view other NEB tV episodes
By water or by land, Cape Porpoise is only about 2 miles from downtown Kennebunkport (the more popular and busier of the 2 harbors). On official maps, “The Cape” is part of Kennebunkport, but in personality and appearance it might as well be in Eastport.
By far the easiest and most convenient Kennebunkport-area harbor to enter during ordinary summer weather, Cape Porpoise is best known as a fishing port. The harbor is formed by a series of small, rocky islands arrayed to define what seems to be an unaccountable millpond in the middle of the North Atlantic.
Other than the 4:00 a.m. rush of lobstermen headed for their boats and gear, there are few crowds on the Cape Porpoise waterfront, no marinas, only a handful of pleasure boats and very little room for anchoring. Yet it’s the security and ease of entry that make this quiet spot a favorite stopover for transient pleasure boats drawing up to 8 feet, and it’s usually possible to arrange for the use of a vacant mooring by contacting the harbormaster.
Nightlife? Forget it. About the most exciting place in Cape Porpoise is the local grocery store, or possibly the post office. Those 2 businesses, plus the Wayfarer Restaurant of local BYOB fame, make up the heart of the village. And yes, there’s an art gallery here and gas pumps there, but the rest of the village is rural and quiet, mostly single-family, white clapboard homes and small yards.
Still, if you’re the type of boater who seeks peace and quite in a beautiful Maine port, The Cape will more than suffice.
About the author
