can anchor just off the ICW where the mark is, but we went up the creek a bit because there was plenty of depth, it's a bit more protected, and much more scenic. The depth varied quite a bit. We saw not less than 7' and as much as 17'.

The occasional fishing boat will wake you. We were there on a Saturday and only got waked a couple of times.

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Marina Review for St. Augustine Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on May 3, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Extremely well run marina in a great location, right in the heart of Old St. Augustine. Helpful and knowledgeable staff. Solid concrete floating docks. New and clean shower and restroom facilities. Excellent laundry (4 washers) lots of space with adjacent lounge area. Recycle bins on the dock.

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Marina Review for Palm Coast Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Apr 13, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Great staff. The facilities are a little tired, but they are safe and functional. The fixed docks are solid. The restroom/showers are clean and functional, but the men's and women's rooms only have one toilet and shower each.

10 minute walk to European Village , with shops and restaurants.

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Marina Review for New Smyrna Beach City Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Apr 13, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

City owned marina very near a nice downtown area. Clean and functional restrooms with showers.

Solid concrete floating docks. (There are also some fixed docks, but we got a floating dock.) The main attraction of this marina is its location.

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Marina Review for Titusville Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Apr 13, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

City marina managed by F3 Marinas. Well run helpful staff. Clean restrooms, with nice tiled showers. Both fixed and floating docks, so it depends where they put you. Some fairways are wider than others. We had a challenge getting into our slip right behind the fuel dock because the two docks are not parallel, making the fairway quite narrow at the fuel dock end. It was not much more than our boat length!

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Marina Review for Port Canaveral Yacht Club-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Apr 13, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

This place felt like home. Small and very welcoming club. No pool or tennis courts. It is just about boats, boating, and the camaraderie of boaters. Barbara, the (volunteer) dockmaster was great. She welcomed us when we first arrived and made sure we had everything we needed for our entire stay.

The facilities are not fancy, but very functional. Their restrooms were clean and modern with tile showers. The shower stalls had benches and plenty of hooks. They even have a workshop, with a table saw, drill presses, workbench and vise. Which you can use - once you sign a release, of course.

Like most marinas the WiFi worked well at times and other times not so well.

They have an excellent chief for their Wednesday and Friday night dinners. (You need to email your choice of 1of 2 - very reasonably priced - entrees by noon of that day.) There is a cocktail hour before dinner which is served around 6:30. When we arrived for dinner we were welcomed like old friends.

This place was so nice (and inexpensive) that we stayed longer than we originally planned. As did several other transient boaters that we met while we were there.

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Marina Review for Cocoa Village Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Feb 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Very well run marina and just the right size. No dock is very far from the facilities, while it is big enough to have what you need. Laundry, restrooms, and showers are well laid out and clean. And they have recycling bins! Something I wish more marinas had.

A short walk to Cocoa Village. A cool town, with bars, restaurants (including Villa Palma, excellent Italian), art galleries, antique stores, a nice park, a theater, and a famous hardware store. The S.F. Travis Company, established in 1885, is worth a visit.

Like most marinas the WiFi worked better at some times of the day than others. In general it was adequate.

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Anchorage Review for Melbourne Bridge - North

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Feb 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Nothing special, but a safe place to stop for the night in a strong south wind. Good holding, deep and lots of room, not well protected from the north or west.
Good cell coverage.
Anchor came up clean.

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Anchorage Review for Barker Island

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Feb 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Pretty spot with greenery and nice homes. Anchor in 7' at high tide (1' above MLW) . Well protected good holding anchor set right away. No shore access, but the small uninhabited Island has a bit of a beach to land dinghy, if you need that for a dog.
Good cell coverage.
Anchor and chain came up very muddy.

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Anchorage Review for Faber Cove

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Feb 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Very well protected, room for about 6 boats. The wind was 15 kts from the SE, the IWC had a 1-2' chop while this place was flat calm.
Good cell coverage.
Good holding anchor came up caked in modeling clay-like mud

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Anchorage Review for Peck Lake

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Feb 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Lots of boats, lots of room. Scenic, good holding in mud.
Good cell service.

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Marina Review for Boynton Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Feb 4, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Very nice small marina. Friendly and helpful stay. Snag-a-slip said that they were full, but I called the marina directly and was able to get a spot. They put us on the end of the fuel dock which was fine. It had power and water.
Would be 5 stars, if they had showers and pump-out.
Good WiFi.
1 mile walk to a very nice beach.
½ mile walk to Ace Hardware.
Several restaurants nearby.
The Restrooms are public but are clean and modern.

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Anchorage Review for Sunrise Bay

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Nice but crowded, so I had to use less scope than I would have liked, but it was a calm night. Anchored in 11' at almost high tide. Counted 14 other boats., including a 70' catamaran.

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Marina Review for Miami Beach Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

For the money I would expect more. It is in a good location, close to the beach, a very nice park, and the southern end of the famous Ocean Drive, so that is what you are paying for.

They use a cell phone app, Nexkey, for gate and door locks. It works well, but I find it annoying to have to add another app to my phone. Showers would have been great, except there are no shelves or hooks for your towel and stuff. Also funky mixing values (in the men's room anyway) that made it hard to adjust the temperature.

Docks are fixed concrete. The finger pier platform is well above the water and is only 8" thick. With a 2 plus foot tidal range it makes adjusting fenders a bit of a challenge.

It got a bit rolly at times. The breakwater is not totally effective against boat wakes.

WIFI was good.

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Marina Review for Boca Chita Key - Biscayne National Park

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 30, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

A beautiful spot, but people do party here. As others have said, it is very busy on weekends. We arrived on an early Sunday afternoon and found two spaces along the wall that would just fit our 40' trawler, but the weather was cold and cloudy. Only about 5 boats stayed overnight. It is $25 a day and you need to pay with a cell phone app. The wood covered concrete walls have plenty of cleats and are in good repair.

Most boats seem to be day trippers. I was told by a regular that in nice weather the weekends are full, but on weekdays there is usually room.

