Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea

71 Reviews
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Reed Park
Manchester, MA 01944
42° 34' 23.14'', -70° 46' 13.51''
978-473-2520
VHF Ch. 9
$3/ft
www.manchester.ma.us
Manchester Harbor
Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea
Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea
Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea
Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea
Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea
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Awards


Boaters' Choice Elite Fleet 2019Boaters' Choice 2020Boaters' Choice 2021Boaters' Choice 2022

About


Manchester-by-the-Sea is one of Massachusetts’s hidden treasures. The town’s new transient docks offer visiting boaters direct access to the center of this quaint New England town. Right from the docks you can walk to a variety of restaurants, shops, parks and beaches.

Enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants Manchester has to offer, or if you’re looking for a relaxing day on the beach, Singing Beach, is walking distance from the docks. The walk is shaded and you can pick up an ice cream cone or a cup of coffee on the way.

Manchester-by-the-Sea is a beautiful harbor and we look forward to sharing its beauty and character with you.

-The Manchester Harbormaster Department

Berth Capacity


Moorings:200
Linear Docks:356 Feet

Approach


Please plan for a starboard side tie-up.
Minimum Approach Depth:8.0 Feet
Minimum Channel Depth:8.0 Feet
Mean Low Water Dock Depth:8.0 Feet

Services & Amenities

Last Updated: Sep 30, 2022

Fuel Dock:Nearby
Gas:Nearby
Diesel:Nearby
Dockage:Yes
Moorings:Nearby
Anchorage:Nearby
Maintenance Facility:Nearby
Dinghy Dock:Yes
Pump-out:Nearby
Trash:Yes
Ice:Nearby
Boat Ramp:Nearby
ATM:Yes
Groceries:Within 5 Miles
Alcohol:Yes
Medical Facility:Within 5 Miles
Pharmacy:Within 5 Miles
Restaurants:Yes
Beach:Within 5 Miles
Tennis:Within 5 Miles
Max. Vessel LOA:60.0 Feet
Max. Slip Length:260.0 Feet
Max. Slip Width:8.0 Feet
Fixed Docks:Yes
Floating Docks:Yes
Repair Crane:Nearby
Engine Service:Nearby
Propeller Service:Nearby
Winter Storage:Nearby
Travel Lift:Nearby
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Verified

Friendly, helpful staff on dock. Location is great for access to downtown. Only issue is vehicle parking is very, very limited.

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Verified

Asst harbor master great help docks great. Best location for a lunch or dinner wonderful dock hands Manchester is a very well run operation. Great place to go

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Verified

The harbor is beautiful, the restaurants and stores easily accessible and the Town makes the whole experience enjoyable.

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Verified

Always very accommodating and helpful

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Verified

Harbormaster was terrific!!!!

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Verified

Beautiful sheltered harbor with walk on access to the beautiful little downtown. What’s not to like??

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Verified

Easy harbor to enter with a great sturdy dock. Very safe place

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Verified

Beautiful harbor. Dock is extremely calm. No services (we did not have power or water, not sure if those are available), no showers or laundry. However, easiest access to town, which does have lots of stuff. Great spot to pickup and drop off crew as commuter rail is right there.

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Verified

Great place to dock. The Harbormaster met us and was super helpful. We were there for a day trip and used the first come first serve slips. \n\nSlips are minutes from downtown restaurants and shopping. This is my 4th trip and it was as good as the first 3 times there.\n

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Verified

The docks were in great shape!

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Verified

Dock staff and harbor master were beyond helpful. The location does not have shore power, wifi or restrooms. There is a hose for water and the harbor master will pump out. Great location that should be even better once they complete their planned improvements (restrooms & power etc) which are planned for 2024 but not definite. Train goes by a lot as expected but did not find it too loud. Downtown is a block away and singing beach is a 15 minute walk. Overall a great location and would definitely return.

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Can't say enough good things about these folks. The Harbormaster was super responsive before we arrived helping us understand the modality of their dock. Then the assistants in the dock were very motivated and professional. Finally we had a mechanical failure leaving the harbor had to nurse out boat back to the dock to do repairs and they were once again very understanding of our situation and cooperative to the max. Aside from that it is a very well protected harbor, the town is very quaint and the vibe around the whole bay there seems very vibrant. Hope to get our boat fixed and come back next season with more time !

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Verified

Always enjoy coming here. Very easy dock to approach and tie up to. The kids on the dock are fantastic - they will work to accommodate fitting you in when the dock seems full. Only thing I would like better is if they accepted reservations. Very busy on the weekend and if you strike out there, you’re not docking anywhere else’s in town.

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Verified

The Harbormaster representative treats visitors with kindness, intelligence, and a cheerful disposition. Although the new facilities are also awesome, my ratings reflects mostly his contribution to the overall experience.

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Verified

The stay was fine yet the Dockwa app should be modified to be able to reserve a paid in advance dock or mooring in advance. Using the app to pay on a first come, first serve basis defeats the purpose of using the app to plan on advance.

