As we all look ahead to summer boating, we asked our seasoned panel of experts what lesser known destination will be on their float plan in the months ahead.
My colleagues and I can be picky. It comes with the territory when you review and write about boats, people and places for a living. So I knew there would be no better group of salty souls to poll for a breakdown of off-the-beaten-channel destinations we might all consider as we flip the calendar and cruise into the summer months. We hope this list of 11 great places inspires you to push beyond your comfort zone and experience someplace new.
New Smyrna, Florida
Many boaters traveling up or down the ICW zip right past New Smyrna Beach, Florida, missing out on a laid-back destination with incredible fishing opportunities and a long heritage of boatbuilding. New Smyrna has a bit of everything from state-of-the-art marinas, excellent restaurants, beaches and a sandbar scene to museums and fantastic fishing. The marinas are well protected and located on the mainland side of the area while Ponce Inlet provides quick access to the Atlantic. Visitors can choose from all kinds of activities. Pull up to Disappearing Island and drop the hook for the day. Walk Flager Avenue beachside and grab some lunch at the Breakers Restaurant with a view of the waves. Go for a drive on the beach. Surf. Explore Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, a vast habitat that encompasses 140,000 acres with unlimited potential for birders, anglers and beachgoers. The refuge is also home to the famed Mosquito Lagoon, one of the nation’s best shallow-water redfish spots. Take a tour of historic Ponce Lighthouse and walk the steps up to the top. And if the storm clouds roll in leaving you seeking an indoor activity, you can take a factory tour of Boston Whaler, Everglades or EdgeWater boats and see how these longtime builders create their vessels. There is more than enough to fill up a long weekend with some family fun. —Charlie Levine, Editor-in-Chief of Anglers Journal
Shelter Island, New York
Less than 30 square miles, Shelter Island floats in between Long Island’s North and South Forks and bridges the two better known destinations of Greenport to the North and Sag Harbor to the south. Perhaps the best of both worlds, what I like best about visiting Shelter Island is the ability to visit the hustle and bustle of Summertime Greenport via an eight-minute ferry ride and at the end of the day escape to the tranquility of Coecles Harbor. Greenport is home to great restaurants and shopping and, more importantly for my current slice of life, a century-old carousel and ice cream shops. Shelter itself boasts a number of good restaurants in its own right (try Salt Waterfront Grill) while being a great place to simply stroll, ride your bike or scoot around in a golf cart. A great surf spot it is not, the protected beaches are perfect for young kids to splash the day away. It’s estimated that around a million cars drive through Shelter Island each year on their way to one of the glitzier aforementioned destinations, but much like my adopted state of Connecticut, I’ve learned that if you slow down and give it a chance, you might just discover one of the area’s best kept secrets. —Daniel Harding Jr.
Gothenburg, Sweden
Come summer, the population of Gothenburg, Sweden’s Southern archipelago—just off the coast from the country’s second-largest city—swells to more than double its number of year-round residents. For day trippers, the car-less Southern archipelago is a short ferry ride from Gothenburg’s Lindholmen waterfront district, but to take full advantage, arrive by private boat. The transition from cosmopolitan European city to pastoral watery playground is striking. Colorful summer cottages line the granite-laden islands, many with cedar saunas on their docks. Classic boats abound, along with runabouts and other open craft tied bow-to to rocky outcroppings. I’d suggest visiting during the summer solstice for Midsummer, during which Swedes ring in the holiday with jolly songs, Aquavit and excellent local seafood. The average temperature in summer is 72 degrees, with 17 to 18 hours of sunlight. My perfect day here is with family and friends, picnicking, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. For dinner, we’d hit Isbolaget on Donsö, one of the archipelago’s many excellent restaurants that specialize in hyper-local cuisine. Come twilight, we’d visit the island’s public sauna, first jumping into the cold salt water to watch the darkness seemingly rising from the Baltic Sea, followed by a sweat in the wood-fired sauna. One floats back to their bunk after this Swedish tradition, prepped for sleep and another day on the water. —Jeff Moser, Editor-in-Chief of Passagemaker
Georgetown, South Carolina
When it comes to coastal cruising in South Carolina, Charleston and Beaufort capture the lion’s share of attention. But 60 miles north of Charleston, historic Georgetown offers a vibe—and a world–—all its own. Georgetown was founded in 1729 and still boasts South Carolina’s second-largest port. Today, the antebellum homes of its long ago merchants and plantation owners, and the delightful dining and shopping stops along the Harborwalk and Front Street are just a few of the reasons to stop here. Harborwalk Marina is a stone’s throw from great restaurants and museums. Buzz’s Roost, with excellent crabcakes and local shrimp is a longtime staple, while the River Room is a terrific spot for a waterfront sunset with a cocktail and a seafood platter. The Kaminski House museum offers a deep dive into Georgetown’s history and the rise, and fall, of its slave-driven empire of rice. The South Carolina Maritime Museum’s collection includes detailed models of ships that plied these waters and the actual (and functional) fresnel lens that warned local mariners here for a century. A beautiful bike ride through the residential district, Georgetown Landing Marina is your other option. It sits right along the Black River—home of many still-standing plantations and a stunning waterway to cruise. A short Uber ride away, Hobcaw Barony is a 16,000-acre coastal nature preserve, while a 15-minute ride farther north brings you to the stunning Brookgreen Gardens—the largest outdoor sculpture garden on earth. —Chris Dixon, Senior Editor
