Camden

Camden Harbor has two approaches with one major caution and two minor cautions. The wider, preferred approach starts at the R2 Bell and proceeds NW into the harbor leaving Curtis Island to port and Nuns 4 and 6 to starboard. The second narrower approach is called the Northeast Passage and begins at the red/white CH bell and proceeds approximately SW into the harbor leaving Can 1 and Daymark 3 to port and Northeast Point light (red day mark) to starboard. Once you have entered the outer harbor by either approach, you should then find and place yourself in the locally buoyed fairway through the mooring area and into the inner harbor. Be advised that this fairway is often used by large yachts and schooners and is a no-wake, 5-knot restricted area. Once in the inner harbor, the fairway splits into two legs with mooring floats in the middle. The general traffic flow is to enter to the east along the Lyman Morse docks and exit on the town or west side. Be advised that two large schooners return to their berths at the head of the inner harbor via the west side fairway! If you are entering in fog, listen to channel 16 for securité broadcasts by schooners and larger yachts as they make their way in or out of the harbor.

The major caution is a roughly triangular area between these two passages that is full of ledges. It can be loosely defined by an east leg of the triangle that runs from Nun 4 to Can 1, a leg to the northeast from Can 1 to Daymark 3, and a southwest leg that runs from Nun 6 to Nun 4. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with this triangle, it will make entry by either approach safe and straightforward.