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Bridge comment on Dania Beach Boulevard (SR A1A) Bridge

Comment by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 27, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'

This bridge is only about 16' at high tide, based on the stain on the height board.

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Bridge comment on Sheridan Street Bridge

Comment by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 27, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'

This bridge is only at little over 16' at high tide based on the stain on the height board. When we went under it read 18' at no more than 1/2 tide.

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Anchorage Review for Long Arsenicker

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 24, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Excellent for certain wind directions.

Our pre-anchor soundings showed 7' almost everywhere. Typical Florida keys bottom, grass and sand. The water is clear so it is easy to find the bottom you want. Decent holding.

Isolated, scenic, good cell service.

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Marina Review for Anchorage Resort & Yacht Club

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 24, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

As others have said, it is run as a resort, not a marina. No answer on the radio, so we just picked an open slip, tied up, and went into the office. We had the wrong slip, of course, but we were allowed to stay where we were. I would suggest calling on the phone in advance for your slip assignment and then plan on docking on your own. The slips are fairly easy to get in and out of.

The docks are fixed concrete, old, freshly painted, and in decent shape. We tied bowlines to the posts rather than use the cleats and felt very secure. Power and water worked fine. There are two shower rooms with toilets and sinks across from the pool. They were clean and in decent shape. Laundry is on the 3rd floor of the resort building.

The price is a bit high for what you get, but it's all about location, location, location.

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Anchorage Review for Cowpens Anchorage

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 24, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Peaceful spot, plenty of swing room and decent holding.

Anchored in the north end in 7 feet between some crab pot strings. Had an overnight squall with 180 degree wind change. Our Rocna dragged about 25' before it reset on it's own. In the morning our chain was caught on a small sunken boat. The water was clear, so we were able to see and maneuver around to free the chain.

Sunken boat at 24 59.057'N 80 33.257'W

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Anchorage Review for Matecumbe Bight

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

We anchored in the north end closer to the mangroves.

Anchorage is protected from east winds, which we had. Typical Florida keys bottom, grass and sandy mud. We found a sandy spot and the anchor held fine in 10 - 15 mph E winds. Didn't launch the dinghy, so can't comment on going ashore. But we had a pleasant overnight stay.

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Marina Review for Marlin Bay Resort & Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

First class marina! Three knowledgeable dock hands met us at the dock. Then the concierge came to us for dockside check in. New concrete fixed docks.
Slow Wifi
Two toilets shared with the pool, nice and clean.
Only one shower in the clubhouse and is only available from 8-6, but very nice.
A very good restaurant within easy walk, Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House. Several others nearby too, but we were there only one day so didn't try them.
Very nice pool and Tiki bar open from 1-7.

Had to pay for 60' even though our boat is 40' because it was the only slip available and all the other Marathon marines I called were booked up.

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Marina Review for Stock Island Yacht Club and Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Solid docks among mangroves (in the outer basin) a bit far from the office, restaurant and pool.
There are only two toilets and showers in the hut at the outer basin. They are a bit rustic, but clean.
Beautiful area but a bit isolated. Good WiFi.

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Marina Review for Galleon Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

The full Key West experience. Right where the action is. Close to Mallory Square and Duval St.
Nice solid floating docks. Knowledgeable and helpful dockhands. Lots of boat traffic and not much maneuvering room - it's in the heart of Key West.
Good WiFi
Showers and restrooms are separate.Restrooms are also used for the pool and bar, but they are kept clean.
Would be 5 stars except at $6/foot everything should be top notch.

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Anchorage Review for Saddlebunch Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 9, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Easy entry from Hawk Channel. Water is 8' almost right up to of the mangroves east of "8", but gets shallow farther in, at the end of the mangroves. The crab pot buoys are a good indicator of the shallow areas.

Sand bottom. Anchor set right away.

Quit, peaceful, and picturesque. We saw a loggerhead sea turtle several times while we were there for about 24 hours.

Close to Naval Air Station Key West, so expect to see and hear fighter jets. Small boats travel the channel at full speed so expect some wakes too.

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Anchorage Review for Bahia Honda Key

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 9, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

The bottom is varied, but the water is clear so see where to set your anchor. And if it doesn't set at first just try again. The area is not well protected, but it should be fine in most weather. Our anchor came up with such a thick coat of sticky concrete like sand that I think the chain would have broken before the anchor let go. There is a lot of small boat traffic, so wakes can be a bit of an annoyance during the day.

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Anchorage Review for Little Shark River

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 9, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Easy entry right at the river mouth. Deep in the middle but gets shallow fast. Do a little depth sounding tour before you set your anchor or you may swing into shallow water and be aground when the tide goes out.

We set our anchor in 14' and swung into an 8' on 100' of chain. (5:1 for us because of bowsprit height).

Very picturesque and isolated. No cell service whatsoever.

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Marina Review for Everglades Isle Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 9, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

It is a long and beautiful run up the well marked Indian Key Pass to get there. There are just a few shallow spots, go slow and pay attention to where you are.

The marina has nice new, concrete floating docks. There is a very strong current with some eddies near the dock so be prepared for that.

The (free) laundry, showers, and restrooms are all nice, but only available from 9-5, because they are in the main building.

The marina is right on the route that all the air boats take to get to the mangrove swamp, so it can get pretty noisy at times. At first it was very annoying, but I was amazed at how quickly we got used to and tuned out the air boat noise.

The airboat tour was the main reason we stopped here. We thought we could get into the everglades, but we found out that the only tours from this location went into a private mangrove swamp. Still fun, but a little like Disney World.

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Marina Review for Moss Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

First class marina in a great location. Close to lots of good restaurants. The main street of Ft. Myers Beach is ¼ mile away and the beach is another ¼ down that road. The docks are new and floating. Fairly easy to get in and out even with the strong current. Restroom and showers are close and clean. Helpful and knowledgeable staff.

