Boat Ramps for Trailer Sailors

An Explanation If you've read my activities page, you know that I enjoy sailing. I currently have a Coronado 15 named Aquila. However, I do not have a permanent mooring or anchorage for her; instead, she lives on a trailer in my driveway during the summer months, and I bring her up and down the New England coast towed behind my Geo Prism (and yes, I do get odd looks for towing a boat with a Prism). I soon discovered that it is really hard to find boat ramps that are suitable for launching a small sailboat. Sure, there are onlione listings of boat ramps in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that I've found. The problem is that many of these sites are intended either for fishermen or luxury motor boat owners (for whom power lines, bridges, narrow channels, and strong currents pose no problem), or for kayakers and canoeists (for whom stretches of mud, sand bars, and shallow water poses no problem).

Aquila being de-rigged on her trailer at night, after a long day of sailing (and paddling) in Hingham, MA

Maine Ramps

Camp Ellis
Description: This was a pretty nice boat ramp. There was a fee ($10 or less, I don't remember exactly how much), but it was well worth it as it gave access to a nice parking lot that was not very crowded and provided ample space to rig the boat and park the car and trailer. The ramp itself is right at the mouth of the Saco River, behind a pier that shelters it from offshore breezes. There's a bit of a current when the tide is running, but it's not too bad. You can either sail a short distance up the Saco River or sail out into the Atlantic and around some really picturesque islands and beautiful coastline (complete with lighthouse). The only disadvantage was that the ramp goes dry at dead low water. A shallow draft boat should be fine up to within two hours or so of low tide. (We tried to come home at dead low water, and were stuck! Fortunately, four guys on another sailboat had the same problem, and between the seven of us we manage to carry both boats across the mud on onto the trailers.)
Directions: Take I-95 North to Exit 36 (I195) towards Saco. Then take Exit 2A (US Route 1 South) toward downtown Saco. In the center of Saco, turn left onto Beach St., which should turn into Ferry Rd. Follow Ferry Rd. along the Saco River all the way to the end, arriving in the little beach town of Camp Ellis. I don't remember exactly where the boat ramp is, but it should be on the right somewhere, and in any case Camp Ellis is tiny (only a few square blocks) so there shouldn't be any trouble finding it.

Wells
Description: Really quality boat ramp. Double wide ramp, no fee that I recall, ample parking and space to rig the boat. A nice location, too--the ramp is near the mouth of the Webhannet River, and once you get out of the rivermouth, there's some really beautiful Maine coastline to sail along (although not quite as varied and picturesque as the coastline near Camp Ellis and the Saco River described above). But there's one catch. Just downriver of the boat ramp, the river runs down a very narrow southeast-northwest channel between two breakwaters before it opens out into the ocean. The channel is perhas 100~200 yards long, but very narrow, and when the tide is running it roars through. In a light wind, there's no hope of overcoming it. Even if the wind is strong, if you find yourself tacking against the wind and the tide in the narrow channel, it'll take a lot of skill and time to get through. (We were there with a strong southeast wind and a fast incoming tide. It took about 45 minutes to tack the length of the channel, sometimes gaining mere feet per tack, and get out into the ocean. Once we got out, it was a beautiful sail, though). Be careful! If you don't have a motor, be sure that you have either a strong easterly wind or (preferably) an incoming tide at the end of your sail, or you might not get home very easily! I suppose if the tide is high you could sail upriver through the saltmarshes instead of going out to sea, but I didn't try and don't know how expansive the channels in that area are.
Directions: Take I-95 North to Exit 19 (ME Rte. 9), and head east towards Wells. When you get to downtown Wells (it will be a T-junction; you will be forced to turn), turn left (north). Make an immediate right onto Harbor Rd. As I recall, there are signs there indicating a boat ramp that way. Follow this road to its end; the boat ramp will be right there.