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Verified

Always a favorite trip for us. The charm of the harbor and the village make for a great day trip! Perfect for a warm fall day cruise. The person manning the dock was pleasant and helpful. Not everyone grabs your lines.

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Verified

The Harbormaster and staff are very welcoming and very helpful. The dock was new 4 years ago and there are plans to expand it to almost double. The dock is all the way up to the head of the harbor which is picturesque and tranquil except for the lobstermen rolling out at 5:30 am with their dry stacks yacking. (but you have that everywhere). The check in and out times are 4pm in and 10 am out which is different than most other places. They do this to accommodate the high volume of day trippers. My only complaint is not with the facility but with the dockwa page that says they have water, electricity and pumpout which they have none. Although elec and water are planned for the expansion and expected summer 2024. Given a couple of thousand boats in that harbor I'm surprised they don't have pump out facilities or a boat. Oh and WiFi would be great since we all live by it.

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Verified

Super easy! The dock hands were amazing and friendly. Had breakfast locally. Definitely recommend.

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Verified

Great dock crew and superior dock conditions. Very welcoming

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Verified

Made room for us and we’re very helpful securing the boat. Always a pleasure visiting Manchester by the Sea

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Verified

Great and we made reservation at last minute on a busy Saturday and the gentleman working dock made room for us and helped tie us up.

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Verified

The Manchester Town Landing is a great destinations on the North Shore for day trips or overnights. The docks are in excellent condition (all face dock so easy in and out), and the crew that works there are always friendly and helpful. The location is great as the landing is located "downtown" so you have a park next door, Captain Dusty's Ice Cream (seasonal), Cala's restaurant, Crosby's Grocery Store (so you can arrive without groceries), and many other restaurants and shops to explore. Note - There is no shore power (yet?), but overnights are easy. DR

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Verified

Seriously! A PUBLIC dock, yet we have to pay $8 to grocery shop.

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Verified

Hannah provided excellent customer service! Thank you!

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Verified

Nice spot for short term stop. Very friendly and helpful dock staff

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Verified

Big improvement. Plan to use to get to restaurants.

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Verified

We came to Manchester for lunch and brought friends along for the fun. It was easy and the dock folk were gracious and helpful. Extending the dock would be perfect.

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Verified

Super friendly dockhands!

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Verified

Maddie was very helpful in assisting with docking and providing information. We loved the town of Manchester and had a great lunch at Cala's.

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Verified

Tied up in late afternoon in order to patronize local restaurant. Worked great! As an aside, neighboring Salem has "public" dock space with a "strictly enforced" 20 min limit. Good for picking up Pizza?? Only other alternative is a private marina that is kind enough to let you stay for any part of a day for $4/ft. Use Dockwa Manchester - Great docking arrangement and great town to visit.

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Verified

We have been in 3 times and this time we finally got room at the dock. $8 to stay for the day I thought was pricey but if we had gone to the beach it might have been worth it. We just went for lunch. Not too much to do in the area. Nice spot to stop though

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Verified

This was an amazing experience. It was our first trip to Manchester and itvis our new go-to spot. The Harbormaster Brian was very accommodating and directed us to our dock, he got back to me within 10 minutes of my reservation on Dockwa. The harbor is simply beautiful with gorgeous views and many unique boats, especially thecsail boats. Our dock was right where everything is such as restaurants and souvenir shops. Tobtop it off, a Dunkin Donuts for the morning time!!! Highly recommend!!

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Verified

The crew at the Dock were awesome and so friendly. This was my first dockwa experience and it went smoothly and the crew working gave me some great tips going forward too. Awesome town!

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Verified

The gal that checked using was awesome. Helped us dock and then a very nice kid helped us out! Super service!

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Verified

Pleasant staff and a great location! This was perfect for the night as we had a guest aboard who was flying out of Boston the next morning and the commuter rail is right across the street. Restaurants and groceries are also a short walk away. The edge of the dock was lined with old firehose attached accordion style, offering good protection while docking. There are no bathrooms or showers and no hookup for electric or water, but hopefully that will change in the future.

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Verified

easy app to utilize!!!!!

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Verified

The young lady on duty was wonderful..she was very accommodating as she was able to find us dockage..

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Verified

Nice town to visit. We'll protected harbor and dock with helpful friendly staff. Good restaurants and a grocery store. Commuter rail access is very close. Will definitely put this on the return list. PS... No power and limited access to fresh water on the dock.

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Verified

Easy to use excellent service

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Verified

Easy docking and helpful information

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Verified

Always an easy stop with a welcoming staff member. Appreciate the consistently good service. Thanks

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Verified

Great visit! Was planning on a couple hours but stayed about 6! Great docks, really nice staff including Max and Brian the dockmaster.

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Verified

Effortless docking, clean docks and great help. They were not clear that the first half hour was free.