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Anchorage Review for Pelican Bay

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Great spot, scenic, plenty of room, great holding. We had 40 mph winds when we were there. Out ½" nylon snubber parted but the chain (5:1) and anchor held fine. None of the other 10 or so boats there dragged either. When the weather is nicer it is a very picturesque and peaceful spot. Nice state park, with a small store for ice and souvenirs.

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Marina Review for Safe Harbor Burnt Store

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jan 8, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Burnt Store has a lot to offer, which is good because it is not near anything else. Good restaurant, quaint general store that has a bit of everything and also serves food.

They are in the process of upgrading the docks, the new ones are floating and very nice. Unfortunately for us, we got an old fixed dock with a short fixed finger pier which made getting on and off the boat a bit of a challenge for our style of boat. (I put a note in our Dockwa request explaining that our boat has a side gate amidships, It was ignored. Other marnias have contacted me when I have explained our situation. Burnt Store accepted our reservation request without comment, so I thought we would be OK) Tom, the dockhand, was very helpful in getting us situated the best we could given the slip we were assigned.

Clean and functional showers and restrooms.

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Marina Review for St. Petersburg Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Frank went above and beyond to get us in a day early and accommodate our side tie request.
Fixed dock with pilings was new and solid.
Showers and restrooms were dated, but clean.
WiFi wasn't working when we were there.
Great location. St. Pete is a nice city.

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Anchorage Review for Welch Causeway Bridge Northeast

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Not the most picturesque spot, but very convenient to a Publix supermarket. Its parking lot abuts the McDonlds which has a very nice floating dock.
About 10 boats there when we were there, with room for a few more. We anchored in 7 feet at low tide and saw mostly 6' and 7' in our swing radius.
Excellent (Verizon) cell signal.
A little rolly with the boat wakes, but not too bad.

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Marina Review for Clearwater Municipal Marinas (Clearwater Beach Marina)

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

No answer on the radio, so went to the fuel dock. "They were busy." Gave me directions to my slip, no help getting in. The dockmasters were helpful in letting us stay an extra day.
Great location, 5 minute walk to beach. Walgreens across the street and many good restaurants nearby.
WiFi worked well. Shower access was via a cell phone app, which wasn't available for Android at the time, so I showered on the boat. Average marina in a great location.

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Marina Review for City of Tarpon Springs Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Nice new floating dock, but with a short finger pier. A problem for boats like ours with a side gate, but with the help of Mick the dockmaster, we made it work by backing in and climbing over our aft rail.
Just one unisex shower and restroom, with only 6 transient slips it didn't seems to be a problem. It was clean and modern.
Very good WiFi, but we found dead spots within the boat.
No laundry or laundromat nearby.
Have to get ice at a gas station a couple of blocks away.
All that said this marina is in a great location, near the sponge docks, restaurants, shops.

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Bridge comment on Albee Road Bridge

Comment by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'

The closed clearance of this bridge is more like 8 feet. When went through today the board read about 9.5 feet and the tide was about a foot below MHW.

The bridge operator was great. When I radio to ask for the clearance and told him I needed 14. He just said I will open it for when you get here.

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Marina Review for The Moorings of Carrabelle

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 5, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Friendly accommodating staff.
A free breakfast buffet from 6:30 - 9:30 every morning, not bad!
Convenient to shopping and restaurants. Good grocery store (IAG) and Ace hardware store across the street.
Shower and restrooms are just OK, Just one washer and dryer.
Docks are typical for the area. A small fixed finger pier with pilings to ties too. Which for our boat, with midships side gates, makes it difficult to get on and off the boat .
WiFi was so slow as to be useless.
Lots of current made it a challenge to get in and out of the slip.

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Marina Review for Apalachicola Marina, Inc.

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 3, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Nice new solid fixed dock. Great location, right in town, but no amenities other than water and shore power, not much for $2/ft. Apalachicola is an interesting town, with lots of character with its bars, restaurants and shops. Would go back.

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Anchorage Review for Walker Bayou

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Dec 3, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Anchored in 6.5' (mid-tide). Took a bit for the anchor to set, but dug in after a couple of seconds of backing down at idle. The bottom was quite flat; we saw the same depth almost everywhere near the anchor. Good (Verizon) cell service. Anchor and chain came up very muddy.

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Marina Review for Two Georges Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 29, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

They accommodated our need for a side tie by putting us on the backside of the fuel dock, but warned us ahead of time that is where we were going to go. Not a bad spot, we had power, water, and good WiFi there. It was a little far from the showers, but no worse than a lot of other large marinas. The women's and men's restrooms each had a single shower in them. Not fancy, but OK.

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Anchorage Review for English Navy Cove

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 29, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Anchor in 12' (tide was at .2' above MLW) on 100' of chain (to account for tide and bowsprit height)
Lots of room with pretty consistent depth in the low teens all around.
Good holding, the anchor came up muddy, but washed off ok.
We were there on a Saturday night and the nearby boat ramp was a bit busy, but most boaters were very good about passing us slowly. Only got hit by passing wakes a few times and none were too bad.
Good (Verizon) cell service.

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Marina Review for The Wharf Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 29, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Nice solid floating docks. Knowledgeable dockhands. As with most big marinas, unless you get lucky, it is a long walk to the facilities, but they were nice. New clean showers and restrooms all within a nice lounge area with 3 washers and dryers. Good WiFi.

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Marina Review for Turner Marine Supply Inc.

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 26, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

The staff was very accommodating, but the fixed docks with a short pier made it too difficult to get on and off our boat (we have a midships side gate). We stayed just one night. The restroom shower facility was not clean, so I showered on the boat.
Small West Marine next door. Well stocked with hardware, but not much for the comfort and clothes items.
Very slow WiFi.

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Anchorage Review for Big Bayou Canot North

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 26, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Deep, so not enough swing room with proper scope. Put out a stern anchor. Anchored in 18' (low tide) Needed a stern anchor to prevent swinging into shore. Cell service (Verizon) was good enough for internet video.

Pulled up a big tree stump with the anchor (it pays to have a good windlass). Got it off without too much trouble.

