ROCKLAND

44° 06.23’N 069° 05.95’W

4th ed. Cruising Guide page 198

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Charts: 13307, 13302, 13305

Chart Kit: 65, 68A, 19

Penobscot Bay overview chart Rockland harbor chart Facilities locator Breakwater cam Harbor cam Lobster cam!

ROCKLAND is the area’s largest city and Penobscot Bay’s largest harbor, full of commercial activity and, more recently, yachts. It lies behind a long breakwater on the west side of the bay. Fishing boats come and go, windjammers ply the waters, and the ferry departs and arrives from North Haven, Vinalhaven, and Matinicus. Rockland also has a major Coast Guard base with search-and-rescue capabilities.
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In 1765, Isaiah Tolman of Massachusetts moved with his 21 children to form an instant settlement at “the shore,” part of Thomaston, which became Shore Village and eventually Rockland. Not long afterwards, John Lermond moved from nearby Warren and established a logging camp at Lermond Cove, called Catawamteak or “great landing place,” by the Indians. Today it is the Rockland waterfront.
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The story of Rockland is one of lime, granite, ships, and fish. Lime was shipped to market in 50 to 150-ton schooners, and it was natural that a shipbuilding industry should flourish in Rockland. For more than a century, half a dozen well-known yards grew up, and a large number of ships were launched until lack of business closed them down in the 1930s. Fishing has been a central part of Rockland from the earliest days, although in recent years the fish plants have closed and major commercial operations have moved elsewhere. In more recent years, Rockland was known—and avoided—for the smell of its seaweed processing plant, which rendered seaweed from as far away as South America into food fillers and stabilizers.
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Tourists are the latest boon to Rockland, particularly the kind who arrive in boats. Some of the yachting activity here is a direct overflow from limited mooring and dockage space in the full harbors of Camden and Rockport. Rockland has the valuable asset that the others lack—space, and enough of it to hold the entire 150-boat New York Yacht Club cruising fleet. But Rockland is attractive in its own right. Cruising yachtsmen have discovered Rockland as both convenient and interesting, and at the same time the town of Rockland has discovered yachtsmen for their role in the city’s aesthetic, cultural, and economic turnaround. Rockland operates an elaborate town dock and has encouraged the construction of many new marine facilities. A new proposal is on the table for a marina at the Samoset Resort, to be tucked in the corner by the breakwater.
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Once off the boat, visiting yachtsmen are discovering the gems in this small city where almost every amenity or service can found within a few blocks of the water. The famed Farnsworth Art Museum is only steps from the waterfront, and the Shore Village Museum and the Owls Head Transportation Museum are nearby. The Samoset Resort is located at the north end of the breakwater. Hurricane Island Outward Bound School and the Island Institute have their headquarters here.
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The logistics of crew changes or rendezvous are simplified by Rockland’s regional airport and the ferry service to the islands. Long-term parking can be arranged at the ferry terminal (596-2202), Knights Marine, or the Rockland Landings Marina.
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Approaches. Harbor chart. Rockland is easy to find. Even from a distance it looks like a city, with conspicuous high structures isolated in a comparatively low-lying area well south of the Camden Hills. Owls Head Light, on its dramatic wooded bluff, is visible a long way. Beware of ferries coming and going, not to mention barges, fishing boats, and lots of commercial traffic. In fog, keep an ear on your radio.
