Where Hadley Harbor?

I suppose the first order of business is to answer the question. Hadley Harbor is a tiny super well protected harbor in southern Massachusetts just across from Woods Hole on the Elizabethan Islands

Why Hadley Harbor?

We stop at Hadley Harbor almost every time we go through the Cape Cod Canal unless the tides line up perfectly for a passage through at a decent hour. It’s not the closest spot but we choose it because it’s out of the way, is unbelievably protected from weather in every direction, and there are moorings you can pick up for free. “Standard Northern New England Rules” that start about here and continue north. You can grab a private mooring for free as long as you’re willing to “enthusiastically” move if the owner arrives. This obviously doesn’t work for rental moorings when obviously you’d still have to pay for.

What’s Hadley Harbor Like?

There is always room to anchor in the “outer harbor” but the real gem of Hadley is the “inner harbor” sneaking behind Bull Island there is a small spot to anchor just inside. Turning into the harbor you’ll discover a small mooring field and we’ve always had excellent luck finding an open mooring.

The longest we’ve ever stayed was a week and it was very relaxing. My method of playing fair mooring-wise was to check every morning and evening that at least one mooring was still free for someone who might come in. The week we were there there were never fewer than three open moorings.

The islands are all privately owned, and the size of the mansions are impressive. There is a dock on Bull Island and a sign that mentions the island is the only one visitors can land on and it has a short but very dog-friendly trail that can help any four-legged friends with time off the boat.

I also enjoy taking the dinghy around slowly through the whole collection of nooks and crannies in the harbor. It would be an excellent place to kayak or paddleboard.

Safe on a mooring, protected from the weather in every direction, and silent. It’s the perfect spot to hang up the hammock, grab a book, and decompress.