Boston Whaler 420 Outrage42' 6"
View Specs & ReviewThree harbours, three regimes — and the season is decided in February
Yachting in Martha's Vineyard
A Minted Location · Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Choose the wrong harbour on Martha's Vineyard and the boat you just bought does not fit. That is not a figure of speech. Three harbours sit within five miles of one another on the same north-east shore of one island, and their published ceilings are 275 ft, 110 ft and 90 ft. There is no island-wide number, and any single figure quoted for the Vineyard is an average of three regimes that share nothing but a postcode.
Vineyard Haven takes the biggest hulls. Tisbury Wharf Co. states that its facilities "can accommodate ships up to 275 feet in length with a maximum of an 11 foot draft" — and it is a working commercial and bunkering wharf rather than a yacht marina. Oak Bluffs med-moors yachts to 110 ft across 81 slips and 50 moorings. Edgartown, the famous one, is the most restrictive of the three: 90 ft on the dock, 65 ft on a mooring, at $9 per foot with a $450 minimum nightly charge.
The second thing to know is the calendar, and it is worth more than any length figure on the page. Reservations open in February for a season that does not begin until Memorial Day weekend. Oak Bluffs opens on Dockwa on 2 February at 10:00. Edgartown opens dockage at 10:00 EST on Thursday 19 February and moorings at 08:00 EST on Monday 2 March — and states in its own words that "we do NOT keep waitlists." Miss the window and there is no queue to join.
If you are reading this in January, you are early. On this island, early is the whole game.
Where to keep a yacht in Martha's Vineyard
Vineyard Haven — the size, and the working wharf
Tisbury Wharf Co. takes ships to 275 ft with a maximum 11 ft draft, across three piers where "there is ample space for large and smaller vessels." It sells Shell fuel and lubricants, advertises bunkering services, and offers dockage at all three docks with advance reservations recommended. Read that description before you plan around the number: bunkering, three commercial piers and an 11 ft draft allowance make this a working wharf that can take a large yacht, not a yacht marina that happens to be large.
The town side of Vineyard Haven is a different proposition entirely. Tisbury's town moorings lie inside the breakwater and are rented first come, first served — contact the harbourmaster on Channel 9, with Dockwa also available. The Owen Park town dock gives 15 minutes free, and its overnight policy is unusually candid: "Overnight dockage is only accepted after privately-run marinas are full." The depth at the end of that dock is 6 ft at low tide.
Edgartown — the famous harbour and the hard cap
Edgartown is where the restrictions live, and every one of them is published. Dockage is capped at a 90 ft maximum LOA "including all platforms, pulpits, bow extensions etc" — the wording matters, because it is measured over everything. Moorings cap at 65 ft. Dockage runs $9 per foot with a $450 (50-foot) minimum nightly charge; moorings are $55 per day or night. In July and August there is a 7-night maximum per calendar month. Booking is Dockwa only — no phone, no walk-up — and the club-style courtesies you might expect do not exist: "we do NOT keep waitlists."
The change that catches returning boaters is nearly a decade old and still surprises people: "As of 2017, there is no more free day-use or first-come, first-serve field; All Moorings are distributed by assignment, regardless of length of stay." There is no on-site parking either. The season runs "Memorial day weekend through the End of the derby" — the only harbour calendar here that is closed by a fishing tournament rather than by a date.
Fuel is at the North Wharf fuel dock: gas and diesel, first-come first-serve, on (508) 627-5050.
Oak Bluffs — 110 ft, med-moored, and a by-law at the entrance
Oak Bluffs is the Vineyard's large-yacht answer between the other two. The town marina runs 81 slips and 50 moorings and can med-moor yachts up to 110 ft, with a new fuel dock carrying gas and diesel, a launch on VHF 77 and harbour guidance on VHF 71. Reservations for the 2026 season open on February 2nd at 10AM on Dockwa, with a 30-foot minimum charge.