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Approaching the harbor, you will pick up the lighthouse at the end of the mile-long breakwater, which forms the eastern part of the harbor. Leave the end of the breakwater to starboard and head in toward the radio towers on the hill. A clearly marked channel starts with nun “2” and runs in toward the town.
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The Coast Guard station is on the large granite pier that sticks out farthest to the east. Here the channel divides. Bear left and to the southwest for the Rockland Landings Marina, the public landing, and Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. Bear right and to the north for the Journey’s End Marina, the ferry terminal, Knights Marine, the North End Shipyard, and Rockland Harbor Boatyard.
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If you are headed for the Samoset Resort, run north along the west side of the breakwater.
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Anchorages, Moorings. The harbor has a complete spectrum of anchoring and docking options from anchoring out and using the dinghy to dockage with cable TV and phones. If you plan to explore Rockland or spend the night, you have a multitude of choices, but it is wise to reserve ahead.
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North of the Coast Guard station, Journey’s End Marina or Knights Marine provide dockage or moorings. Journey’s End Marina is somewhat confusing, because their slips lie on both sides of the Coast guard facility, and as you approach, you see their slips and their sign south of the Coast Guard, but the main office and dockage is to the north. Even farther north, Rockland Harbor Boatyard rents moorings and offers access and parking from their yard. There is room to anchor outside the moorings in reasonable depths, but you will be a long way from shore and quite exposed.
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South of the Coast Guard, the Town Landing or the expanded Rockland Landings Marina can provide dock space or moorings. In a pinch additional dock space might be found on the floats off the Black Pearl Restaurant. There is room to anchor outside the moorings, but you’ll be quite exposed and have a long dinghy ride.
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If you are visiting the mainland headquarters of Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, pick up one of the moorings (one-ton granite blocks) off their dock at the southern end of the harbor. You will see several reddish buildings and a dock and probably some of their double-ended pulling boats moored nearby.
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On the north shore of the harbor, just inside the breakwater, you can anchor or get a mooring at the Samoset Resort to enjoy its amenities.
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For the Boat—north of the Coast Guard. Facilities locator.
Journey’s End Marina (Ch. 09, 18; 207-594-4444). Journey’s End has floats both south and north of the Coast Guard pier. Gas, diesel, water, and electricity are available at both docks. Depths range from 6 to 12 feet, with deeper water at the southern dock. The northern dock has pump-out facilities and is next to their office, chandlery, and showers. Transient dockage should be reserved. Journey’s End are mechanical specialists, but they can haul boats and perform repairs of most kinds. They are owned by the O’Hara Group, who in the early 1900s ran a fleet of fishing schooners out of Boston. They still are in the fishing business, with an Alaskan fleet and an ice-making plant in Rockland that supplies most of the Maine coast.
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Knight Marine Service (Ch. 09; 207-594-4068). Knight’s is a full-service boatyard. To get there, branch right at the Coast Guard pier and follow the channel around to the right of the ferry terminal. They have moorings and a limited amount of dockage with 8 feet of water at the floats. Gas, diesel, water, and ice may be obtained here, and ashore there is a pay phone, a small chandlery, showers, and laundry facilities. The yard has a tugboat, 20 and 35-ton boatlifts, a hydraulic trailer, and a crane. They can handle most repairs. The Captain Hornblower takeout is on the premises and it is next door to the Maine State Ferry Terminal, serving North Haven and Vinalhaven, and the Trailways bus stop.
