Auxiliary power is crucial to enjoying all that a trip along the Harraseeket River—the mariner’s gateway to Freeport—has to offer. That’s not to say your powerboat must be a twin-screw or your sailboat equipped with a giant hulking beast in the engine room. Instead, a visit to Freeport requires a different sort of auxiliary power altogether.

Gorgeous yachts of every size and description find a berth at Brewer South Freeport Marine.

It all begins with this port’s bifurcated personality. Locals along the waterfront like to point out that the literal Freeport is “up in town,” and that South Freeport is where your boat stays. It’s a distinction that goes beyond mere provincial considerations.

The visual attractions in the peaceful harbor and river give no hint that an international hub of name-brand shopping lies just three miles inland. And it is those three miles that force many transient boaters to consider some sort of “auxiliary power” to get from Freeport’s watery nirvana to its shopper’s heaven.

Anchored by outdoor retail behemoth L.L. Bean, the downtown has every imaginable outlet, from Calvin Klein to North Face—and dozens in between. Plus, you’ll also find numerous restaurants and small vendors. If you’re looking to restock the galley, the Bow Street Market offers all-natural groceries, along with wine and beer, while Lighthouse Laundry stands ready to get the salt out of your shorts, 24/7.

The family cheapskate can be happy in town these days, too, thanks to a calendar of free festivals, concerts, lecture series and how-to presentations. Most offerings are sponsored by L.L. Bean, and you can check the schedule there or on the Bean website. Or just show up at Discovery Park, which is pretty much in the middle of downtown. Concerts range from rock and country to jazz and classical.

So how does a mariner gain access to all this activity? Most transients rely on the aforementioned “auxiliary power” provided by a local cab service or the use of a bicycle or two aboard. Not a bad way to go, especially since the ride is very scenic.

The river is a great place to unwind and explore.

With uptown crowded and a bit of a hassle to get to, it’s therefore no surprise that some boaters choose to ride the strong tidal currents into the Harraseeket estuary and never set foot on the South Freeport wharf at all. Fortunately, there are almost as many diversions on the water as there are ashore.

The island sentinel known as Pound of Tea marks the beginning of the huge and largely safe harbor described on charts as the Harraseeket River. Alas, the chart doesn’t really show this harbor’s full potential. Take, for instance, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, which occupies much of the shore to the southeast of the mooring field. The park comprises 230 acres of trails, picnic areas, and birdwatching haunts that are open to the public year-round. Kayak, canoe, and bike rentals are available, too.

From the water, access is only via your dinghy, kayak, or SUP, and limited to an hour on either side of high tide because there are extensive mudflats between the moorings and the trails that skirt the shore. Don’t try to slog through that! The best landing area is about a half-mile northeast of Moore Point at the Neck’s southwest tip. Dogs are welcome, by the way.

If the tide is low and only beginning to flood, it’s back to the dinghy for a current-assisted trip to the northeast, beyond all the moored boats. If you’re truly brave, you can even take a deep-draft vessel upriver on the tide, following in the footsteps of 200-foot schooners, barks, and brigs that once departed from bustling upstream shipyards.

Indeed, as you venture upriver, you may start to feel as if you’ve passed out of this century and back to a more distant time. The hubbub of the harbor soon fades as you pass Bartol Island to port. Then the shores become more rural, with homes more and more widely spaced while the architecture heads backward into the 20th century. Finally, 19^th century farms with sizable fields become common before the Harraseeket takes a sharp turn to the northwest and narrows to the width of no more than a canal. With a quick look to starboard here, you will gaze on the brink of the 18th century, which you can visit by simply tying up to the shore.

Retail giant L.L. Bean has become a tourist destination.

As you step into the open fields sloping up from the river, don’t be concerned about the residents in the ancient saltbox-style building at the top of the hill. They are long gone, and this 140-acre property, known locally as Pettingill Farm, is run by the Freeport Historical Society, which has kept it in a sort of pleasant limbo for decades. Walking the grounds here is as relaxing as it is instructive.

If the tide is still flooding, it’s easy enough to continue to the Harraseeket’s head of navigation at the Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary. As the name implies, the Mast Landing district of Freeport was the place where timber from Maine’s interior was brought to be roughly shaped into spars for ships. At the 140-acre preserve, you can still see the gigantic granite remnants of a sizable hydro-mill and its associated dam, testimony to the various industries once carried out on this now-quiet spot. A brickyard, woodworking shop, grain-grinding operation, associated stores, and warehouses were all huddled on the tiny mill stream, which feels very far away from the modern-day shopping and commerce of Freeport.

So, whether your journey leads uptown or upriver, Freeport can be a memorable destination for any captain or crew. Just be ready with some sort of auxiliary power for both options.