As always, probably...nah, definitely, the premiere marina in the northeast. friendly, prompt and professional staff. facilities maintained to the highest order....already planning weekends next season. oh...the only negative about this marina is the local charters who seem to delight in STEAMING up the fairways at four am. they know exactly what they're doing and their intention is to be as disruptive to visitors as possible....there is no other explanation for >10kts inside the basin.
This is one of my favorite harbors, and is a great destination. I have been coming here for years, But this marina really needs to start tightening things up. The Marina is run mainly by kids, with no semblance of rules or enforcement. And if left to their own, the boaters who frequent this marina don't typically display any ettiquette at all. You don't play music so it can be heard 100ft away, and nobody wants to hear you and your spouse singing springsteen( I mean honestly, this couple is just belting it out!). You and your crew shouldn't get so sh*tfaced that your neighbors have to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't fall overboard. Don't smoke 4' from your neighbor(this marina attracts smokers for some reason?). Don't take your frat party to the bulkhead, there are 30 bars within a quarter mile, go act like a meathead there. shut the f*ck up after 11. You carry your home ports name on your transom, and you make your home port look like trash when you act like trash. The facility itself is ok, it's pilings and a bulkhead. The power and water work with good reliability. Staff responds on the radio and is always there to help you tie up. The gas dock is always crowded on sunday, so fill up prior to tieing up, or make the run to Falmouth harbor on the way in/out. ok, I've read this in other reviews and it bears repeating until something is done: The bathhouse is a nightmare. It is in poor repair and usually less than tidy, it needs rehabbing but until then, regular attention. Worse than the bathhouse are the drug addicts, homeless and downright insane people who occupy the area right outside. These people require toilets and running water and this seems to be their location of choice. They meet there and have animated conversations about all the other island lunatics. Anyone staying at that end of the harbor is familiar with grey-haired-ponytail/topknot-eccentric-millionaire-guy. He is a self appointed island celebrity, self-proclaimed son of wealth in some island royal family...he patrols the back corner of the harbor sometimes tweaking on heroin, ranting while he bathes in the bathhouse sinks, taunting other meth-heads on bench #2 or just walking up and down the bulkhead swearing. I will not stay within 15 slips of the bathhouse, I will never shower in there until they improve that area. The solution to this problem seems to be locking the bathhouse at dusk instead of increasing police/security in the area. If I travelled with kids I wouldn't let them near this bathhouse un-escorted. The mooring field has a real "lake havasu" vibe, with 4-5 boat raft-ups. edgartown solved this problem and it's time for OB to do the same. Many of the issues at this marina could be solved with posting signs at every slip reminding boaters of basic ettiquette. Hiring a security guard or police detail to patrol the bulkhead and the bathhouse would make this a great marina in a great location.
Edgartown does this RIGHT. A MUCH different atmosphere from OB an it's MUCH more relaxing! They require reservations for all moorings, and they charge for raft-ups so it cuts way down on the hooligans. Launch is provided by a private company and is well run, but takes awhile(15mins for pickup), bring a tender for timely service. I did not use the showers/water/fuel/trash dock so I don't know how well this operates but in general I hear it's very good. Overall the experience in E-town is much more upscale, low-key and adult. The kids who run this harbor for the harbormaster do a very good job.