Getting a Nantucket mooring or permit runs through the Harbor Master’s office at 34 Washington Street, and the short version is this: permanent moorings come off a long waitlist you must renew each year, annual permit fees run from $80 to $500 based on vessel length, and visitors who don’t want to wait can rent a transient mooring through Nantucket Moorings on the Dockwa platform.1Nantucket, MA – Official Website. Harbormaster
Getting on the Permanent Mooring Waitlist
Nantucket’s permanent mooring waitlist is long. The town says it moves faster than it once did, but everyone on the list has to renew annually to stay on it, and a realistic wait is measured in years rather than months.2Nantucket, MA – Official Website. Boating and Navigation
Waitlist and mooring accounts are managed through the town’s online portal at onlinemooring.com/nantucketma. That’s where you update boat information, submit renewal payments, and file the Boat and Mooring Declaration Form. The declaration asks for your state registration or federal documentation number, boat length, make, model, year, hull ID, engine details, and whether the vessel has a holding tank. It does not ask for beam or draft.3Nantucket, MA – Official Website. Boat and Mooring Declaration Form
One thing to know before you buy tackle: the permit fee below is only what the town charges. The mooring itself, installation, and annual servicing are handled by a private mooring company and cost significantly more than the town permit.
Annual Mooring Permit Fees
The town’s annual permit fees are set by vessel length and use:4Nantucket, MA – Official Website. Fee Schedule
- Up to 16 feet: $80
- 17 to 23 feet: $100
- 24 to 32 feet: $200
- 33 to 49 feet: $300
- 50 feet and over: $500
- Commercial fishing: $80
- Livery or rental: $200
- Boat handler or repair: $175
Insurance Requirements
Standard recreational mooring holders are not required to carry liability insurance under the town code. Insurance is required in three situations: commercial vessels that use the Town Pier, the Children’s Beach ramp, or Barrett Pier in Madaket as a primary loading point must carry liability coverage naming the town as an additional insured, and liveaboard vessels must carry a current boater’s insurance policy.5eCode360. Town of Nantucket Code Chapter 278 – Harbors and Waterways
Renting a Mooring as a Visitor
If you’re cruising in and don’t have a permit, transient moorings are rented through Nantucket Moorings on the Dockwa platform. Reserve ahead, especially in summer. Rentals carry a two-night minimum and are priced nightly, though day moorings can sometimes be had on a first-come, first-served basis. Check-in is 1 p.m., check-out is 11 a.m.6Nantucket Moorings. Mooring Rentals | Mooring Service Nantucket
As you approach Brant Point lighthouse, hail Nantucket Moorings on VHF Channel 68 and they’ll escort you to your assigned ball.6Nantucket Moorings. Mooring Rentals | Mooring Service Nantucket
Harbor Rules Every Mooring Holder Should Know
Once your boat is on a Nantucket mooring, a handful of rules matter more than the rest.
Speed and Wake
From Jackson’s Point inward through a line drawn from Coatue Point to the West Jetty, vessels must operate at the slowest speed that maintains steerage and produce minimum wake. Posted speed limits apply. Only emergency and law enforcement operations are exempt.7eCode360. Town of Nantucket Code Chapter 137 – Wharves and Waterways, Town
Personal Watercraft and Water Skiing
Jet skis, surf jets, and wet bikes are banned outright from Nantucket Harbor, the navigation lane between the east and west jetties, the Head of the Harbor, and Polpis Harbor. No exceptions. Water skiing is allowed on parts of Nantucket Sound, Polpis Harbor, and Madaket Harbor, but only outside navigation channels, swimming areas, and mooring fields, only during daylight, and skiers and tow boats must stay at least 400 feet from swimmers, divers, piers, wharves, and other vessels.7eCode360. Town of Nantucket Code Chapter 137 – Wharves and Waterways, Town
No Discharge and Pump-Out
All Massachusetts coastal waters, Nantucket included, are a federally approved No Discharge Zone since 2014. Discharging any vessel sewage, treated or untreated, is illegal.8Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). History of No Discharge Zones (NDZs) in Massachusetts Town code goes further and bans discharge of oil, dead fish, garbage, and waste, and prohibits onboard laundry machines and mechanical dishwashers with overboard discharge.7eCode360. Town of Nantucket Code Chapter 137 – Wharves and Waterways, Town
To stay compliant, the Harbor Master runs a pump-out vessel called the Head Hunter. Hail it on VHF Channel 14, or use a shore-side pump-out facility.9Nantucket Moorings. FAQs Violations carry federal penalties.
Hull Paint and Debris
Dumping garbage, paper, refuse, or debris of any kind into the harbor is prohibited, and vessels painted with butyltin-compound paints cannot moor in town waters or tie up at town wharves.7eCode360. Town of Nantucket Code Chapter 137 – Wharves and Waterways, Town
Safety Equipment
Harbor staff run safety inspections and can issue citations. Every vessel needs the standard Coast Guard gear: life jackets for each person aboard, visual distress signals, sound-producing devices, and fire extinguishers sized to the vessel and fuel type.
Where to Reach the Harbor Master
The Harbor Master’s office is at 34 Washington Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. The phone is 508-228-7261 and email is marine@police.nantucket-ma.gov.1Nantucket, MA – Official Website. Harbormaster Mooring accounts and waitlist renewals live at onlinemooring.com/nantucketma, transient reservations run through Dockwa via Nantucket Moorings, and the pump-out boat answers on VHF Channel 14.