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Anchorage Review for Three Rivers Lake

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 26, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

There is no room in the creek to anchor because of all the fallen trees. There was just enough room to get by them into the lake in our 40'x14' boat. We saw no less than 10' of water in the creek. No (Verizon) cell service.
Anchor came up a little muddy. Anchored in 15' (low tide) Needed a stern anchor to prevent swinging into shore.

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Anchorage Review for Okatuppa Creek

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 26, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Anchored in 10' of water on 30' chain. Not a lot of swing room, but it was calm with good holding, so shortened scope rather than use a stern anchor. Voice cell (Verizon) ok, but no data. Current switched directions about 4 pm.

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Marina Review for Kingfisher Bay Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Nice new marina, friendly and efficient. Solid float docks with finger piers on both sides. The building for the excellent shower, restroom and laundry facilities is right on the main dock. A few more rules than your average marina, particularly with the courtesy car, but everything is so well run, it is a small price to pay. The quality of this marina is particularly noteworthy when you consider it is the only one in the area.

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Anchorage Review for Tombigbee Oxbow

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Anchored in 20' on 100' of chain plus snubber with enough swing room away from the banks, but the current kept us well away from the banks anyway. Lots of room. There were 7 boats the night we were there and there was room for several more. Barely adequate Verizon cell signal for working but slow internet access. Anchor came up so clean I couldn't tell what the bottom was, but judging from the bank it was sand.

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Anchorage Review for Lower Windham Landing Cutoff

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Saw at least 10' feet of water several hundred feet up. Turned back to where it was a little wider because the wind was bringing us toward the bank. 60' of chain and snubber. Not much current, so we swung with the wind, but enough room to swing so that no stern anchor was required. Anchor came up clean with just a little bit of sandy mud. Great (Verizon) cell signal.

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Marina Review for Columbus Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Helpful friendly staff. Floating docks with finger piers on both sides of the boat or a face dock (closest to the facilities). Depending on your dock, it can be a long walk to the facilities which are in the same building as the office and store behind the fuel dock. Single Toilet and shower all in the same room, only one for men and one for women. Two washers and dryers. WiFi is OK, but would lose internet connection occasionally. Dockside pump out $5.

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Marina Review for Smithville Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Rustic charm. New fixed docks, but some derelict boats scattered about. They have suffered a few storms, which is why the docks are new. The WiFi was excellent. $1.25/ft plus 2% cc fee. There's a sandbar to get around so call for directions in. We saw no less than 10' of water all the way in.

200' face dock with 3 power pedestals and plenty of cleats. The dock is not big and solid, but was adequate for our 40' boat.

Not bad for an overnight stop but I would not stay here too long. Good spot to get to the Wilkins Lock from first thing in the morning.

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Marina Review for Bay Springs Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Beautiful (remote) spot, good facilities, restroom, showers, laundry, and lounge all in one building across from the dock. Friendly helpful staff. WiFi works well. Good jumping off spot to start the locks when southbound.

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Marina Review for Safe Harbor Aqua Yacht

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 23, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Large well protected marina. Good floating docks and lots of room in the fairways. Because it's large it is quite a walk to the facilities. Could not get the WiFi to work, but didn't ask for help either. Just used my cellular. Restrooms are new and clean, but there is only a single shower stall.

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Anchorage Review for Diamond Island

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 9, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Anchored in 18' of water on a shortened scope to keep us off the banks, but a gentle current kept us in the center of the channel all night long. Good holding and the anchor came up clean.

Weak Verizon signal, but with my MIMO antenna was able to get (slow) internet service and was able receive a voice call.

An occasional gentle wake made its way up the channel from passing tows, but it only caused a pleasant rocking of the boat.

Current and depth increased (by 2 feet) overnight. Pickwick dam, just upstream, must have increased the flow. Our Rocna 20 held fine though.

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Marina Review for Clifton Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 9, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Store has a little bit of everything. Transient dock close to facilities and restaurant. $1.50/foot or $1.25 with AGLCA discount. Excellent WiFi ( but there in the off-season). Easy in and out. Only complaint is that the toilet, shower, and laundry are a bit crazy. This is only one of each and they are in the same room! (Only reason it's not 5 stars)

The restaurant is great! Friendly staff and wonderful food. Do not eat on your boat!

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Marina Review for Cuba Landing Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 9, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Transients go on dock 5. Farthest from showers (only one each in the men's and women's room) They were clean but rustic, No WifFi. The ship's store was OK. $1/ft with Boat US discount otherwise $1.50. The dockhand was very good. Brand new (covered) docks. Narrow & windy channel,but well marked. Plenty of room once at the docks.

The dock master lives aboard his boat at the marina and said to call him any time, if we need anything.

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Marina Review for Paris Landing State Park Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 9, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

New concrete floating docks with large fairways. Only one shower room but clean and modern. Dock hand was friendly and helpful. Fuel was cheap, $3.29. Dockhand said they pride themselves on having the cheapest fuel around. Just an overnight for us and the restaurant was closed for the season, but overall we liked it and would go back, if we are ever in the area again.

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Marina Review for Green Turtle Bay Resort (Boat Works)

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Nov 9, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Big marina is very accommodating, with nice showers although there are only 4 shower/toilet rooms. Their transient docks were full when we tried to make our reservations, but they were able to get in on the far side of the marina. We had restrooms and showers there, but all other facilities, like laundry, were a quick dinghy ride across the bay (or 2-½ miles by road). (They were completely up front about this when we booked it.) Everything you need is here. Good ship store. Great service department. Three restaurants. Although I will say the restaurants were only mediocre, even the yacht club.

We left the boat and had some fiberglass work done, while we went home for a few weeks. They did a fine job at a fair price. Boat was ready to go when we returned.

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Marina Review for Paducah Transient Boat Dock

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Oct 7, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

One long face dock, very substantial and wide, floating on giant pilings. Boats tie up on both sides and there seems to be plenty of water on the inside. Has water and electricity, but no showers or rest rooms. Adam the dock hand was very nice and got us ice. The town's historic and quaint with lots of antique shops and restaurants and of course there are the famous murals on the flood wall. A good stop when traveling the rivers.