Two conditions define the place. First, the moorings cannot be reserved at all — they are entirely first come, first served, and "we raft a maximum of four boats per mooring during peak season. Rafting during our peak season is mandatory." If sharing a mooring with three strangers in August is not your idea of a holiday, book a slip in February or go elsewhere. Second, and unusual enough to be worth a sentence of its own: a noise by-law gates entry to the harbour. In the town's words, "Vessel that do not comply with the noise levels will not be allowed in Oak Bluffs Harbor."
Yard work — 50 ft, and a call before you book the lift
The island's haul-out capability is small and clearly stated. Martha's Vineyard Shipyard in Vineyard Haven hauls up to 50 ft in length, full service year round, monitoring VHF 73, 16 and 9. The tonnage is published two ways on the yard's own site: 25 tons on the hauling page and 20 tons on the services page. The length agrees at 50 ft — plan against 20 tons and confirm the weight by telephone before you book a lift.
Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway, also in Vineyard Haven, covers repair, restoration, maintenance and storage, systems and rigging, and Tisbury's own harbour brochure lists it as a source of private rental moorings. Above 50 ft, an island boat hauls on the mainland.
Menemsha sits at the western end of the island and is the Town of Chilmark's harbour — call the town for slip and mooring availability before you plan a stop there.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tisbury Wharf Co."Our facilities can accommodate ships up to 275 feet in length with a maximum of an 11 foot draft." Read it in context: this is a working commercial and bunkering wharf, not a yacht marina, and the 11 ft draft allowance and the fuel bunkering are the tell. "With 3 piers, there is ample space for large and smaller vessels." | Vineyard Haven Harbor — three piers on the Beach Road waterfront | 275 ft | — | Shell fuel and lubricants; bunkering services available |
| Edgartown HarbormasterThe most tightly defined regime on the island, and all of it published. Dockage caps at a 90-foot maximum LOA "including all platforms, pulpits, bow extensions etc" — measured over everything, not hull length — and moorings cap at 65 ft. The change that still catches returning boaters: "As of 2017, there is no more free day-use or first-come, first-serve field; All Moorings are distributed by assignment, regardless of length of stay." No on-site parking. Season runs "Memorial day weekend through the End of the derby." | Edgartown Harbor — two fixed docks at North Wharf | 90 ft | — | See the North Wharf fuel dock |
| Oak Bluffs MarinaEighty-one slips and 50 moorings, and "can med-moor yachts up to 110'" — the Vineyard's large-yacht answer between the 275 ft commercial wharf at Vineyard Haven and Edgartown's 90 ft cap. Launch on VHF 77, harbour guidance on VHF 71. A noise by-law gates entry: "Vessel that do not comply with the noise levels will not be allowed in Oak Bluffs Harbor." | Oak Bluffs Harbor — town-run, through the harbour cut | 110 ft | 81 | New fuel dock with gas and diesel |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgartown Yacht ClubThe club states its offer plainly: "The Club regrets that it does not offer dockage, moorings, trash disposal or showers." What there is: clubhouse, dinghy dock and launch service, three days a season. Launch on VHF 72. Host of the 'Round-The-Island Race, a 55-mile circumnavigation of the island. | Edgartown Harbor | — | — | — |
Fuel docks
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Wharf Fuel DockEdgartown's fuel, run off the harbourmaster's own wharf. Confirm hours and alongside depth on (508) 627-5050 before you come in. | North Wharf, Edgartown Harbor | — | — | Gas and diesel |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Martha's Vineyard
Getting between the Vineyard's own harbours is trivial. Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven is 2.0 nm and Edgartown to Oak Bluffs 4.6 nm — straight-line distances, so the water you actually run is a little longer. Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole is 5.2 nm on the same basis, Cuttyhunk 14.4 nm, Newport 32.8 nm.