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Verified

Nice dock and short walk to lunch The dock girl was very friendly and easily found our reservation

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Verified

Yesterday I docked my boat at this marina. I payed and went to get some food. When I returned to my boat, I noticed some people moving it forward on the dock. I asked them what was going on, and they were generously helping me. The dock attendant had moved my boat so far back while I was gone that my motor was slamming into the boat behind me. When I alerted the attendant of the problem and the damage he had caused to my motor, he stated that he “thought it was only hitting the rub rail” on the boat behind me. This is unacceptable. He failed to offer any compensation.

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Verified

Great spot. Easy to get in. So happy to be able to make a day trip reservation in Manchester!

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Verified

The young man on the dock was extremely patient with me while I was trying to log into my account. He was polite and pointed out some jellyfish to the children on board-he was a big hit!

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Verified

The dock is very conveniently located, the harbormaster staff was very cordial and the sweet town is very conveniently located. However, $3.00 per foot to dock with no amenities at all (no water,electricity, showers, etc.) is a bit high.

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Verified

Great location, great dock helpers, wonderful stay!

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Verified

Great! The convenience, access and protected harbor are always a plus with plenty of quick assistance from the Dock Masters. I will certainly be back!

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Verified

Are used to be free for a transient tied up but eight dollars is not too bad also they have too many spots reserved for overnight given the current environment

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Verified

Very helpful and accommodating staff. Great location in downtown Manchester plenty of restaurants within walking distance. Would give it 5 stars if they had facilities. No bathrooms or showers. Also, be ready for the occasional train to pass through last one ran by around 10pm on Sunday.

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Verified

Easy in, easy out. Very pleasant and helpful dock hand.

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Verified

Excellent Harbormaster Dock Hands on reservations and accommodating dock space for overnight stays. Very attentive Harbormaster Dock Hand "Mattie" in particular assisting in navigating Dockwa app setup and confirming reservations. All other Harbormaster assistance's while at the dock were excellent!

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Verified

Reserved two nights here at the town dock through Dockwa. Unfamiliar with the harbor, I called on VHF channel 9 for directions but no one answered. This was daytime and several people with radios were actually standing on the dock at the time, but apparently declined to answer. As we arrived no one moved or looked our way so we landed ourselves and tied up. As soon as we were tied a young person with a clipboard arrived to greet us. There were two such young people but all they do there is something to do with clip boards. Over the two days we were there several other boats arrived and no one assisted them in docking either other than maybe pointing to a space along the dock. We helped them all if we were there. Let us be generous and assume it has something to do with the virus. The town is beautiful and the dock is right in town. There is no electricity or water at the dock. Water is available at the top of the ramp. Bring a bucket or something. There are no bath or shower facilities either. Dockwa lists the cost at $3.00 a foot per night or $8.00 per hour for daytrips. This is inaccurate or deceiving at best. We were charged $99 per night for two nights for our 33' boat AND $8.00 per hour for the hours of 10am to 4pm between nights. I found this outrageous, but the Harbormaster opined it was "Just like a hotel." I did inquire about pump-outs and I was immediately serviced by a pump-out boat that parks at the dock. I was grateful for that. The Harbormaster informed me that there is at least six feet of water dockside. Nice town to visit. Fabulous location for the docks. Questionable pricing policies. Dockhands of no use in docking, only clipboarding. No facilities. No electricity, so who needs a shower anyway?

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Verified

Idyllic harbor and setting. Unfortunately the town dock is next to the train and that is a little disruptive. Right now they are doing construction through the night. Great staff, good helpful folks.

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Verified

Always nice there, love the restaurants.

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Verified

Manchester By The Sea. Great support from the dock! Will use it all the time!

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Verified

Excellent service and friendly dock staff. Definitely a repeat visit. Quaint seaside community with great ability for provisions, shopping and wonderful restaurant gathering spots for friends to share good times.

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Verified

Really nice time had ice cream at Captain Dusty’s

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Verified

Great place to visit. A hidden gem. We’ll be back!

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Verified

We stayed for an hour and had a nice lunch in town. Great new layout with lots of space. We will be back.

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Verified

Great brand new docks and super friendly and helpful harbormaster. We will definitely return again.

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Verified

great location and the harbormaster and his assistants were welcoming and very helpful.

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Verified

Great stay. Town dock is brand new. No water or power, yet; but the location to town and the friendliness of the dock workers more than made up for it. It does get shallow at low tide so if you draw more than four feet, be careful. One of the nicest harbors of our five week trip!

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Verified

Easy and right next to the restaurants!

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Verified

The deck hands were extremely polite and helpful. We will be back. Great docking

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Verified

Dock master was very pleasant and helpful. Great facility.

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Verified

We had a fantastic stay on the brand new docks right in the heart of town. The Harbormaster and his staff who manage the docks could not have been more helpful and friendly, ensuring we had the best stay possible. We have already booked a weekend in July and another in August!

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Verified

Nice friendly and helpful staff

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Verified

5 stars, easy docking and friendly attendants

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