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Anchorage Review for Meramec River

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 30, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Nice little creek off the Mississippi River. There was 6' of water all the way in for us (about ½ to the RR bridge) even though the river was down (-1' stage at the St. Louis gauge, 9/27/21). Although a bit narrow at that water level. The banks were steep and muddy and the current kept us pretty straight so I didn't bother with a stern anchor. There was room for 5 or 6 boats even with a low river level. Verizon cell service was good.

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Marina Review for The Alton Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 30, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Solid floating dock with finger piers on both sides of the boat. Most are covered, except for a few slips at the end and the tee-heads, for taller boats. Excellent, new and clean restroom and shower facilities. There are 2 buildings, located so that no one has to walk too far. Public WiFi is slow.

They were very helpful in accommodating us (and at least 4 other boats) when we had to return for an extra night due to the long delay at Chain of Rocks Lock 27.

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Marina Review for Grafton Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 30, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Good place to rest before traveling down the Mississippi. Big marina with a store and restaurant. The individual shower rooms have a sink and toilet and are clean. However, if you are at the far end, on E or F dock, the facilities are a long walk away. Wifi works, but is slow.

Covered, solid floating dock with finger piers on both sides of the boat, unless you are on a tee-head because you are over 20' tall.

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Anchorage Review for Norfolk & Western Railroad Bridge - north

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 30, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

The red buoy is closer to shore than is charted, but we were able to find room to anchor just north and inside of it. The river level was down (at about 2' stage at Valley City on 9/20/21), so we didn't have a lot of water. Dropped the anchor in 7' but drifted into less than 5'.

Note: Bridge is hailed as "Valley City" by passing tows.

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Anchorage Review for Quiver Island

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 30, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

The old coal plant is no longer operational, but there were signs of some activity at the dock. It looks like wind turbines are being delivered there by barge. No barges when we were there, just some equipment on the dock. The river level was low (at about 5' stage in Havana)', but we found 7' of water with just enough swing room.

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Marina Review for Illinois Valley Yacht Club-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 24, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Nice club. Very nice showers and restrooms. Great bar. Very helpful and friendly staff. WiFi worked, but was slow. A tight turn to get in and out of the basin, but certainly doable. It has a very long "C" shaped dock, so if you are on the far end, like we were, it is a long walk to the facilities.

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Marina Review for Henry Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 24, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

This is a rustic spot with no amenities, except for 30A power and ice. They use an abandoned lock for transients that I found to be charming. Old but workable. The wall is made of cut stone blocks, so it is actually pretty smooth and had various heights, so we were able to pull up to a spot where my wife could just step off the boat to tie a line without help. The owner was very honest about the condition of the wall. She even texted photos to us before we arrived. A stone wall and rebar to tie, is not ideal, but we have had to deal with worse. We felt safe and secure for the night there and on this part of the Illinois River you don't have a lot of choices. The town is about ½ miles away and has a grocery, hardware store, and few restaurants. I wouldn't want to stay here long but for an overnight stop it was great. The current owners bought the property just recently. It has a lot of potential and I think they can turn it into a really great spot.

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Free Dock Review for Ottawa City Dock

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 24, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Nice town, lousy dock. Fixed concrete and steel dock with wooden posts and some cleats. Dock is about 3 feet above the water with nothing but air under it, so placing fenders was a challenge. Even the bottom of wooden posts were so far above the water (~2') our rub rail went under them. The water was deep enough, though, and once we got secured we found a lovely town.

Good groceries and liquor stores about ½ miles away. Great Mexican Restaurant, El Jinete, a short walk away.

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  River stage = 459.0.

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Free Dock Review for Joliet City Dock

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 24, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Free wall, but was quite rough, bolts sticking out. Some areas of the wall are better than others. Some even have power, but because it is the first place to stop after a long run from Chicago many boats spend the night here. We had to tie up in front of a fence with no cleats. The fence posts were solid so, other than the convenience it was not an issue. We only saw other boaters so we did not feel that security was a problem.

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Marina Review for Burnham Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 24, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Huge Marina. Solid Floating docks. Each dock has its own locked gate onto a public bike & walking path. Showers and restroom on another (F) dock. There are 6 individual unisex rooms with shower toilet and sink. Tiled and reasonably clean. Nice bar and grill right at the harbor master's office and a very friendly atmosphere.

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Marina Review for Monroe Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 12, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Great location!

Right in downtown Chicago with the privacy of a mooring. The free launch service is good and runs late into the night, so you can enjoy Chicago. It will drop you off at the end of Monroe street. We walked everywhere from there. The view from our mooring of the city skyline was magnificent, particularly at night.

It is a very large harbor with a long fetch and hard walls, so waves reflect and amplify. It got very rolly on 2 of the 7 nights we were there. Mooring balls do not have any lines, just a big metal ring. You will have to use your own line. This creates 2 challenges: 1) getting a line through the ring can be a problem depending on how much free board you have and 2) a line on a metal ring will chafe, but for only $1/ foot right in downtown Chicago it is well worth it.

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Marina Review for New Buffalo City Transient Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 12, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

There is plenty of turning room in the channel approaching the fixed metal finger piers. They have both posts and cleats. The Michigan DNR website says the maximum beam for this marina is 13', but we called and were told they can accommodate up to a 16' beam. Our 14' foot beam boat fit just fine.

Nice park-like grounds with picnic tables and charcoal grills.

Good grocery store, Barney's, about ½ mile away that has beer, wine, and liquor too.
True Value hardware store less than a mile and a beach about ? of a mile away. Very close to an Amtrak station

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Marina Review for South Haven Municipal Marina - Southside Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 12, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Typical Michigan municipal marina (a good thing). Floating dock, both posts and cleats. Tight turn in the fairway, but not too bad. Close to town, but not right in it.

