Nantasket Pier Marine Ramp, a town-owned boat launch located in Hull. Photo courtesy North & South Rivers Watershed Association.

Boaters looking to access the waters of Boston Harbor will find but a handful of places to launch a trailerable boat—although not all of them are equally accommodating in terms of water depth, floats, and parking. Here are seven to consider when planning a Boston Harbor trip.

WINTHROP

Houghs Neck Maritime Center and Public Landing in Quincy.

This two-lane boat launch at 707 Shirley Street affords access to the northern side of the harbor, near Logan Airport, through most of the tide. It offers ample parking and a dock. Daily fee is $10, payable at an automated kiosk located in front of the harbormaster’s office. Learn more about the Winthrop boat launch here.

CHARLESTOWN

A free, 2-lane ramp can be found on Terminal Street on the Little Mystic Channel. This urban launch facility—which is also used by duck boats—offers ample parking and all-tide, deep-water access to Boston’s Inner Harbor.

MEDFORD

The Wellington-Mystic River launch facility near the Wellington MBTA station and the Mystic Wellington Yacht Club in Medford is a single-lane ramp with parking nearby and a float system. To access Boston Harbor, some three miles downriver, you will need to negotiate a set of locks.

QUINCY

Boaters have two ramps they can use in the Quincy area. The boat ramp on Houghs Neck off Sea Street has free public launching and parking for about 20 rigs, as well as a long pier and tie-up float. Also, in 2021, Quincy added a boat ramp and boat yard at Town River Marina at 674 Southern Artery.

WEYMOUTH

Probably the best public boat launch on Boston Harbor, the Weymouth-Back River facility (also known as the Thomas C. Smith Boat Launch) off Neck Road puts boaters at the mouth of the Back River and Hewitts Cove, on the southern side of the harbor. It is a 10-minute run through a no-wake zone to open water. The two-lane ramp offers ample parking and two tie-up floats, and can accommodate large boats except for one hour on either side of low tide. An attendant is on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in season. Daily fee is $10.

Whitney Wharf. Park (r) and the Town Pier (l) which is next to the town’s Boat Launch. Photo/David Dauer

HINGHAM HARBOR

The free public ramp at the Hingham Town Pier and Boat Launch has room for some 30 trailers and is adjacent to the town landing on Otis Street (Route 3A), directly on Hingham Harbor. The ramp is all but unusable at low tide for most boats, and the parking lot fills fast on weekends. There is also no dock or float, so you’ll either have to beach your boat or tie it up at the nearby town dock.

HULL

The Nantasket Pier Marine Ramp in Hull is a small town ramp located between Steamboat Wharf and Jake’s Restaurant off George Washington Boulevard. However, this ramp is only usable on the upper stages of the tide and there is no public trailer parking onsite. Public parking for boaters carrying cartop vessels is available across the street in the Nantasket Beach lot.