⚠️ Getting across to Nantucket is the decision to take seriously. Between the two islands lies Muskeget Channel, and NOAA Coast Pilot 2 does not hedge about it: "The channel is subject to numerous shifting shoals. Although this channel is partly buoyed, strangers should never attempt it as tidal currents with velocities of 2 to 5 knots make navigation dangerous." Coast Pilot records 3.8 kn flood and 3.3 kn ebb about a mile and a half east of Wasque Point; NOAA's current predictions for July 2026 at station ACT1706 peak higher still, at 4.35 kn flood and 3.60 kn ebb. Woods Hole's Strait is comparable at 4.00 kn flood, 3.94 kn ebb. Cross Rip, by contrast, predicts 1.37 kn.
That is why the straight-line distances between the islands read shorter than any sensible route: Nantucket to Edgartown is 19.7 nm, Nantucket to Oak Bluffs 23.1 nm and to Vineyard Haven 25.0 nm — but the run you would actually make is longer, because the shoals decide the track, not the compass. Twenty miles apart with that channel between them, the two islands are two cruising decisions rather than one.
Approaching Edgartown itself is the easy part: the buoyed outer-harbour channel carries depths of 20 to 36 feet almost all the way to Edgartown Harbor Light. Where you may not stop is published just as clearly. The designated anchorage sits in the outer harbour to the south side of red nun #8, alongside Chappaquiddick Beach, "All sand on the bottom." Katama Bay is closed to anchorage, except at the harbourmaster's discretion in north to north-north-east conditions, and Cape Pogue Bay requires a call on VHF Channel 74 first.
Inside Vineyard Haven, the speed limit is 4 mph inside Buoy #6. At Oak Bluffs, hail the launch on VHF 77 and the harbour on VHF 71; at Tisbury, the harbourmaster is on Channel 9 for a town mooring.
At the western end of the island, Menemsha is the Town of Chilmark's harbour — call the town before you plan an arrival there.
- Tisbury Town Moorings & Owen Park Town Dock — Vineyard Haven Harbor — inside the breakwaterThe Owen Park dock gives 15 minutes free, and the town is unusually straight about the rest: "Overnight dockage is only accepted after privately-run marinas are full," and "The depth at the end of the dock is 6 feet at low tide." Speed limit 4 mph inside Buoy #6. The Tisbury Wharf Co. is the harbour's fuel.
- Oak Bluffs mooring field — Oak Bluffs Harbor — 50 mooringsThe most consequential sentence in this market for anyone picturing a quiet night at anchor: rafting up to four boats on one mooring is mandatory in peak season, not a courtesy. The largest band "is for larger vessels 50ft to 70ft". Confirm the band and the raft with the harbourmaster on VHF 71 before you rely on either.
- Edgartown outer harbour anchorage — Outer harbour, south side of red nun #8, alongside Chappaquiddick Beach"Located in the outer harbor to the south-side of red nun #8, alongside Chappaquiddick Beach… All sand on the bottom." Two limits are published alongside it and both matter: Katama Bay is closed to anchorage except at the harbourmaster's discretion in north to north-north-east conditions, and Cape Pogue Bay requires calling on VHF Channel 74 first. The buoyed approach channel carries depths of 20 to 36 feet almost to Edgartown Harbor Light.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha's Vineyard ShipyardThe island's haul-out ceiling, and it is 50 ft. The yard publishes the tonnage two ways on its own site: "up to 50 ft in length or 25 tons" on the hauling page and "up to 50 ft. in length or 20 tons" on the services page. The length agrees at 50 ft — plan against 20 tons and confirm the weight by phone before you book a lift. Above 50 ft, an island boat hauls on the mainland. | Vineyard Haven Harbor | 50 ft | Full service year round; monitors VHF 73, 16 and 9 |
| Gannon & Benjamin Marine RailwayRepair, restoration, maintenance and storage, systems and rigging. Tisbury's own harbour brochure also lists it as a source of private rental moorings, which is worth knowing when the town field inside the breakwater is full. | 30A Beach Road — "Situated in Vineyard Haven Harbor" | — | — |
On the Martha's Vineyard calendar
The Vineyard's season is bracketed by two very different events, and the harbour calendar literally depends on the second one.