New Hampshire Ramps I'm from New Hampshire, and for a long time stored my boat there. I've found a diverse range of places to sail, from the rocky (yet diminutive) New Hampshire coast, to the beautiful inland tidal waters of Great Bay, to inland lakes. Lake Massabesic Description: Lake Massabesic (pictured to the right) is a moderately sized lake that lies in Auburn and Manchester NH. Like most lakes, it is surrounded by low hills and trees and tends to have light, shifty breezes and a lot of rocks. However, if you want to avoid the crowds and go for a gentle sail in a pretty place, it can be a lot of fun. There are three boat ramps in the main (deep) part of the lake. One (near Auburn Center) is suitable only for canoes; one (Deer Neck Boat Landing) lies at the end of a rock-strewn, narrow channel and has practically no parking, but the third is very useable, with a moderately sized parking lot where a boat can be rigged, a nice (but small) ramp, and a little dock where sails can be raised. An added bonus--there's a fantastic ice cream shop less than a 10 minute drive away (follow 121 west past the rotary, it will be on the left). Directions: Take I-93 to Route 101 East. Get off at Exit 1 (Bypass 28) and go south. After a very short distance, you will come to a rotary. Go 3/4 of the way around the rotary to get on Route 121 East. Follow 121 and watch for the entrance to the boat ramp (it looks like a dirt road) on the right.

Carol with my Coronado 15 Aquila on her maiden voyage, at Lake Massabesic in Manchester, NH

Great Bay (Adams Point)
Description: There are supposedly a number of nice launch ramps on Great Bay, which is a large inland tidal basin off the Piscataqua river in southeastern NH between Durham and Portsmouth. Unfortunately, I don't seem to ever have launched at one. Adams Point certainly is not a very nice ramp. It's only useable at half tide or higher, very muddy, shallow, and with very limited parking. Plus it's hard to get to. Plus it was fairly busy the day I was there. But it is free! And possibly less well known than some other area ramps. And once you launch (provided the tide is high enough), its a very nice place to sail. Great Bay itself is very pretty, with lots of wild fowl. Or you can sail downstream through Little Bay and eventually come to the Piscataqua River at Dover Point.
Directions: Ready for this? Take I-95 to Exit 4 Route 4/Route 16 (West and North, respectively). The intersection is a little confusing, but well signed. Where 16 and 4 split, stay on Route 4 West. Get off on Route 108 towards Durham/Newmarket. Follow 108 for about a mile (you will have to make a left turn at one point to stay on 108). Take a left onto Bay Road. Follow Bay Road for about three and a half miles, and then turn left onto Adams Point Road. The boat ramp will be right on this road, I think (it's been a while since I used this ramp, so I'm deferring a bit to Mapquest).

Great Bay/Piscataqua River (Hilton Park)
Description: I confess--I have never launched here. However, I have driven there to check the ramp out, and I have sailed up to it after launching elsewhere, and it looks decent. Nice little park to picnic at, moderate amount of parking and space to rig the boat, paved ramp, no fee that I could tell. I've heard that the ramp is somewhat shallow and not suitable for big boats. The ramp opens out onto the junction of the Piscataqua River and Little Bay, which in turn connects the Great Bay. Pretty area, but beware of strong tides. The ramp's main reccommendation is that it is easy to find.
Directions: As above, take I-95 to Exit 4 - Route 4/Route 16 West/North. Follow Route 4/Route 16 until you cross a big bridge. The entrance to Hilton Park and the boat ramp will be on your right immediately after crossing the bridge.