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Marina Review for Grand Haven Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 12, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Good marina, nice town. Long fixed finger piers from shore with both posts and cleats. The dock hands knew what to do (not always the case). The showers and restrooms were together in the same room and were clean.

A lot of motion for being at a dock. Waves seem to surge down the river with the right conditions.

Great little town. We were treated to the musical fountain show across the river and a free concert on Friday night.

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Marina Review for Pentwater Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 28, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Had to call the dock master on the phone as he was not answering VHF 9, but other than that no problems with the marina. Like others on the southern end of Lake Michigan. This harbor is a cut into a small lake, so is well protected and has plenty of maneuvering room. The docks, restrooms and shores were fine.

The town has a small grocery store as well as a marine store.

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Marina Review for Arcadia Veterans Memorial Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 28, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Half mile up a small lake, very well protected. Just a line of finger piers along the shore with both posts and cleats in typical Michigan municipal marina fashion. No town or much at all here, marginal cell service, but the marina has decent WiFi, good showers and restrooms.

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Marina Review for Leland Township Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 28, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Typically good Michigan municipal marina. Good showers and docks with both posts and cleats. The dock hands were great. We got hit with a gust as we were approaching the dock. They grabbed the lines and quickly tied us off.

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Marina Review for Petoskey City Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 28, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

A very well run marina. Unlike a lot of the area, they seem to have plenty of slips. Dock hands are competent. Clean shower and restroom. Showers are separate from restrooms and have no sinks or mirrors.

Petoskey is a nice little city. There is a great hardware store a ½ mile from the marina. It has a little bit of everything, including home goods, but no marine supplies. Excellent pizza and beer at Beards Brewery.

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Marina Review for Irish Boat Shop - Harbor Springs

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

$2/ft Mostly season slips, transients are on the tee-heads which are a little exposed to boat wakes. Very nice tile new and clean showers. Good WiFi. Harbor Springs is very upscale, not a lot there but upscale shops and such.

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Marina Review for Mackinac Island State Harbor (Harbor of Refuge)

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

A must stop for any boater in the area. Touristy, but in an authentic and quaint way (unlike Mackinaw City). A very busy marina but seems to be well managed. Decent docks with pilings between boats to offer some protection from docking mistakes by adjacent boaters.
Very good wifi, but open to the public.

Not much protection from ferry wakes, even on the inside slips. Extra lines and fenders are needed because of the rocking and rolling. Felt like being at anchor at times.

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Marina Review for Mackinaw City Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Decent marina in a Disney like town. New clean shower and restrooms, new clean laundry and lounge. We took the tour of the retired icebreaker USCGC Mackinaw, very interesting.

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Marina Review for Cheboygan County Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Solid wooden floating docks, with both post and cleats as is typical with Michigan marinas. Modern and clean restroom/shower good laundry (2 washers $1/load 2 dryers $1/load).

Weak cell service but good WiFi. The town has lots to offer and it is either a short walk or dinghy ride up the river. This is a good place to stay, if you don't want to deal with the lift bride or stay right in town (at the municipal marina).

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Marina Review for Rogers City Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 13, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Typical Michigan State Marina. Small town nearby. Nice solid floating docks with both cleats and posts. Modern restroom/shower, but could be a bit cleaner.

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Marina Review for Presque Isle State Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 13, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Great place to get away. No town, no WiFi, weak cell service, but crystal clear water with a nice cove and beach that is an easy walk or dinghy ride from the marina.

Beefy floating dock with both cleats and posts, decent restroom and showers.
There is a little general store and deli on site. It has good pizza.

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Marina Review for Harrisville Harbor of Refuge

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 13, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

New beefy floating dock with both cleats and posts., friendly staff, easy entry slips. Clean new restroom and showers, comfortable lounge with book exchange, good laundry ($2 for wash, $1.5 dryer), courtesy car. Great marina, but not much in Harrisville.

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Marina Review for Port Austin State Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 13, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

New beefy floating dock with both cleats and posts. The showers were clean, but no sink, mirror, or toilet. They are in a separate restroom. Free laundry facility.
Nice little town. Blue Moon Ice Cream was wonderful. They encouraged me to taste flavors before I ordered. Large portions, baseball size scoops. Fabulously decadent!

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Marina Review for River Street Marina aka James C Acheson Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

On the way up the Black River passed 3 lift bridges, the first is a RR bridge that is always open, next the Military Street opens on the :00 and :30 (VHF 9), then 7th Street opens after Military closes.

Big marina with about a half a mile of slips between the 10th and 7th street bridges. The dock office with showers and laundry is in the middle, but it is still likely that you will have to walk a way to it. Fixed wooden dock with posts and cleats are in decent shape. Where our slip was (48) the WiFi signal was useless (as with too many marinas). Only stayed 1 night, but had a good meal at the Vintage Tavern and found a good hardware store, Gill-Roys all nearby.

Leaving in the morning, there was quite a lot of boat traffic (8 boats) waiting for the first 7th St. bridge opening (at 8:15). We all had to wait between the bridges because only one bridge can be up at a time. No issues, but it did add some stress as we all had to get pretty close.

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Marina Review for Algonac Harbour Club

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Large marina off the river with a narrow entrance. Pool, laundry, Tiki bar and restaurant on sight. Another very good restaurant, the Catch-22 Bistro, nearby. Also close to a decent grocery store, two auto part stores, and a West Marine. They have both high and low fixed docks in a separate area, closer to the entrance, for transients. Slow WiFi.

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Marina Review for Motor City Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Kim was very helpful, she gave me her cell number, because they were having an event across the way at Grassy Island and there would be no one at the marina when we arrived. With her directions I had no trouble finding or getting into the slip. Solid fixed dock, a great marine store nearby. Showers were clean, no laundry.

