Approaches
The channel in to Fairhaven/New Bedford runs for about 4 miles from the open water of Buzzards Bay through a series of disorganized shoals to the Hurricane Barrier at the harbor mouth. It's easy to navigate day or night - straight, well marked and well lit. Especially in the dark, though, keep an eye on the slight cross-channel set.
Traffic in the channel is frequently busy. Commercial fishermen, ferries, whale watchers, boats under sail and boats under power are likely to pass in both directions throughout the day. Smaller vessels with local knowledge will cut in or out of the channel at just about any point. It's not crazy like an outdated interchange on Route 128, but it's a tough place to let your helmsman's attention wander.
Hurricane Barrier
The defining feature of Fairhaven/New Bedford harbor is the Hurricane Barrier - or the Dike as it's sometimes called locally - that protects the harbor entrance. It's a 4500 foot long earth and stone structure that stands 20 feet above high tide, with a 150 foot wide gate for boat traffic. Current through the gate does run over a knot, but it's not particularly turbulent and presents no great obstacle to a typical auxiliary sailboat.
The gate is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers. It's closed whenever storm surge threatens the port, and when astronomically high tides combined with weather make flooding likely. In a typical sailing season the gate may be closed a few times even if there is no significant tropical storm. Closures are announced on channel 16, and there is a system of traffic lights, described in a note on Chart 13230, that gives a 20 minute warning. Routine closures around big high tides may last only 2 or 3 hours; sailors who plan to get inside the dike for a storm, however, should arrive well ahead of both tide and weather.
Slips
Just inside the Hurricane Barrier on the right-hand side is the Fairhaven Shipyard -- a unique facility with three distinct businesses. For the cruising sailor it's a full-service marina with transient dockage and the ability to repair anything that breaks on your boat. It's also a busy shipyard with the capacity to handle construction and repair of the big draggers in the local scallop fleets along with ocean-going fishing vessels from all over the east coast. It's often host to several visiting mega-yachts as well.
The blend of such different constituencies gives the Shipyard a friendly and easy-going mood. And it's a great spot to walk around gawking at boats.
Pope's Island Marina is at the head of the harbor, on the bridge between Fairhaven and New Bedford. It's run by the City of New Bedford, but it's about the same walking distance to the heart of Fairhaven as is the Shipyard. They maintain several slips for visiting boats.
BSC Cruises
Starting with the 2009 season, the Boston Sailing Center is keeping 2 of our cruising boats at the Fairhaven Shipyard. Members interested in scheduling a cruise out of Fairhaven can look here for details.
