Approaches
Our first visit to Gloucester is still the most memorable. Chased in by a rising southeasterly and surfing the six foot waves that had turned us back from Provincetown, we arrived after dark. But the powerful light on Eastern Point is visible a long way off, a 45 foot tall red light clearly marks the end of the breakwater at the Dog Bar, and the entrance is otherwise free of obstructions. Once inside, the seas diminish steadily as the harbor narrows towards town. There are several good options for spending the night.
Anchorages
Lighthouse Cove, inside the breakwater and just north of the mooring field, offers decent holding and protection from 3 sides. The considerable fetch to the west does mean that it's often rolly. Its chief advantage is convenience for a late arrival and an early departure. Southeast Harbor is a bit further in, slightly further indented, and shoals a little more gradually towards a beach. It offers similar protection, less activity, and nice views of Ten Pound Island.
Western Harbor, in the upper left-hand corner of the outer harbor, can be a nice complement to the anchorages in lower right. It's protected from southwest around to north, has depths in the teens relatively close to shore, and overlooks the attractive city-owned Stage Fort Park. Proximity to the Blynman Canal entrance does make for some concentrated traffic on busy weekends.
Within the inner harbor is a trapezoidal Anchorage Area between the North and South channels, and southwest of the line between nun "2" and can "3". Depths are around 15 feet at low, and the bottom is mud. The channels on either side will be busy with fishing boats, but they usually go slowly enough that their wakes are only a minor nuisance. If you can accept a little commotion, anchoring here gets you the closest to the center of town.
Moorings
Just inside the breakwater, Eastern Point Yacht Club maintains an extensive mooring field with 9 transient moorings. The moorings are first come, first served, but we've always found one open. The club offers launch service and facilities for visitors, but it is over two miles to town. The atmosphere tends to be quiet, although you may feel a little exposed. Call on 71 when you enter the harbor.
As you proceed up the harbor there are moorings, with increasing degrees of protection, behind Ten Pound Island, beyond the Anchorage Area, and in Smith Cove. About 30 of these are city moorings, and may be reserved by calling the Harbormaster. Brown's Yacht Yard has a few transient moorings in the Inner Harbor. All the moorings get busy during Gloucester's several festival weekends.
Slips
Brown's also has a number of slips available for visitors, off of the south channel of the Inner Harbor. It's a friendly place with a relaxed dockside feel. They take reservations, and suggest that availability is pretty good, with the exception of Labor Day weekend (Schooner Festival) which can book up a year in advance.
The most protected water, if not the quietest night, is found in Smith Cove, where the Madfish Bar and Grille and The Studio both offer dock space along with dockside dining. A little further in, low-profile Bickfords Marina at the head of Smith Cove may have slips open.
