New London Waterfront Park

26 Reviews
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1 Waterfront Park
New London, CT 06320
41° 21' 5.37'', -72° 5' 41.65''
8604433786
VHF Ch. 9
$20/night
www.ci.new-london.ct.us
Groton
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park
New London Waterfront Park

Awards


Boaters Choice 2020Boaters Choice 2023

About


Waterfront Park offers: vessels trash removal and pump-out services, use of our coin-operated laundry machines, and secure head and shower facilities (access code obtainable from the Dock Master). Prior arrangements may also be made for electricity and water requirements. Simply contact our Dock Master for these services, and inquire about other boater conveniences and services available in the community. Please provide ample notice to facilitate arrangement of utilities. Some fees and restrictions may apply.

Prohibited at Waterfront Park are: Diving and jumping from piers, vessel rafting from docks and moorings, skateboard riding on structures and benches, and vehicles of any kind without permission of the Dock Master. By city ordinance, open containers of alcoholic beverages are prohibited on city-owned property, but these may be enjoyed responsibly onboard your vessel. During major events and in cooperation with the New London Police Department, please be advised that coolers, backpacks, or strollers will NOT be allowed to enter Waterfront Park. There will be checkpoints before entering the waterfront. During major events like Sailfest, please leave your pets onboard your vessel.

Reservations: At any time of the year a vessel may apply for reservations for regular docking or seasonal mooring. The Dock Master has discretion on accepting or denying reservations for docking or mooring vessels at Waterfront Park.

The Dock Master begins accepting Sailfest mooring reservations on the first Monday in March each year for this popular three-day waterfront/fireworks event. For current event information, visit www.Sailfest.org.

Can accommodate vessels to 300' in length and 18' feet of draft

Connecticut Harbormaster of New London: David W. Crocker 860-443-6304

Berth Capacity


Slips:10
Moorings:20
Linear Docks:197 Feet

Approach


Upon vessel arrival the captain/operator may contact the Dock Master at VHF Ch. 9 or 860-443-3786.

Services & Amenities

Last Updated: Jan 19, 2024

Dockage:Yes
Moorings:Yes
Water Hookup:Yes
Transient Storage:Yes
Dinghy Dock:Yes
Pump-out:Yes
Restrooms:Yes
Showers:Yes
Laundry:Yes
Trash:Yes
Groceries:Within 5 Miles
Medical Facility:Within 5 Miles
Pharmacy:Within 5 Miles
Hotels:Yes
Restaurants:Yes
Beach:Within 5 Miles
Pet Friendly:Yes
Fixed Docks:Yes
Floating Docks:Yes
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Verified

I liked that it wasn't crowded and really didn't mind the trains and ferries at all. Took me a minute to find the showers since they're about a block away. Unfortunately the laundry wasn't fully functional and the bathrooms nearest my dock are locked overnight. Otherwise, I had a good, productive time in New London. Captain Scott's lobster dock is a must visit.

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Verified

For us it was a quick overnight stop heading south. Very reasonable price and while it was a little rolly from wakes during day it calmed right down at night. Early morning trains woke us by 5:30 am which was fine as we planned to leave very early

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Verified

We decided to stay on one of the New London Waterfront well-maintained moorings to ride out the forecasted high winds from Hurricane Lee as it passed offshore and we were please with the entire experience. The mooring field is well protected from all sides, especially North, but the fetch from all other directions is short and would have been safe even in low to moderate tropical storm winds. Restrooms and showers were clean and downtown offers a good selection of excellent restaurants, bars, entertainment and shopping. The Garde Arts Center, Customs House Maritime Museum, annual Maritime Festivals featuring visiting Tall Ships, and many colonial era buildings round out the historical and cultural opportunities that make this City worth visiting.

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Verified

We had another great visit. The activity here gives a chance to see a lot. Ferries, trains, the Coast Guard EAGLE, the rebuilt state pier and wind farm products delivered and construction still going on. New London Harbor may not be for everyone. There is movement from all the harbor activity. The moorings are fine. The mooring field is well protected from most wind directions. Maybe more movement from a strong East or Northeast, and less from the Northwest or Southeast/west direction. The "Welcome Message" by email had all the codes for the gate and showers and lots of information. Leave your dinghy at two locations: City pier or Customs House pier. We ate ashore and had some sandwiches at the Blue Duck.

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Verified

We stayed on a mooring. Very secure, well protected anchorage. The pricing is great! There are lots of restaurants and things to do in walking distance, and the waterfront is a nice place in general. The downside is it's the noisiest place I've ever stayed. The Amtrak trains run right by the moorings. Each time one comes by, it's accompanied by loud ringing bells that go on forever. And the horn on the trains are incredibly loud. So if you're planning an overnight and want peace and quiet, this isn't the place to go.. Also, the facilities leave much to be desired. The rest-rooms are not locked and are open to the public. No TP in the men's; no running water in the ladies. The showers were locked with the keypad, and weren't the cleanest, but were probably usable..

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Verified

Great place to pickup crew coming in on the train. Nice restaurants in the area. Only boat on a mooring.

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Verified

The reservation system run by the city waterfront park was a little hinky, resulting in a couple of moves from one mooring to another before we could settle down. Other than that, we enjoyed a wonderful experience, and the fireworks show was, as usual, simply amazing seen from the water.

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Verified

We had an excellent stay

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Verified

Second time staying here. Once you get used to the train and ferry horns, it's a great place. Don't miss Captain Scotty's Lobster Dock. Long lines , but worth the wait.

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Verified

Good location, but staff didn’t respond to reservation request and doesn’t answer phone.