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Marina Review for Portside Marina - OH

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Aug 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

There is a "hard dock" that surrounds the floating dock and acts as a breakwater. Part of it, the inside of the south section, to your left as you enter, is also used as a dock. That is where they put us. All the way down the end. It's long and narrow and can be a challenge with the wrong wind. They crame boats in there pretty tight, so you can get blocked in, but they seem to pay attention to when boats are coming and going. We were only blocked in when we didn't need to leave. Also the dock hands are very good. They know what they are doing. (Too many dock hands don't know enough to take a wrap on a cleat when you want to back down.)

They have 6 clean and modern unisex large shower rooms that are well laid out with enough shelves mirrors and hooks. The WiFi worked reasonably well even though we were way out on the end of the "hard dock."

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Marina Review for Oasis Marinas at North Coast Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 27, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Right in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The main reason to come here, but there are also the Great Lakes Science Center and the International Women's Air and Space museum very nearby and a West Marine less than a mile away. The docks are very good, floating and new with a nice rubber strip along the entire edge. The showers and restrooms were clean and adequate.

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Marina Review for Ashtabula Yacht Club-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 27, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Very friendly welcome. No need to be a member of a reciprocating club just pay $1.50/ft. Power, water, and use of washer and dryer is all included. The dock was a bit rickety, but solid enough. Decent showers and restrooms. Easy walk to town. There is a lift bridge to go under, but it opens every half hour 24/7, no need to call it.

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Anchorage Review for Presque Isle State Park

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 25, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Beautiful spot. It's a man made anchorage with consistent depth all around (15'). Lots of room for 20 or 230 boats. Surrounded by a nice park and well protected from all wind direction. I wish we could have stayed longer but we needed to move on.

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Free Dock Review for City Pier Park-Dunkirk Harbor

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 25, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

New dock with a different set up. Long horizontal pipe along the top to tie to. The face is a corrugated steel bulkhead so you need to get careful with your fenders. There is an 18" gap about every 18 inches, but it is all smooth and in good repair. The park itself is clean and close to town. There are no services (water or power) but it is free.

We were treated to a free concert (they are every other Thursday). Two good bands, Ion Sky and Uncle Tom's Remedy. It ended at 8:30, so it didn't keep us up too late.

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Marina Review for North Tonawanda Gateway Harbor Park

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

There are really two separate operations here. The north side is North Tonawanda Gateway Harbor while the south is Tonawanda Gateway Harbor. They are two different municipalities.

The north side has newer docks and are better staffed and maintained. It has low docks along the whole length. There are power/ water pedestals along most of it, except for the extreme wester end. The north side seems to have all the good restaurants, but not much else.

The south side has older high walls to the east with power/water pedestals, a floating dock in the middle with no pedestals and a low wall to the west of the Ellicott Creek with power/water pedestals, which is where we stayed. The water didn't work there, but did on the east wall, presumably due to the construction going on on the street above Overlook Park We chose this side because it is a little more isolated from all the restaurant/bar activity than the north side and is closer to a good supermarket, stores, and laundromat which are all on the south side. The south side dockmaster's house also has laundry, but only one machine.

This area is a very busy place, especially on weekends, but we saw several spots to dock on a Sunday afternoon. The docks really seem to fill up with day trippers around dinner time.

Be CAREFUL approaching the Delaware Avenue (middle) bridge. With all the boat traffic to pay attention to, while also looking for dock space, it was quite easy to inadvertently go under the north side of the bridge which is quite a bit lower than the charted height of the south side.

We were there for 3 days and never saw the (south side) dockmaster, so our stay was free :).

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  Waterway Guide is making edits to the listing.

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Free Dock Review for Canal Port Medina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 22, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Nice long wood covered concrete ~3' wall, lots of posts, several power/water pedestals and several ladders. We were able to tie up next to a ladder to make getting on and off the boat easier. The restroom/shower was adequate, but only one each for men and women. Typical for Erie Canal free docks. Medina is a quaint upstate NY town. We had an excellent, but not inexpensive, meal at Zambistro.

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Marina Review for Village of Brockport

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Very friendly people, we were welcomed to Brockport by a couple walking by. 3 people came to catch our lines. Jon was one, a volunteer dock master who just got off duty, he walked me to the dock office where Sue checked me in. Both super friendly. Dock is free and includes showers and a laundry facility ($2 / load). Electricity is $15. The showers and restrooms were reasonably clean and modern.

Brockport is a small college town, it has a bit of a funky vibe which we enjoyed. Had a great breakfast at Coleen's Kitchen.

Only minor complaint was that at our location (east end of the wall, near Custom House Bar & Grill) delivery truck noise was a little loud. But hey, it was a free dock.

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Marina Review for Village of Fairport

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

One of the best places to stop on the Erie canal. Not free, like others, but still cheap at $17/day max. Includes power and water. Modern and clean restroom/shower, but can be a bit of a walk depending on where your boat is docked. Lots to see and do in Fairport. Porterhouse restaurant is very good and reasonably priced.

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Free Dock Review for Lyons Dock on the Erie Canal

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Tied up to the small float dock east of the bridge, to make it easier to get on and off the boat, but the wall would have been better. We were there on a rainy Sunday and a group of young adults were fishing from under the bridge and playing the music a bit loud. They were harmless just having a good time, but it still spoiled our experience a bit. The other problem we had was that nothing was open, except one bar with live music, which was good music, but we were hoping for a more quiet meal.

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Free Dock Review for Village of Baldwinsville Docks

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Free docking, power is $5 for 30 amp and $10 for 50 amp hook up. Stayed 2 days. Decent floating dock. Close to town restaurants, a hardware store, and a Rite Aid (for ice) are all very walkable. Nice place to stop.

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Marina Review for Winter Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

More of a boat yard than a marina, but a fine marina too. Spent the night here to get engine work. Good WiFi. Clean facilities, friendly staff. Tom the owner was always around making sure things were well run.

We came in with an intermittent starting problem. Of course, the boat started fine when we were there, but the technician, Joe, was not deterred. He quickly found a wiring issue that saved me from buying a new starter and/or solenoid. He checked the whole engine over, answered all my questions, and even gave me his cell number in case we had an issue down the road. I am writing this a week and several locks later, the engine has started every time.

