boat launch/moorage (Portland, South Portland, Scarborough: rent, home, live in)

[rossco17]

Hi,

I'm considering getting a small skiff 8'-14' to use both in the bay or Sebago lake to do some fishing, lobstering, and general putting around. I'm new to the area and live in Scarborough, and i'm not sure where a convenient place to launch on the bay is around here. OR storing the skiff as in a moorage situation might work as well.

I was recently having a fish sandwich up at Harraseeket's in South Freeport and saw all the skiffs tied up or stored on end like books on a shelf and something like that might be good too - so that i wouldn't have to transport every time i want to use it.

your information is appreciated. thanks

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by rossco17

Hi,

I'm considering getting a small skiff 8'-14' to use both in the bay or Sebago lake to do some fishing, lobstering, and general putting around. I'm new to the area and live in Scarborough, and i'm not sure where a convenient place to launch on the bay is around here. OR storing the skiff as in a moorage situation might work as well.

I was recently having a fish sandwich up at Harraseeket's in South Freeport and saw all the skiffs tied up or stored on end like books on a shelf and something like that might be good too - so that i wouldn't have to transport every time i want to use it.

your information is appreciated. thanks

Hi Rossco,

You'll have to check with the harbor master in the town you want to leave your skiff. Most towns will not let you leave a skiff at the town dock unless you have a mooring in the harbor. Most towns have a waiting list to get a mooring and most only allow residents. Plan to wait several years before your name comes to the top of the list.
You'd be much better off hauling your boat behind you on a trailer. Most towns have a place for you to launch a small boat and a place to park your trailer and car or truck. Some charge a fee and some do not. You could rent a small boat slip at a private marina but it is not cheap and you'll have to paint your bottom with anti-fouling paint.
The Eastern Promanade in Portland has a bunch of parking places. Again it's mostly for residents so you'll have to inquire about fees. Yarmouth has one of the few low water launches in Casco Bay at the Royal River. They charge a fee but you can get out at low tide.
If you plan to lobster you'll only get a license for five traps. It's hardly worth the effort. That said, if you choose to do it you'll need to have access to the water a couple of days a week to haul them. You'll also have to watch where you put the traps. If you put them where the commercial guys fish you may not find the buoys when you return. They will simply cut off the buoys and you will lose your traps. It's a harsh reality but it happens everyday.
My wife's cousin fishes five traps in South Portland. He loses at least two traps a year to cutting. Boats run over them too so don't put them in a channel either. He says it really is not worth it but he has a bunch of traps he paid nothing for so he doesn't really care too much. If you're paying for them you won't want to lose them.
Sebago and most lakes have either State parks or private launch areas which may or may not charge a launch/parking fee.

You'll get real wet in a small boat if it's windy. An 8 foot boat is only good as a mooring tender and much too small to do anything practical with. The skiffs you saw in Freeport are only used to get out to folks moorings. Thay are too small to ride around in. I'd lean toward something at least 14 feet or 16 feet with high sides like a Lund with about a 25 to 30 HP outboard. I used a 16 foot Starcraft with a 25 on it to haul 25-30 traps for years. Bigger is always better on the bay.
We had a 15 foot Corson with a 35 and ran it around Casco bay but when it was blowing it was a challenge just to get home with it. Even our 19 foot center console with 115 on it was pretty small for going out past the islands with. You should always flush out your outboard with fresh water when running it in salt water unless it is specifically a salt water motor.
Stay away from inflatables, especially ones with no keel as they are at the mercy of the wind. I have seen people rescued several times a summer even though they have an outboard when the wind blows them away from shore and they cannot get back through the wind.

[rossco17]

great information - thanks maineah. the lobstering would just be for fun - a chance to take my son out. how do you know where the commercial guys fish? are their's marked as such?

also, not to turn this into a fishing thread, but in Sebago, is the fishing decent or is it better to go to the other, smaller, less busy, nearby lakes (Long, Pleasant, Highland, etc)?

[fxtrader]

Originally Posted by rossco17

great information - thanks maineah. the lobstering would just be for fun - a chance to take my son out. how do you know where the commercial guys fish? are their's marked as such?

also, not to turn this into a fishing thread, but in Sebago, is the fishing decent or is it better to go to the other, smaller, less busy, nearby lakes (Long, Pleasant, Highland, etc)?

The fishing is good in Sebago and there is a public boat launch on 302 in Raymond. There is also a public boat launch in South Portland down by USM for ocean access.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by rossco17

great information - thanks maineah. the lobstering would just be for fun - a chance to take my son out. how do you know where the commercial guys fish? are their's marked as such?

also, not to turn this into a fishing thread, but in Sebago, is the fishing decent or is it better to go to the other, smaller, less busy, nearby lakes (Long, Pleasant, Highland, etc)?

It's fun to pull a few traps even if it's just five. Just put your traps out late say the end of June when the commercial guys have set theirs. You can also go up into shallow coves and places the commercial guys can't get a big boat in to. Commercial guys will usually have a set of 10 or more traps on a string and will set strings fairly close to each other. Riding around and looking at the buoy colors you'll get an idea of who fishes where. More than 5 buoys the same color indicates a commercial lobsterman. Recreational lobsterman usually use older gear and it will be kind of ratty. That's how they afford to do it.

I don't fish the lakes around here so I'll leave that to others to answer.