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Rockland Harbor Boatyard, Inc. (207-594-1766). Rockland Harbor Boatyard, located next to North End Shipyard on Front Street, is a full-service facility. They offer transients mooring rentals and water and pump-outs at their float. The yard can handle any type of repair on all vessels. Owner and marine surveyor Sam Slaymaker recently started International Classic Yachts here to buy, restore, and resell classic wooden yachts.
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Ocean Pursuits (207-596-7357), also on Front Street, is a full service boatyard run by Bill and Judy Cowan. They offer all types of boat repair, specializing in marine systems and electronic sales, service, and installation.
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Samoset Resort Inn (207-594-2511, 800-341-1650). The Samoset is proposing to build a new marina by the inner corner of the breakwater. Stay tuned. For now they have several moorings for visitors in the same location that should be reserved ahead. Or you can anchor off the Samoset, near their small float, in 10 to 20 feet of water at low. The anchorage is exposed because of the size of Rockland Harbor, although it is fine for settled summer weather or a short stop. There is kelp on the bottom, so make sure your anchor is set.
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For the Boat—south of the Coast Guard. Facilities locator.
Rockland Landings Marina (Ch. 09, 16; 207-596-6573). The dock complex of the Landings Marina sprawls between the fish pier and the town landing to the south, right at the foot of Rockland’s business district. In addition to several mooring rentals, they offer transient dockage for vessels to 150 feet, with 12 feet of water at low and all the electrical amenities. They pump gas and diesel in, and holding tanks out. Showers, laundry, and a restaurant are ashore where long and short-term parking can be arranged.
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Rockland Municipal Dock (Ch. 09; 207-594-0312, harbormaster Jon Trumble). To reach the public landing, branch left at the Coast Guard pier. The floats and dock are opposite a yellow nun at the end of the channel. The dock itself has a green trestle bridge and lands you near a little park with a white building that houses the harbormaster’s office and the Chamber of Commerce.
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You can tie up at the floats for a maximum of two hours (longer with permission), with 8 feet alongside at low. For additional fees, water, electricity, ice, and pump-outs are available. Obtain a rental mooring by checking with the harbormaster based here, or anchor outside the moorings. The town runs a launch service. A pay phone is outside the Chamber of Commerce building, and showers are inside. Rockland’s business district is just steps away.
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Harbormaster Jon Trumble can arrange short and long-term parking and will hold mail or packages for cruisers. Address mail care of him at 270 Pleasant St., Rockland, ME 04841 or send FedEx or UPS to Harbor Park, Main St., Rockland, ME 04841.
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For the Boat—ashore. Lew Grant and Associates Marine Electronics (207-594-7073), next to Journey’s End, sells, installs, repairs, and performs warranty work for things that go beep on your boat.
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Pope Sailmakers (207-596-7293) is a full-service sail and rigging loft. They have recently moved from Tilson Avenue near Rockland Boat to a location several blocks away. Call for directions.
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Hallett Sails and Canvas (207-594-9810) from Falmouth's Handy Boat, has opened a new loft at 34 Atlantic Avenue to servoe the Midcoast and Penobscot Bay area.