Bermuda
The British Overseas Territory of Bermuda comprises 181 islands packed into a fishhook-shaped grouping about 24 miles long and less than 2 miles across at its widest point. The lonely archipelago rises up from the depths of the North Atlantic about 640 miles west of Cape Hatteras and a similar distance from southern New England. Bermuda offers adventurous cruisers a climate warmed by the Gulf Stream, a laid back British colonial vibe, inviting bars and restaurants and an abundance of places to dock, anchor and execute repairs. I’ve been there three times by boat and it never gets old. The traditional first move when you step ashore in either of the country’s two most popular ports, Hamilton and St. Georges, is to take the monkey off your voyage with a Dark and Stormy—a simple concoction comprising non-alcoholic ginger beer and Bermuda’s own Gosling’s Black Seal rum. Before you overindulge, you should find a bowl of the local fish chowder. Unlike New England’s white versions, it leans dark and red, sometimes made with a splash of Goslings or Worcestershire. A required condiment is sherry pepper sauce. If you fancy seeing the sights, rent a scooter and hit the beguiling pink-sand beaches along the main island’s south-facing shores. Just be careful you don’t end up roadkill. Thanks to the British influence, they drive on the left. —Kenny Wooton, Editor-in-Chief of Yachts International
Norwalk Islands
In a short six-mile stretch of Long Island Sound between the towns of Rowayton and Westport is one of the nicest, although lesser known, cruising destinations in New England. The Norwalk Islands offer tranquil views, good fishing near mussel-laden ledges, fine perches for bird watchers and a challenging kayak trail for those who want to improve their stroke. The 20-plus islands are located just a mile offshore and most are uninhabited, so off-season they look desolate, with only blue herons picking through tidal flats. During the summer, though, the area draws a robust fleet of power and sailboats that animate the coastline and bring a kind of electricity to this corner of Connecticut. Our family spent many summers here in our express cruiser. The kids would try to identify each island as we passed by—those with sprawling woodlands; others just a pile of rock and sand, one so small it didn’t even have a name. We’d often drop anchor at the largest island in the chain, Cockenoe, with its protected lagoon. A morning walk along its eastern shore allowed us to feel as if we were far away from everything, even if the house was just a couple miles to the north, and the Manhattan skyline about 40 miles west. Salt marshes, sandbars, oyster beds and historic lighthouses add to the appeal of this location. Some will say the Norwalk Islands can’t rival places like Maine or Montauk for raw beauty, but even so, their lure is very pure. —Jeanne Craig, Editor-in-Chief of Soundings
Cape Charles, Virginia
Cape Charles is across the Chesapeake from the intensely crowded and paved southern side of Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads and Norfolk, and it couldn’t be more different. Built in the late 1800s as the southern terminus of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the tidy town was once a critical East Coast shipping link, its rail lines ending in piers where tugs and barges carried goods across the vast mouth of the Bay. But when the 17-mile-long Bay Bridge-Tunnel opened in 1964, its reason for being ended, and for decades it dwindled.
Today, it’s a charming, highly walkable town with that historic deepwater port proving to be a godsend for boaters of all stripes. The city’s marina, Cape Charles Harbor, has 94 slips and can accommodate yachts as large as 120 feet. Cape Charles Yacht Center next door offers service (they can haul multihulls, too) and slips. The Shanty, a funky, fun waterfront restaurant, is on the harbor, and it’s a pleasant short walk to Mason Street and adjoining tree-lined avenues for more pubs, shops and eateries.
What I’ve always loved most about Cape Charles is its laid-back, down-to-earth vibe. If you need a ride to the grocery store, just ask and someone will give you a lift. Don’t be surprised if you end up hanging out on Mason Street, or watching the stunning sunsets along Bay Avenue, and chatting with strangers turned friends. —Wendy Mitman-Clarke, Editor-in-Chief of Sail
Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts
There’s something enchantingly anachronistic about the 20 or so islands that make up Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Archipelago, a chain of rocky protrusions from Vineyard Sound in between Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, and Buzzards Bay. All but two of the islands are famously owned by the Forbes family save for Penikese and Cuttyhunk. This is not the first time we’ve made mention of these islands, and they’re far from any real secret, but they are a world away from Newport, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket, which are all figuratively just next door.
There’s not much to Cuttyhunk, the fourth largest of the Elizabeth Islands, but somehow it holds just enough. A balance between quaintness and elegance, there are a few restaurants, the old Cuttyhunk Fishing Club (where Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Taft stayed to fish), a few stores, homes, a church, a school and old WWII bunkers. About half of the island also serves as a wildlife refuge, harboring everything from white-footed mice up to whitetail and coyotes.