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Verified

everything went very well. The bathrooms were pretty bad though. Water didn't work in all stalls and they were not clean. Highly recommend this be addressed for next year.

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Verified

Great location, very accommodating staff! Dock in the heart of New London walking distance to everything. Good price. Cal and Barbara are very professional.

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Verified

Convenient location for downtown New London. Lots of horns from ferries and trains but not really a problem. There is a dockhand there during office hours. The laundry is some distance away.

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Verified

Great location. The restrooms are shared with the restaurant who should clean it much more frequently. The showers are separate but also need more attention to cleanliness. Hooks would be a great improvement also. No WIFI. Close to downtown with a great selection of restaurants.

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Verified

Great spot. Super convenient to everywhere.

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Verified

We tied off to mooring ball #1 which was closest to the dinghy dock and made for quick transits between the boat and shore. As everyone has previously stated, there is a lot of city noise; train horn every thirty minutes or so, a band playing about 200’ away, etc. I embraced it …. for one night. I was unable to reach anyone via telephone nor could I reach anyone on the VHF radio. Minor issue but as a normal courtesy, I like to communicate to make sure I am tying up at the right spot, not taking anyone’s assigned mooring, etc. The bathroom was open to the public and was well used. I preferred using the head aboard our boat. I will give kudos to the waterfront staff on resolving a minor Dockwa billing issue when I changed my reservation from four nights to one night. I was refunded the difference after exchanging several texts.

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Verified

The price is great and now we know why. On arriving,, Called the harbor master 3 times on Ch9 and never got a response. Came here to go to Defender Marine Labor day Monday, hardly any restaurants open. The bar on the wharf played crappy karaoke until 11pm and the incessant trains honking all evening...ugh! In a pinch ok...but sleepless noisy stay.

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Verified

I have really mixed feelings about the New London Waterfront Park Marina. The pier and dock facilities are fantastic - good quality concrete floating docks and abundant power posts with 30, 50 and 20 amp service. The location is outstanding - directly opposite the Amtrak station and between two ferry terminals. This is downtown New London and has abundant restaurant opportunities. The marina is part of a larger waterfront complex that features a long walk along the shore as well as a restaurant and raw bar of its own on one of the piers. The one negative about the location is the noise. The trains and ferries operate frequently during the day with lots of whistles and horns. There is also noisy construction going on at the nearby State Pier during the day. All of these things settle down at night. The big negatives to me are the so called amenities provided by this facility. The heads, showers and laundry are 1/4 mile away, near the aforementioned pier-side restaurant. We were told that the heads were locked and for use of the boaters, but they were, in fact, unlocked and used by the public on the pier. They were in decent condition. There are two showers which were locked, but one shower was being used as a storeroom for restaurant supplies. The other shower might have been nice if it were clean. It also needed hooks to keep clothes and towels off the floor. The laundry was also behind locked doors. It was dirty and full of scattered junk, including a large rusting fan. Additionally, there was a gate to the marina piers that was supposed to be locked. We were given the combination but it proved unnecessary since the lock didn’t lock the gate. Thus, the piers were frequently used by fishermen who clearly didn’t have a boat in the marina. Some even cleaned their catch on the pier. Finally, the marina is understaffed. It is not manned on weekdays at all so you’re typically on your own for timing up. There is supposedly staff on site on the weekends, but we were gone by then and couldn’t confirm their availability. Due to the noise and lack of quality amenities, I probably won’t come back to this facility in the future.

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Verified

This is the best deal in the Northeast on weekdays. It's perfect if you need a secure way of leaving your vessel for a few days. We were able to tie up our dinghy at the gated docks for no charge. Barbara was responsive and quick to offer her assistance. We didn't avail ourselves of the bathrooms or showers but they looked clean.

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Verified

Great spot. Lots of interest and safe. Staff was helpful. Showers and laundry were clean. We were a little rolly in a 24' boat during the day but attaching a stern line put our bow to it. Great spot. New York f Fireboat at dock was a treat.

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Verified

No one answers phone or radio, no staff at dock, locked bathrooms, showers at a separate location and the code we were given didn’t work. To top it off, charter boat next to us working all weekend with sanders, compressor, grinder... unbelievable racket plus dust. Do. Not. Stay. Here.

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Verified

When I called on vhf 9 I got no answer. I called the phone number asking for specifics on location and picking up the mooring. The woman chewed me out for not listening to the message and using Dockwa. I told her we did- and were now there for our mooring. I was told to pick up whichever we wanted, after I figured out where they were. No info given to us on barroom codes. No info as to where we could park our dinghy. (There is no launch). Follow up email with details on the area (restaurants and things to do) came the next morning -an hour before we were leaving Very poorly managed.

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Verified

Excellent city. A lot of restaurants and entertainment

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Verified

Simple, secure, easy, affordable

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There isn't much to this marina, it's not even really a full marina. It is the City's Waterfront Park that also has dockage available. They have showers and laundry for those that need it. What makes this marina so attractive is the cost and direct access to downtown New London. You only have to walk a few hundred meters to get to the best dining selections New London has to offer, including Tony D's if you don't mind walking just a half of a mile. I do disagree with the 2 star review presented because 1) all the moorings have pendants, 2) it's not a full service marina, it's docks and mooring balls, Showers and Laundry. That's it, and it's really really inexpensive.

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Verified

Lots of moorings, very few with Pendants. Ones with Pendants very close to shore, unclear if safe for 6ft draft. No dock master on Saturday, phone went to answering service. Supposedly there are showers/heads but without dock master/welcome package or pre-arrival email unclear where they were or if we were expected to share with public. If you like train whistles you will love this mooring field, if not you might want to avoid.

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