TENANTS HARBOR

43° 57.85’N 069° 12.24’W

4th ed. Cruising Guide page 190

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Charts: 13301, 13302

Chart Kit: 64, 19

Penobscot Bay overview chart Tenants Harbor chart

TENANTS HARBOR is an attractive working harbor and a convenient stop on your way east or west. Sarah Orne Jewett, who called it “this quietest of seaside villages,” in The Country of the Pointed Firs, wrote much of that famous book here. Deep and reasonably protected except from the east or southeast, Tenants Harbor is very easy to enter under most conditions, with good anchorage, moorings, and plenty of room. The village is on the north side, and private homes are scattered around the harbor. The handsome bell tower at the seaward end of privately owned Southern Island has been immortalized by Andrew Wyeth.
COPYRIGHT 2002 DIAMOND PASS PUBLISHING
On the south shore of the harbor is the boathouse that houses Dyon, a 52-foot gaff-rigged sloop designed and built by Luders in 1924 for Philip L. Smith of New York and Tenants Harbor. The old man had a reputation for pushing her hard and being reluctant to shorten sail (1,350 square feet in the huge main). The harbor looks right when this graceful, classic yacht is at her mooring, waiting for the third and fourth generations of Smiths to sail her east.
COPYRIGHT 2002 DIAMOND PASS PUBLISHING
Approaches. Harbor chart. The entrance to Tenants Harbor is clearly marked by the white buildings of the ex-lighthouse on Southern Island. Pick up green lighted bell “1” just to the east of Southern Island and leave it to port. Head up the middle of the channel, staying clear of the bar at the western end of Southern Island and the countless lobster buoys.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU HAVE VIOLATED
Anchorages, Moorings. Anchor anywhere if you can find room in 14 to 22 feet, mud bottom (see comments below). Beware of occasional patches of kelp, particularly toward the head of the harbor, and be forewarned that in season lobster buoys are everywhere. If you want to hang on the hook but can't find room, try Long Cove.
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Moorings in Tenants have proliferated in recent years, but there is good news—many of them are rentals. They are available from several sources. Cod End moorings have a yellow lobster buoy marked “Cod End Rental.” Tenants Harbor Boatyard’s moorings have their name. Art’s Lobsters’ moorings have green lobster buoys marked “Rental,” and Witham’s Lobsters’ moorings are white balls marked with lobsters.
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Getting Ashore. Take your dinghy to the Cod End float or the town landing, and you will be right in the heart of Tenants Harbor.
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For the Boat (from east to west). Witham’s Lobsters. Witham’s owns the first dock on the north side. Gas and diesel are sold here, with deep water off the end of the dock (not the floats). You can also buy lobsters.
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Art’s Lobsters. The second set of docks on the north shore belongs to Art’s Lobsters. Except for mooring rentals, this is strictly a commercial lobstering operation. They also sell lobsters retail.
COPYRIGHT 2002 DIAMOND PASS PUBLISHING
Tenants Harbor Boatyard (207-372-8997). Tenants Harbor Boatyard clings to the steep north shore and is owned by Jamie Wyeth and boatbuilder George Emery. In addition to maintaining and expanding the Wyeth fleet, the yard specializes in the construction and rebuilding of all types of wooden boats, hauled on their huge 100-ton railway or the smaller 20-ton. They have several moorings that may be available for rental.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU HAVE VIOLATED
Cod End (Ch. 09, 16, 69; 207-372-6782). Cod End has everything a boater could need. It occupies a shingled shack with red trim, with a dock and float with 4 feet alongside at low. A new wharf is planned, along with dredging to 10 feeet of water at low. Gas, diesel, ice, and water are available at the float. Pump-out facilities are planned for the new wharf. There is a small charge for water even if you are a fuel customer. Some marine supplies can be obtained, and there is a selection of charts.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW.
Town Landing (harbormaster, Ch. 09, 16; 207-372-6597). Just beyond Cod End are the launching ramp and town dock and float, with about 4 feet alongside at low.
PLEASE RESPECT AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT HAS
For the Crew. The “cod end” is the bag at the end of a funnel-shaped trawl where the fish accumulate. When the cod end is lifted from the sea, you find out whether you have a good catch. Cod End is owned by the Miller family, who offer fresh fish, lobsters, and other seafood at their takeout restaurant and a picnic area on the deck. Cod End's delivery boat makes the rounds of the harbor, providing hot muffins, groceries, ice, cooked lobsters, clams, and trash pickup. They even serve breakfast. When asked if there have been any changes in recent years, one loyal customer answered, "Yep. The chowder just keeps getting better and better."
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Hall’s Market has a good selection of fresh meat and produce, beer and wine, and the town’s only pay phone. Walk up the hill to the right from Cod End and turn right to Hall's and the post office. The Schoolhouse Bakery and Coffee Shop and a laundromat are slightly farther up Route 131. Turn left to the library and the Farmer's Restaurant and takeout.
COPYRIGHT 2002 DIAMOND PASS PUBLISHING
The East Wind Inn (372-6366), a large white building on the north shore, serves breakfast and dinner in pleasant surroundings. The inn runs The Chandlery on the wharf east of Cod End, but instead of stainless and bronze, it sells sandwiches and burgers. Picnic tables are on the wharf. The Inn also has a few rental moorings, but they say "they're not worth advertising."

Ned Lightner writes:

Thought you might want to know that one may no longer anchor in Tenants Harbor. The guide should be updated to avoid any unpleasant experiences such as the nastyness of the folks at Cod end who rent moorings and don't like the excuse that "well in the guide it said it was ok to anchor here". I had meant to email you about this sooner, but finally got around to it as I plan this summer's cruise.


Curtis Rindlaub replies:

Thank you very much for this information. I have had various correspondence in
regards to the anchoring situation in Tennants Harbor and the proliferation of
moorings there. I am still not clear, however, whether anchoring is forbidden
(i.e. by law and enforced by harbormaster) or by logistics (i.e. there just isn't
room) or by curmudgeonliness. Do you know? If not, I will track this down.

Again, many thanks for the update. Have a great cruise.

---Curtis Rindlaub

Robert Skoglund writes:

Just stumbled on your web page that told me things I didn't know about Tenants Harbor. I always thought the Cod End folks were nice, but then I always approached them from the land side.

Every morning my wife Marsha, The Almost Perfect Woman, gets in a rubber boat and goes out to Southern Island where she mows the lawns and scrubs floors on her hands and knees. Keeps her trim. A working woman is a happy woman.

She also planted and waters the roses in the Tenants Harbor boat yard.

Thanks for an interesting page. I wonder how they got along in the harbor 110 years ago when it really was crowded.

humble
Robert Skoglund, Maine Public Radio humorist, The Humble Farmer