Harbor Info
Boating Laws, Harbor Pilotage, Mooring Permits & ResourcesMaine Boating Laws
SUMMARY OF MAINE BOATING LAWS/RULES
All of the following laws and regulations have either been passed by the Maine legislature or adopted by the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. The following rules/laws are intended to be used only as a guide for boating, and in some cases, the laws and rules have been summarized. For more detailed information on any of the laws/rules contact the Department office In Augusta.
Harbor Pilotage
Portland Harbor, at the western end of Casco Bay, is the most important port on the coast of Maine. The ice-free harbor offers secure anchorage to deep draft vessels in all weather. There is considerable domestic and foreign commerce in petroleum products, paper, wood pulp, scrap metal, coal, salt and containerized goods. It is also the Atlantic terminus pipeline for shipments of crude oil to Montreal and Ontario. In 1998, Portland became the largest port in the Northeast based on throughput tonnages.
A rail system connects the Port to a national network that also reaches into Canada, one of the reasons shippers bypass the crowded and more costly port cities of southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
City of Portland Terminal Tariffs
Please click on the link below to access the City of Portland’s most recent Terminal Tariffs and rules for pilotage, dockage, wharfage, demurrage and other services. Contact information for relevant City of Portland personnel is listed in the document:
Mooring Permit
Mooring Rates For The 2024 Mooring Season:
$100.00 for residents and $200.00 for non-residents.
The Harbormaster’s Office does not rent transient moorings. All mooring permits issued are for the entire boating season. All moorings in Portland Harbor and its jurisdictions must be set and numbered by the Harbor Master, including tackle that may have been purchased with the sale of a vessel.
Resources
Files & Downloads
Visit our resources page, where you can download PDF files for applications, verification forms, permits, charts, and more.
We also provide useful links to other websites, including local and state government sites, U.S. Coast Guard, and other informational resources.