Finally, he came back to the boat just before we had left (I thought he had forgotten a tool) just to give us a list of restaurants in Baldwinsville, because I had mentioned that is where we were heading next.

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Marina Review for Portofino Restaurant & Events at the Utica Historic Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Nice floating dock, with 30 amp electric, water, and free ice from the restaurant. No other boats. Easy in. Nice restaurant right there, but not much else.

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Free Dock Review for Lock E16, St. Johnsville, Erie Canal

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Rural setting, not much there, but I can't say enough about how helpful the lock master was. (We had a transmission issue inside the lock - very scary!) He tracked down a mechanic who came out to our boat that night, diagnosed and fixed the problem quickly and only wanted $50 (we gave him more).

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Free Dock Review for Amsterdam West of Lock E11 North Wall

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Basically lock 11 is inside Guy Park. You can tie up on about a 3 foot wall on either side of the lock, but electricity is only on the far west wall. Lot's of goose droppings and frequent trains, there is a grade crossing at the park entrance so each train has to blow its horn going past the park, day and night.

Park was not well maintained, especially compared to some others on the western Erie Canal that are very well kept up. Everything in town was closed (Independence day holiday) when we were there.

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Anchorage Review for Unnamed Islands-Erie Canal

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Anchored in 20' of water on 80' of chain plus snubber, behind Island near Red "16" buoy. Not a lot of swing room between banks of weeds. But it was calm and the holding was good, so short scope was fine.

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Free Dock Review for Waterford Harbor Visitor Center

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

The beginning of Erie Canal good deals, free! Better than some marinas I have paid for. Friendly helpful staff clean showers and restrooms, but can get crowded. We arrived at 11:30 am and got the last spot on the floating dock. (It was the beginning of the 4th of July weekend and a steam boat festival had half the dock reserved.) There was room on the wall all the time we were there.

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Anchorage Review for Coxsackie Island

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Approached from the north. Only boat there, Anchor set quickly in 17 feet of water with mud bottom. Beware there is a tree stump that uncovers at low tide. It is charted, but not too accurately, from what I could tell.

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Marina Review for Hudson River Maritime Museum

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Dock master was waiting for us on the dock in the pouring rain, even though it was an easy in face dock and it was obvious where we needed to go. NIce waterfront business district, had a great pizza at Savona's. Cool little museum and Wayne at the wooden boat school next door gave us a private tour, while he was waiting for his night class to start.

Wanted to stay more than one night, but they were all booked up.

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Marina Review for Half Moon Bay Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

Called Steve the day before because I made a mistake on the dates I put into Dockwa. He corrected the dates no problem. He was very accommodating on the phone.

When we arrived he was not available, so we had to find the slip and dock on our own. He described the slip where to put into, but also said it was ok to take the first open one. There were several open slips. We took the one we thought he described, but it turned out to be the wrong one. He said we should move and we would be there in an hour to help us with lines. After an hour we decided to move ourselves. I never actually met Steve until later than night. He is a nice enough guy, but way over extended

The marina itself is OK, but not great. It is not as close to town as advertised, because it requires a circuitous route to get over some railroad tracks.

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  Marina Response:
  
  I am sorry that you experienced problems with docking. It is approx a 1/4 mile to the plaza where the Greek restaurant, Piatro is, and most others are under a half mile, easy walk that doesn't require crossing the railroad. The walk to the Ocean House, which is an award winning restaurant, and winner of top Zagat awards, is a quick walk along the RiverWalk pathway. Additionally, the welcome packet we provided does in fact include accurate distances from the marina to listed locations, verified through Google Maps, however if walking it can certainly feel longer than it is. We are continually updating the packet to make it as user friendly and as up to date as possible, and welcome your feedback. We would love the opportunity to have you back and show you a better experience than the one you had previously.
  
  Thanks!
  Steve Plotkin
  

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Marina Review for City Island Yacht Club

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Stayed for a brief overnight before a trip down the East River. Got a mooring right near the club dock so it was a very short launch ride. Mike, the launch driver, was very friendly. Took a quick walk around this unique part of NYC. Very interesting. Didn't use any of the shore facilities so can not comment on that.

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Anchorage Review for Cockenoe Island N

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Very picturesque place. Good protection only in certain wind directions, but when the wind is right it is a great place to stay. When we arrived, on a Sunday afternoon there were 10 or more boats anchored, but still plenty of room. By nightfall all had left and we had the place to ourselves. We will stop there again on our way back if the wind is right.

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Marina Review for Harbor One Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Stayed for a brief overnight on our way through Long Island Sound. Clean showers, helpful dock crew but limited hours (8a-6p), We needed Ice after 6 but couldn't get it.

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Marina Review for Mystic River Marina

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

Towed in due to a broken "fan" belt. I had a spare but it was too small (I thought). Lauren was great. She tracked down a slightly bigger one for me. (Long story, I didn't actually need it.) But she still gets credit for being very helpful.

Also a great breakfast place, Kitchen Little, on premises

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Anchorage Review for Port Judith Harbor - Sand Hill Cove

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Convenient overnight stop while transiting Rhode Island Sound, but not good for much else. We anchored off the public beach because the little cove southeast was full of fish traps. Consequently we were a little exposed to swell coming in from the east inlet. A little rolly, but the anchor held well in sand and mud and there is lots of room to put out all the scope you need.

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Marina Review for Point Independence Yacht Club

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jul 15, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Helpful and friendly low key club. Nice floating face dock for transients. In a quaint New England village. Good restaurants and a hardware store close by.

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Anchorage Review for Perty Cove

Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Jun 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

I counted about 20 mooring balls, mostly in Portuguese Cove. Still plenty of room to anchor. With a strong westerly wind (we had 10-15 SW, gusts to 20) it’s a little rolly but not uncomfortable. Anchor (44# Rocna) held our 40’ trawler fine on 100’ of chain in 22’ of water (at high tide).

It's a very scenic area with sunsets over the Boston skyline and views of many Boston Harbor Islands.

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