Pick up a mooring, place a call on the VHF for a classic New England clambake to arrive over the rail via launch, grab a standup paddleboard and a fly rod, or just wander the village—for its scant 580 acres, a cruiser can find more than enough to keep themselves busy here for a day or three. —Owen Burke, Senior Editor
Door County, Michigan
Life is good in Door County, the peninsular “thumb” of the state of Wisconsin jutting into northern Lake Michigan. What’s Door County all about? For efficiency’s sake, Cape Cod is known as the Door County of Massachusetts, about the same size but with perhaps more gender studies majors. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The Door peninsula begins at Sturgeon Bay, a small city rich in shipbuilding history and a hub of American boatbuilding industry in the late 20th century. Every Carver, Cruisers and custom Palmer Johnson yacht ever launched has been built within 50 miles of Sturgeon Bay, the latter superyachts having been built right downtown. (Additional superyachts are currently in build by Burger, 50 miles south in Manitowoc.)
Door County’s most special cruising hideaways include Egg Harbor, Fish Creek and Sister Bay. Each boasts a marina and anchorage immediately adjacent to sickly-sweet downtowns and cozy beaches. Sister Bay is the home of Al Johnson’s restaurant known for Swedish breakfasts and a grass roof with goats grazing atop it, across the street from the marina. Key West-caliber sunsets are nearly guaranteed in Sister Bay. Steep bluffs populate the coast and nearby islands Chambers and Washington offer opportunities for exploration by boat. Nothing wrong with that! —Bill Prince, Contributing Editor and Yacht Designer
Downeast Maine
At Liberdade’s leisurely cruising speed of 8 knots, it’s about 10 hours from Portland to Northeast Harbor Maine. Along that route on a typical summer day, we could easily pass a couple dozen cruising yachts entering or exiting the picturesque harbors dotting this scenic coast. Beyond Northeast Harbor, the next 80 nautical miles couldn’t feel more different. It’s rare to see even two other cruising yachts. Heading farther downeast is a journey into the remote, rugged beauty of the farthest reaches of the Northeast.
Once past the well-traveled waters of Penobscot Bay and Mount Desert Island, the Maine coast takes on a wilder, more isolated character. The air turns cooler, the tides grow stronger, and the harbors become fewer, often little more than working lobstermen’s villages tucked behind rocky headlands. Roque Island, with its rare, crescent-shaped white sand beach, makes for a stunning and well-protected anchorage along the way. It feels like a secret world, far removed from the bustle of more popular cruising grounds.
Tucked behind Campobello and Deer Islands, Eastport, Maine, and St. Andrews, New Brunswick are a step back in time. Eastport, perched on the edge of Passamaquoddy Bay, carries the grit and charm of a town shaped by the sea, its tides among the highest in the world. A short crossing into Canada brings you to St. Andrews, where its historic waterfront, grand inns, and a maritime rhythm softened by a touch of old-world elegance await.
Shifting fog, dramatic tides and a sense of true distance define this journey, offering solitude and a connection to nature that makes cruising here so compelling. It’s a passage for those who appreciate the quiet beauty of places where the sea still dictates the pace of life. —Bob Arrington, Contributing Editor
Morehead City, North Carolina
If you like history, pirates, beaches and/or fishing, head for Morehead City, North Carolina, or its sister harbor, Beaufort, about five miles away on the other side of Beaufort Inlet. Morehead City is a major sportfishing port, and more active; Beaufort is smaller, older, quieter and prettier. Both are ideal home ports for exploring the area, or for venturing inland on the ICW towards Pamlico Sound and points north. Boats heading back and forth to the Caribbean and Florida stop here, so in the spring and fall you’ll find lots of salt-stained mariners to chat with.
Morehead City and Beaufort both have excellent marinas, every marine service you could want, and countless restaurants —don’t miss the Sanitary Fish Market and Restaurant in Morehead City. There’s dockage at the restaurant. Eat at one of the waterfront restaurants in Beaufort and you might see wild ponies on the Rachel Carson Reserve across Taylor Creek. If you have a good dinghy or a shallow-draft boat—outboard power is preferable—you can gunkhole to Shackleford Banks for sandy beaches and more ponies (there’s a ferry if you don’t want to take your boat), or maybe to Harker’s Island to get a taste of old-time coastal North Carolina. Navigation is tricky; shoals are plentiful; go slow. Carry a stout pole or oar to push yourself off when you run aground.
Beaufort Inlet is just west of Cape Lookout, and was called Topsail Inlet in 1718 when Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard the pirate, grounded his Queen Anne’s Revenge there. The wreck of the ship is still on the bottom, and is being slowly excavated by underwater archaeologists from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. A collection of artifacts from the wreck is on display at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort. (Call to confirm opening hours.) Tradition says Blackbeard lodged briefly at an inn in Beaufort—today’s Hammock House, now a private residence. Some folks say his ghost still haunts the town. Yes, there is a ghost walk. —Mike Smith, Technical Editor
This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