Rye Harbor
Description: This is hands down the best ramp I've found in New Hampshire. It's on the ocean, so there's typically good winds. It's in a sheltered harbor that opens right out into the ocean. No long narrow channels (like at Wells). No bridges or power lines (like in Hampton). Currents are not an issue (like they are in Portsmouth). Tides are no problem--the ramp is suitable at any tide (at least for a small boat). There's ample parking and set up space, and a dock near the ramp where you can tie up. There is a fee, but it's under $10 and well worth what you get. There are only two disadvantages. First, during the peak season on weekends the ramp can get very busy, so wait times can be long. Secondly, the New Hampshire coast is fairly boring. You can sail north and look at crowded beaches and waterfront mansions, or you can sail south and look at crowded beaches and waterfront mansions, or you can sail east and look at water. But if you like ocean sailing, it's a great boat ramp. One interesting thing you can do, if the wind is right, the weather is good, and you have plenty of time, is to sail out to the Isles of Shoals. It's a long sail--the islands are between 7 and 8 miles from Rye harbour, so it's a 15+ mile round trip! If you try it, be warned that the coast curves at roughy a constant distance from the Isles, so be sure you either have a compass or a clear sightline to a landmark to find your way home. Otherwise, you could sail back to the mainland and accidentally end up miles from where you started!
Directions: The harbor is right off Route 1A, just north of Rye Beach. It is very well marked. Unfortunately, there's no particularly easy of getting there from an interstate. All though it's not particularly direct, I would reccommend taking I-95 to Exit 2, Route 101 WEST (away from the ocean) for one exit. Get off 101 onto Route 111 EAST and follow 111 through North Hampton all the way to where it ends at Route 1A at the ocean. Turn left onto 1A North and continue past Rye Beach to the harbor. This route is mainly back roads and avoids downtown Hampton and the Hampton Beach area in particular, which are traffic nightmares during the summer. It also avoids downtown Rye, which I find a very confusing place to try to drive through.

Massachusetts Ramps You'd think that, since I live in Massachusetts, I'd know about a lot of ramps and places to sail. Nope. The truth is, there are only a few that I know really well and like, so I haven't looked around much. Clammer's Beach, Essex Description: This is where I spent my sumemrs growing up and where I learned to sail. It's an absolutely beautiful place--a tidal river estuary filled with expansive marshes, senic islands, and white beaches, much of which are protected nature reserves. Nevertheless, I wouldn't reccommend it to the general public. The currents are strong, and much of the river, including the two boat ramps, are only accessible at half tide or higher. There are countless hidden rocks, dead end channels, and submerged sand bars. And the boat ramps aren't great. There is a marina with a ramp up town, on Route 133, but I have never used it. It's all the way up river, beyond a narrow, often becalmed section, and clogged with motorboats (it also might not be open to the public, or might have an exhoribtant fee--I don't know). The ramp that I use is at Clammer's Beach, on Conomo Point, at the mouth of Jimmy's Creek. It's a shallow gravel ramp, with a rocky, uneven surface and practically no parking. Plus you often have to compete with droves of kayakers who take up a lot of the ramp, the parking near the ramp, and the river itself. One other warning--from mid July to early August, all the wetlands of the North Shore, including Essex, are overrun with greenhead flies. These little buggers have about the size and reflexes of houseflies, have bright green heads and voracious appetites, and will descent on boaters in swarms. When they bite you, they don't pierce like a mosquito; they take a chunk of flesh and leave you bleeding. Consider yourself warned. Directions: Take I-95 to Route 128 North. Follow 128 until Exit 14--West Gloucester. At the end of the ramp turn left onto Route 133, towards Essex. Either you can follow Route 133 all the way into Essex until you come to the marina uptown near Woodman's (mmmm...Woodmans). Or you can turn right just after passing the Red Barrel Pub onto Harlow St., follow Harlow until you come to Conomo Point Road on the left, and follow Conomo Point Road to Clammer's Beach. The boat ramp is on the right, a few hundred yards past where Robbins Island Road splits off to the left. But the only parking is in a tiny little lot or on the roadside, and signs claim that it is "Sticker Parking Only".

A rowboat on one of the many Essex River channels through the marshes in Essex, MA. This is a picture I found online. If I get a chance, I'll put up some better pictures of the river that I have taken.

