Boat Rental Questions: Islesboro

My family is renting a cottage in Islesboro Maine this summer (second week of july) and have a strong interest in renting a small boat for the week. We%26#39;ve never been to Maine and have little experience in boating but would love to engage in some boating/fishing

1) I can%26#39;t seem to find a place on Islesboro that rents boats. Is is possible to rent a small boat in camden and travel to islesboro?

2) Are there any places on Islesboro that rent boats for the day/week

3) Is lack of boating experience going to limit our options?

4) Do we have other options?

thanks

Boat Rental Questions: Islesboro

it depends on what kind/size boat you%26#39;re looking for. islesboro is a small island, but you can usually rent kayaks if you just want to see the island. theres also a boatyard on the island that in the past has rented boats, but i don%26#39;t know if they still do. my family has a house there but i havn%26#39;t been to the island since summer %26#39;05, so i%26#39;m not sure how current my info is for you. but just a heads up: make sure you do to the dark harbor shop, it%26#39;s some of the best icecream i%26#39;ve ever had. and the island market makes alot of their own deserts and premade dinners, and they are delicious ( I worked there for 4 summers, i should know). I hope you like the island as much as i do.

~Steebs

Boat Rental Questions: Islesboro

You might contact whoever is renting the cottage and ask them for advice. They might know someone you can hire to take you out.

Maine%26#39;s coast is rocky and the tides are drastic and a spot that is perfectly safe at high tide could be treacherous at low tide. I%26#39;d be a little afraid to rent a boat if I didn%26#39;t have experience boating in Maine.

Hi mightykeq,

I have to second LovingMaine%26#39;s post re: be very careful about renting a boat on your own. Maine%26#39;s coast can be stunningly beautiful, but very challenging for boating. You really need to know how to read a chart and pay attention to the tides, etc. Plus there%26#39;s the wind, heavy fog which can roll in, in minutes, and when you least expect it, sudden squalls too. I know. Been there, done that!

I think the suggestion of renting kayaks for a few hours might be a good idea if you%26#39;re at all familiar with them. Or possibly take one of the tourboats to see the area or even a Windjammer day cruise.

Or I';m sure there are guided fishing trips you could book. I know in the BBH area there must be at least a half dozen different ones that either take you way out to open ocean to catch the %26#39;big one%26#39; or right along the coast in more protected waters to catch bass. So there must be the same in the Isleboro/CAmden/Rockland area. I can%26#39;t imagine there wouldn%26#39;t be.

Don%26#39;t mean to totally scare you but you really need to know your stuff to boat around here. It%26#39;s not like a calm inland lake or river by any stretch and that%26#39;s what makes the coast so appealing. It can be wild and wooly and very dramatic one moment and calm and peaceful the next. You never know :).

Good luck!

cozyharbor

With some luck , try asking at the dock, usually there are locals who will take you around for a price. At least that is how it is on Swan%26#39;s Island. If not, maybe there are kayaks for rent, either there or on the mainland. You just might have to stick with the ferry for your comings and goings.

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