Plymouth Harbormaster: Moorings, Safety Gear, and Pump-Outs

The Plymouth Harbormaster’s office manages mooring permits, enforces harbor rules, runs pump-out service, and handles on-water emergencies across Plymouth Harbor and the town’s coastal ponds. The office sits at 185 Water Street on Town Wharf, open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is reachable at 508-830-4182 or on VHF Channel 16.¹

Mooring Permits and the Waitlist

Mooring space in Plymouth Harbor is limited and the permit process reflects that. Current holders renew every year. After paying the renewal invoice, you need to submit three things to receive your permit: proof of payment, a valid boat registration or Coast Guard documentation showing you own the vessel on record, and proof that you’ve paid your boat excise tax.² The permit holder must be the principal owner of the vessel, with at least a 51% ownership interest shown on the title, registration, or documentation.

New applicants almost always go on a waitlist. Plymouth uses the LynxLog online portal to manage sign-ups and let you check your position; select “Wait List” and then “Plymouth Harbor.”¹ The office does not publish expected wait times, and demand consistently outstrips supply in the main harbor.

Applications for coastal and great pond moorings require extra detail: a parcel map, the latitude and longitude of the proposed placement, manufacturer specifications for the mooring gear, and a full vessel description with registration or documentation numbers.² Errors delay processing, and in a scarce-space harbor delays can cost you a season.

Fees vary by vessel size and location, and the schedule can change year to year. Call the office at 508-830-4182 or stop by Town Wharf to confirm current rates before applying.

Speed, Wake, and Prohibited Activities

Inside mooring areas, every vessel must travel at headway speed, defined as the slowest speed that still lets you steer. You are responsible for your wake at all times and can be held liable for damage your wake causes to public or private property.³ A fast powerboat throwing a two-foot wake through a packed mooring field can slam dinghies into hulls and pull cleats out of docks.

Water-skiing, tow-behind devices, and swimming are prohibited in posted areas, anchorages, mooring fields, and channels.³ Anchoring is restricted to designated areas so lanes stay clear for commercial traffic, fishing vessels, and emergency boats. Keep engine and onboard noise reasonable, especially near residential shorelines.

Sewage and the No-Discharge Zone

All Massachusetts state waters are federally designated as a No-Discharge Zone under Section 312 of the Clean Water Act.⁴ You cannot discharge any sewage into Plymouth Harbor, treated or untreated. Your options are to hold sewage onboard and discharge it at sea beyond three miles from shore, or to use a pump-out facility.⁵

Boats with a Type I or Type II marine sanitation device must secure the seacock while in the harbor. Acceptable methods include padlocking it closed, removing the handle, or using a non-releasable wire tie. For Type III holding-tank systems, all valves leading to overboard discharge must be closed and secured the same way.⁵ The Coast Guard and state authorities enforce these rules.

Required Safety Equipment

Federal requirements under 33 CFR Part 175 apply to every recreational vessel in Plymouth Harbor, and the Harbormaster’s office can check compliance during routine patrols.

Life Jackets

Every recreational boat must carry one wearable Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person onboard, readily accessible rather than buried in a locked compartment. Boats 16 feet and longer must also carry one throwable device such as a ring buoy or cushion. Children under 13 must wear a life jacket at all times while the boat is underway, unless they are below decks or in an enclosed cabin.⁶

Fire Extinguishers

The number of portable extinguishers depends on your boat’s length:

Under 26 feet: one 5-B rated extinguisher. Outboard-powered boats under 26 feet with no permanently installed fuel tanks and no enclosed spaces that could trap fumes are exempt.
26 to under 40 feet: two 5-B rated extinguishers, or one 20-B.
40 to 65 feet: three 5-B rated extinguishers, or one 20-B plus one 5-B.

A fixed fire-suppression system lets you carry one fewer portable extinguisher at each tier.⁶

Visual Distress Signals

Boats 16 feet and longer operating on coastal waters must carry visual distress signals suitable for both daytime and nighttime use. Three combination day/night red flares satisfy both. Boats under 16 feet need only night signals, and only when operating between sunset and sunrise.⁶ Check expiration dates. Expired pyrotechnics don’t count, and they’re easy to overlook at the start of a season.

Ramps, Pump-Outs, and Dinghy Docks

The Leo F. DeMarsh State Boat Ramp, behind the East Bay Grill on the waterfront, is the public launch for Plymouth Harbor.⁷ Expect congestion on summer weekends. Rig the boat before you get in line.

The Harbormaster runs a pump-out boat seasonally, typically from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hail it on VHF Channel 16 or call 508-830-4182. A shore-side pump-out station operates seasonally as well, and private pump-outs are available at Brewer’s Plymouth Marine and at South Shore Dry Dock in Cordage Park.⁸

Public landings and dinghy docks along the waterfront give mooring holders access to downtown Plymouth. They see heavy use in summer, so secure your dinghy properly and don’t leave it tied up longer than necessary. The office can direct you to the landing nearest your mooring.

Where the Office’s Authority Comes From

The Harbormaster’s authority comes from state law and local bylaws. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 102, Section 19 governs the appointment of harbormasters and assistant harbormasters by a town’s selectmen.⁹ Chapter 91, Section 10A separately grants harbormasters the power to authorize moorings by permit within their town’s waters, on whatever terms and conditions the harbormaster considers necessary.¹⁰ Locally, Plymouth Town Bylaws Chapter 170 (“Harbor”) sets speed limits, prohibited activities, and the Harbormaster’s enforcement responsibilities within the harbor,³ and the office follows its own Waterway Regulations, last updated in December 2025, covering mooring procedures and marina reporting obligations.²

1
Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Harbormaster
2
Town of Plymouth. Town of Plymouth Official Waterway Regulations
3
eCode360. Town of Plymouth Code Chapter 170 – Harbor
4
US EPA. No-Discharge Zones by State
5
US EPA. Vessel Sewage No-Discharge Zones
6
eCFR. 33 CFR Part 175 – Equipment Requirements
7
Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. State Boat Ramp
8
Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Pump-Out Facilities
9
Justia Law. Massachusetts Code Chapter 102 Section 19 – Harbor Masters; Assistant Harbor Masters; Appointment
10
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 91 Section 10A