Exploring with Chetty (our boat) on the South Shore and Cape Cod, MA
South Shore, MA
Marshfield, MA
We purchase Marshfield’s yearly launch permit. With the permit, you can launch from The Marshfield Yacht Club, dumping you into the South River.
From there, it’s only a few-minute boat ride to the Spit on the North River in Scituate. Such a delight at low tide, when it turns into a big sandbar! Or you can launch at Green Harbor with the permit.
Duxbury, MA
Launching at the public ramp in Duxbury, be warned! It’s mighty shallow at low tide, so it’s unusable. We avoid that ramp, so we don’t have to plan around getting back at certain times.
Kingston, MA
Has the same issue as Duxbury. You have to worry about the tides too much, so we didn’t use it.
Plymouth, MA
Brown’s Bank
We love launching at downtown Plymouth behind East Bay Grill! The public ramp is reasonably priced, and it’s a quick ride to Browns Bank, another huge sandbar island.
Cape Cod, MA
Wellfleet, MA
Such a beautiful marina with secluded beaches for boaters! But it’s another ramp you can’t get the boat on at low tide. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that, so we were stuck on the boat for 2 hours as we waited for the tide to come up high enough to make it to the ramp. Figures! We picked a day that had a negative tide, which means lower than usual.
Dennis, MA
Bass River has multiple public ramps. We love exploring the area! There are so many fun inlets to cruise through. Chetty had a blast!
Buzzards Bay, MA
Another nice spot to launch is Taylor Point Marina. This is a delightful starting point to cruise to Basset Island, Pocasset, and Cataumet.
Barnstable, MA
Lowtide Sandbar
Blish Point Marina is a short boat ride to a favorite spot, the sandbar at Sandy Neck, which is another spot enjoyed by boats only. Grab a bite to eat before taking off at Osterville Fish Too. I love everything on the elevated menu, and it’s the best homemade lemonade!
Cotuit & Osterville, MA
Launch at Prince Cove Marina, Cotuit, cruise around Little Island Osterville, and check out the beautiful homes. Pull up the boat to Dead Neck Island. Bonus: There is an area to do watersports in the bay.
Chatham Harbor, MA
North Beach Island
5 reasons to launch into Chatham Harbor. However, you don’t need to own a boat to enjoy the beauty. There are local boat tours to choose from.
It’s a considerable-sized harbor. There are countless inlets to explore and oceanfront properties to admire.
Seals surround the boat and like to swim in its wake as you cruise around. So cute!
Striped Bass Fishing.
North Beach Island: Get off the boat and stretch your legs at the large sandy island, only accessible by boat. The snails there are gigantic. For a fee, Beachcomber Tours will shuttle you to the island. It’s worth looking at the North Island on Maps to see its vast size and beauty.
5. Bird watching. Nearby Monomoy Island National Wildlife Refuge is considered one of the Northeast’s best birding areas, only accessible by Ferry. However, you see a diverse mix of species by boating in the area.
P.S. Beware, they don’t make parking very accommodating for non-residents.
Mashpee & Falmouth, MA
Launch at Waquoit Landing, Mashpee; there are so many cool inlets to explore and beaches to pull up to. Check out Washburn Island, Falmouth, and you might be greeted by the ice cream boat. Dead Neck, Mashpee has a jetty you can walk, and on the other side, you have never seen so many birds cover that jetty. Watersports are allowed in the large bay.
Escapades in Watersports
The highlight of having a boat for the kids is unlimited watersports.
Long Pond, Plymouth, MA.
The state ramp has no fee or permit required. However, there are no Jet Skis, and there are horsepower restrictions.
Long Pond, Lakeville
A 7 Mile fully recreational pond. One of the largest natural ponds in Massachusetts. The ramp is in Freetown, there is a sizeable paved launch ramp on Route 18 with 40 parking spots. Enjoy swimming, fishing, water sports, etc.
Monponsett, Halifax, MA
Long Pond, Harwich, MA
Great Herring Pond and Big Sandy Pond, Plymouth, MA
Bonus Tip: Because we loved exploring new areas so much, Joe relied on the Navigation GPS app, Navionics. He says it’s absolutely worth it to find launch ramps, food, fuel, weather, etc.