Rockland Boat Inc. (207-594-8181). This old-fashioned, no-nonsense chandlery and boating supply shop caters mostly to fishermen, but it's chock full of things you need at low prices—seaboots, paint, potwarp, sailmaker’s palms, marine hardware, and a thousand other items. It is tucked in among the fish plants on Wharf Street, just inland from the Coast Guard station.
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Gemini Canvas and Sails (207-596-7705), across the street from Rockland Boat, specializes in canvas and upholstery work.

Teak Decking Systems, also located on Tilson, offers one the finest caulking systems for your teak decks.

Bay Island Yacht Charters, near Journeys End Marina manages a fleet of bareboat crusiers and daysailors.

North End Composites. North End produces world-class tooling for production fiberglass boats and custom one-designs. Got a dream? This is a good place to take it.

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For the Crew. Rockland is following the usual pattern of growth—the more interesting the downtown becomes, the farther away the groceries get. The nearest supermarket is Hannaford's, a mile north on Route 1 with a quick left at the golden arches. A state liquor store is in the same plaza and a laundromat is across the street. Shaws (594-8615), farther up Route 1, offers a Summer Express Service. If you phone in a grocery order by 11 AM they will box it for you for same-day pickup, or they’ll make arrangements to get it to your boat—even if you are on North Haven or Vinalhaven.
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For less extensive provisioning, combine the Brown Bag Bakery at the north end of Main Street with the specialties at Market on Main and with the basics at the Good Tern Coop, a natural foods market at the south end of Main, not far beyond the town dock. Or you can simply load up on indescribable donuts at the Willow Bake Shoppe (596-0564), on Willow Street, up from Knights. It’s open only on weekdays, excluding Wednesday, from 5 am to 10 am.
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For dinner ashore, try Amalfi (596-0012) on Main for Mediterranean fare, Conte’s on the waterfront for vast bowls of Italian seafood, or Cafe Miranda (594-2034) for a more eclectic menu.
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The Knox County Airport in Owls Head serves Portland and Boston. Rental cars are available. Trailways (800-639-5150) buses stop at the Maine State Ferry. Penobscot Bay Medical Center is a few miles north of the city (207-596-8000).
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Things to Do. The Chamber of Commerce (596-0376) is right at the public landing. Highlights of the summer include windjammer races and other events ashore during Schooner Days in early July, the North Atlantic Blues Festival and the Wooden Boat show in July, and the Maine Lobster Festival in early August.
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To see or sail some of the windjammers, visit the North End Shipyard (594-8007). This unusual yard was started on a shoestring by Doug and Linda Lee and John Foss to rebuild and maintain some of the area’s windjammers. It is located north of the ferry terminal between nuns “10” and “12.” There they launched the new 93-foot schooner Heritage in 1983 and the restored 90-foot fishing schooner American Eagle in 1986. They were soon joined by Ed Glaser and the Issac H. Evans. North End can handle major repairs, or you can do them yourself, as many other windjammer captains do, by leasing their space and heavy woodworking equipment. A dredged channel leads to their substantial marine railway.
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True wharf rats will want to sniff the sawdust at Lance Lee’s Apprenticeshop (594-1800) on Main Street at the north end of town. Here, apprentice boatbuilders build beautiful, three-masted, 38-foot open gigs that are replicas of a French admiral’s barge captured off Ireland in the 1700s. They then use the boats in the Atlantic Challenge program to promote seamanship and self-confidence in youngsters, culminating in an international competition. If they aren’t out sailing, the Bantry Bay gigs might be moored proudly out in the harbor.
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Walk out to the end of the Rockland breakwater. Begun in 1881, it took 18 years to lay up its 700,000 tons of granite, most of which was brought from Vinalhaven by stone sloop. The 17-foot wide causeway starts near the Samoset Resort Inn and extends a mile to the automated lighthouse. The lighythouse is now in the care of the Friends of the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse who often have it open for tours.
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The spectacular Samoset looks out to sea over an 18-hole golf course. Their facilities include tennis, swimming, a health club, and a good restaurant, and they are available for use by visitors as well as guests.
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The Farnsworth Library and Art Museum (596-6457, www.farnsworthmuseum.org) in Rockland is only a few blocks from the waterfront. It has become as a major catalyst for Rockland's downtown revival. The museum recently completed a $10-million expansion for its works by American artists, especially coastal landscapes and ships, including an extensive collection of works by three generations of Wyeths. The Wyeth collection has been dramatically expanded by the generous permanent loan of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth’s personal collection.
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The family homestead of the Farnsworth lime barons is next door to the museum and part of it. Its original decor and elegant furnishings make it one of the finest Victorian homes in the country.
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The offices of the Island Institute (594-9209) are on Main Street, just north of the Farnsworth. This organization studies and helps sustain the physical, social, ecological, and economic factors affecting island communities. Visit Archipelago, their shop that features crafts and goods from Maine’s islands.
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The famous Owls Head Transportation Museum (594-4418) is 2 miles south of Rockland, near Knox County Airport. On weekends, their unique collection of antique airplanes, cars, and engines hiss, puff, creak, and fly. There are horse-drawn carriages, Stanley Steamers, Model-T Fords, and Rolls-Royces, as well as World War I fighter planes and a Ford Trimotor. The museum has special events all summer long. The best way to get there from Rockland is by taxi. The taxi stand is on Rockland’s Main Street, two blocks from the public landing.
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The Shore Village Museum has the largest collection of lighthouse lenses and artifacts on display in the United States, including Fresnel lenses removed from Petit Manan, Whitehead Island, and Matinicus Rock when they were automated. The museum is at 104 Limerock Street, an easy walk from the waterfront (594-4950).