Schrafft's Building, Mystic River
Description: Talk about urban sailing! At the back of the parking lot of the Schrafft's Building at Sullivan Square in Charlestown, MA, is a boat ramp that allows one to launch on the Mystic River, just a little ways upstream of the Tobin Bridge. This ramp is attractive because it is the only public access to the inner Boston Harbor that I have found that is suitable for sailboats (there are two other ramps nearby--President's Landing a little further upriver off of Route 28, and a public ramp on the Little Mystic Channel, further east in Charlestown, but both of these lie upstream of at least one low bridge). However, the scenery here is...unique. The ramp is immediately opposite the Port of Boston loading docks, and freighters and tankers are frequenly found here, often escorted by state police or Coast Guard patrol boats that may board and search nearby small craft! The entire area is surrounded by concrete walls, rotting piers, huge rusting ships and old cranes. Sail downstream a little and you will pass under the mighty Tobin Bridge and into the Boston Inner Harbor, which has nice views of the waterfront and (eventual) access to the Harbour Islands and the Atlantic ocean, but where you'll be sharing the water with lots of other craft from other small boats to huge ferries, freighters, and tall ships. The ramp itself is privately owned but open to the public on weekends, and is apparently useable at all tides. However, it is quite narrow, so some backing skill is required. Also, I understand that they only allow a certain number of boaters per day, as their parking may be limited.
Directions: From the north, take I-93S to Exit 28 (Sullivan Square); bear left at the fork in the ramp to get to the Sullivan Square Rotary and take the third exit. From the south, also take Exit 28, but turn right off the ramp onto Washington St and enter the rotary from a slightly different location--take the second exit. Immediately turn into the Shcrafft's Building parking lot on the left. At the guard booth, tell the guard that you want to use the boat ramp--you may have to sign in or show ID, and then the guard will open the gate. The ramp is at the back of their parking lot. Yes, it's a little random to find a boat ramp in the back of a corporate building's parking lot.

Hingham Harbor
Description: Absolutely the best boat ramp in the Boston area. There are ramps nearby in Weymouth and near Savin Hill, but I haven't heard particularly good things about them and have only ever gone to Hingham when sailing south of the city. The ramp is paved, double wide, and next to a beach where sails can be set. There's ample parking and space to rig the boat (though I have seen this ramp be very busy, I have never failed to find a parking space). There are restrooms nearby. The ramp opens into Hingham Harbor, which is sheltered, pretty, and has only weak currents. Best of all, it's free and completely open to the public. From Hingham Harbor, you can sail out into Hingham Bay and throughout the outer Boston Harbor. You can land on one of the many parklike Harbor Islands, you can sail up into the inner harbor and see the Boston waterfront, or you can sail past Hull into the Atlantic. There are only two problems with this boat ramp, both pretaining to location. Hingham harbor is large and very sheltered and the boat ramp is all the way in, so expect light airs (or no wind at all) when sailing all the way in and out through the many anchored boats. Also, the boat ramp is somewhat far from any major highway, so it takes a little while to get to.
Directions: Though not the most direct route, this way avoids having to drive through Weymouth and Quincy centers and also avoids a drawbridge, all of which can cause lengthy delays. Take Route 3 to Exit 14, Route 228 North. Follow Route 228 until you come to Central Street, and bear right to follow Central (rather than turning right to stay on 228). When you reach the center of Hingham (Central Street will end), turn right onto North Street and follow it to the waterfront. Turn left when you get there and the Hingham Beach and boat ramp will be immedately on your right.

Rhode Island Ramps

Colt State Park, Bristol?
Description: This was quite a while ago, so I'm not 100% sure this is the boat ramp we went to (there are several listed in Bristol), but if my memory is correct, it is. A really nice concrete ramp, useable at all tides, plenty of parking, apparently free, and opening out on right on the Narragansett Bay a little bit north of Prudence Island. A bit of a trip from Boston, but when we arrived there we thought it was well worth it. Until we discovered that the boat was broken and we couldn't actually launch. :-( Somerwhere on the highway between Boston and Bristol, the stepping plate on the butt end of the mast had worked loose and fallen off. We couldn't put up the mast and drove around futilely searching for an open marina that might have a suitable replacement part. Since it was a Sunday, we had no luck. It was a shame, too, because it was a beautiful day with a crystal blue sky and a pleasant breeze. Still, I would reccommend this boat ramp.
Directions: Take I-93 south to Route 24 South. Follow 24 into Rhode Island (it gets a little confusing in Fall River near the border, as 24 briefly joins up with I-195, but just keep following the signs for 24). Take Exit 2 (in Rhode Island, of course) towards Bristol and the Mount Hope Bridge. Bear right a few times to end up on Route 114 North and cross the bridge. Follow 114 all the way through downtown Bristol. After passing through the town you will eventually see Colt State Park on the left. Enter the park and follow the signs to the boat ramp.