Vineyard Cup, July 9–12, 2026, run by Sail MV — confirm the schedule with the organiser before you book travel around it. The Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair runs August 13–16, 2026, and Grand Illumination Night in the Oak Bluffs Campground is "Wednesday, August 19th, 2026 at 7pm" — the single busiest evening of the year in that harbour, and worth knowing about if you were hoping to arrive on a first-come mooring that day.
Then there is the derby. Edgartown's harbour season is defined as "Memorial day weekend through the End of the derby" — the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby is what closes the season, not a date on a calendar. The awards ceremony is published as "Sunday, October 18"; confirm the start date with the derby organiser if you are planning a late-season departure.
The Edgartown Yacht Club's 'Round-The-Island Race — a 55-mile circumnavigation of the Vineyard — is next published for July 31, 2027.
Across Muskeget, the other island runs its own calendar: the Figawi Race from Hyannis to Nantucket on May 22–24, 2026, Nantucket Race Week August 6–16, 2026, and the Opera House Cup on August 16, 2026 as its grand finale. Useful for judging where the fleet will be.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Martha's Vineyard
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cruise between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket easily?
Not casually, and NOAA Coast Pilot 2 is blunt about why: of Muskeget Channel it says the channel "is subject to numerous shifting shoals" and that although it is partly buoyed, "strangers should never attempt it as tidal currents with velocities of 2 to 5 knots make navigation dangerous." NOAA's own current predictions for July 2026 peak at 4.35 kn on the flood. Nantucket lies 19.7 nm from Edgartown and 25.0 nm from Vineyard Haven in a straight line — the run you actually make is longer, because the shoals set the track. Treat the two islands as two separate cruising decisions.
When do Martha's Vineyard dockage reservations open for 2026?
In February, for a season that does not start until Memorial Day weekend — this is the single most useful thing to know about the market. Oak Bluffs opens on Dockwa on February 2nd at 10AM. Edgartown opens dockage at 10:00AM EST on Thursday 19 February and moorings at 08:00AM EST on Monday 2 March, both through Dockwa only. Edgartown states plainly that it does not keep waitlists, so there is no queue to join once the slots go. Tisbury's town moorings inside the breakwater are first-come, first-served on VHF Channel 9, so there is no booking window to catch there.
What does it cost to dock or take a mooring in Edgartown?
Dockage is $9 per foot with a $450 minimum nightly charge, which is the 50-foot rate — so a boat under 50 ft pays the minimum regardless. Moorings are $55 per day or night. In July and August there is a hard 7-night maximum per calendar month, and every mooring is distributed by assignment: since 2017 there has been no free day-use and no first-come, first-serve field at all. Booking is through Dockwa only, there is no on-site parking, and the harbourmaster keeps no waitlists. Oak Bluffs, by comparison, charges a $50 flat mooring fee with a 30-foot minimum on slips.
Can you dock and dine on Martha's Vineyard?
Not in the sense of tying up outside the restaurant — Vineyard dining works from a berth or from the tender. Book Oak Bluffs or Edgartown on Dockwa in February, or take a Tisbury town mooring on VHF Channel 9, and go in on foot or by dinghy from there. The Owen Park town dock in Vineyard Haven gives 15 free minutes for a drop-off, Oak Bluffs puts the harbour in the middle of the town, and in Edgartown every mooring is assigned and dockage caps at 90 ft. Where you intend to land a tender, ask the harbourmaster first — VHF 71 in Oak Bluffs, Channel 9 in Tisbury.
What is the largest yacht that can dock at Martha's Vineyard?
It depends entirely on which of the three harbours you mean, and the spread is enormous. Tisbury Wharf Co. in Vineyard Haven publishes the largest ceiling in the market — ships up to 275 ft with a maximum 11 ft draft — but it is a working commercial and bunkering wharf rather than a yacht marina. Oak Bluffs med-moors yachts up to 110 ft across 81 slips and 50 moorings. Edgartown caps dockage at 90 ft, measured to include all platforms, pulpits and bow extensions, and moorings at 65 ft. There is no island-wide maximum, and any single number quoted for the Vineyard is an average of three incompatible regimes.