Anchorage

Burnt Coat Harbour Swans Island

5.0United StatesMaine

Shelter: NW, W, E, SW, S, SE
Seabed: sand, mud
Anchoring: Allowed

Anchorage at Burnt Coat Harbour, Swans Island, in outer Blue Hill Bay, Maine, on a sand and mud bottom with shelter from NW through E round to SE.

Pontoon
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Burnt Coat Harbour Light at Hockamock Head marks the entrance, and the marked channel past the light is straightforward. Fog tends to lift once inside. Anchor north of the light in 4 to 7 metres on sand and mud. The harbour holds well in all but a strong southerly, the one quarter left open.

Practical

Wharves on the village side carry two floats with around 1.5 to 1.8 metres alongside. Transient berths are available, with petrol, diesel, fresh water, ice, provisions and marine supplies on the waterfront. Dyserts South Harbor lies 7.9 nm NE and Hinckley Marina 8.1 nm NE, both at Southwest Harbor on Mount Desert Island.

Ashore

Burnt Coat Harbour Light, also known as Hockamock Head Light, stands at the entrance and is open to visitors. The island village has a store and is linked to the mainland at Bass Harbor by the state ferry.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 44.17062, -68.43587 (44°10.24'N 68°26.15'W)
Country: United States
Shelter: Sheltered from north-west, west, east, south-west, south, south-east winds
Seabed: sand, mud
Anchoring: Allowed
Services: Pontoon, Beach
Boaters' rating: 5.0/5
Updated: July 7, 2026