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Boater’s Guide to Cohasset, Massachusetts

With its beautiful, historic waterfront, scenic parks and interesting shops and restaurants, the town of Cohasset on Massachusetts’ South Shore is an inviting, enjoyable boating destination.

This idyllic coastal community southeast of Boston boasts a beautiful, protected harbor featuring lobster boats and historic Minot’s Light, and a shore that allows for breathtaking ocean views. A short walk from the harbor is the downtown area, where visitors can stroll among quaint shops, businesses and award-winning eateries. The area is home to museums, antique buildings, and parks such as Whitney and Thayer Woods and Wompatuck State Park, among the best places for outdoors enthusiasts in the region.

While Cohasset is a wonderful boating destination, navigating there can be tricky, and visiting boaters must pay attention to their surroundings when navigating the area. Upon approaching Cohasset, most boaters will first notice Minot’s Light a half-mile offshore between the towns of Scituate and Cohasset. The iconic light built of granite blocks between 1851 and 1860 warns boaters about Minot’s Ledge and about the reefs and boulders sprinkled throughout the surrounding waters. The channel leading to Cohasset Cove is also bordered by shallow mud flats. Pay close attention to channel markers, as well as your instruments as you enter and leave the harbor.

Once in the harbor, visiting boaters can often find transient moorings with the town by contacting the harbormaster (781-383-2787; VHF Channel 10). Cohasset Harbor Marina (781-337-1964) often has transient slips available. Boaters can also drop anchor in the outer harbor in 5 to 11 feet of water west of Strawberry Point and east of the channel when winds are from the south or west. There is no charge for dinghy tie-up at the town landing.

Visiting boaters who want to fill their stomachs after arriving in Cohasset can grab a bite to eat at Red Lion Inn (781-383-1704) or Bia Bistro (781-383-0464). After eating, art enthusiasts may enjoy the South Shore Arts Center (781-383-2787), with its inspiring art exhibits. Cohasset is also a wonderful place to go kayaking, as the harbor is popular among flatwater kayakers.

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