Table Of Content
Hawthorne, Ralph Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and other notables of the time. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s recently published diaries include a two-week visit to the Isles of Shoals and Star Island. Star Island Day Trips The Thomas Laighton no longer offers its daily Star Island Stopover. We do not have a gift shop but we sell hats and sweatshirts on board. Smoking is allowed on the boat as long as you smoke on the outside decks.
Welcome to Granite State Whale Watch and Island Cruises!
Our sightseeing cruises feature an incredible full narration through the Isles of Shoals. Evening dinner cruises feature light background music as your glide through the Portsmouth Harbor. Our party ships feature a full range of popular dance tunes- some party ships have a live band onboard while others have a DJ.
Private Events
The Isles of Shoals Steamship Company has been operating for over 25 years cruising the Piscataqua River and Isles of Shoals. We offer a variety of cruises to suit nearly everyone. Whether it be with family, friends, co-workers, students or hosting a special celebration, our crew looks forward to welcoming you aboard. Come cruise with us and take in the breathtaking NH seacoast. For day visitors, Star Island offers a free launch boat service on weekend for boaters to get to the island from Gosport Harbor.
Isles of Shoals
For many long-time Shoalers, this will be a taste of nostalgia but for others, this will become a "new" tradition. Captain’s Fishing Charters, owner of the "Captain’s Lady," is based in Newburyport, Massachusetts, but will operate from the dock adjacent to where the Thomas Laighton is berthed. Conferees will park in the same lot we have used for the last several years. There are a few logistical issues yet to be worked out and we will send detailed information to conference leaders well in time for planning your summer trip to the island. Reservations for daytime sightseeing cruises are required with full payment in advance. Reservations for party ships are required, as well as pre-payment in full.
One of Star Island’s most prominent features is the chapel, a simple stone meetinghouse built in 1800 on the highest point of land. Vaughn Cottage, another site of interest, is open from 1 to 3 p.m. And features artifacts and historic manuscripts including writings from the collection of Celia Thaxter. The Rutledge Marine Lab is open every day for hands–on learning about native marine life. Northeast Charter Offers a Star Island dinner cruise starting at 5 pm from Portsmouth Harbor with trip to Star and dinner at the Oceanic Hotel. In 1997, current owners Jeremy Bell and Jerod Blanchette worked as crew as part of a summer co-op program from Maine Maritime Academy.
Cast off with the Thomas Laighton for fun, festivities and exploration - Foster's Daily Democrat
Cast off with the Thomas Laighton for fun, festivities and exploration.
Posted: Thu, 09 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Oceanic House has Fa snack bar, a gift shop, and restrooms. The Vaughn Cottage, open daily from 1pm to 3pm, displays Celia Thaxter memorabilia. The only harbor in the Isles of Shoals is Gosport Harbor, between Star, Cedar, and Smuttynose Island, so it is likely to be crowded.
Experience the Isles of Shoals With Us!
Evening, Sunset and Lights cruises are the same route. Nice tour of the harbor with just the right amount of commentary / explanations. Star Island Corporation is a membership organization comprised of about 400 members and governed by a board of directors under the direction of Irene Bush, president. Charter trips to Star with advance call, when available. Call for planned DAILY stop over trips to Star Island. For the 2023 season, this trip will be available only for private charters.
Star Island Walking Tour & Portsmouth Harbor Tour
Seasickness is rare on the M/V Thomas Laighton, and those that tend to become sick on seafaring vessels often find their ride on our vessel to be a comfortable one. Lichen-covered whale bones lie near the Lab’s dinner bell, up near Kiggins Commons. Stay on the trails to avoid nesting gulls and rampant poison ivy. Named for the dark rocks at its eastern end, uninhabited Smuttynose boasts enough history for several volumes. In most harbors you can trust your anchor more than unknown moorings, but in Gosport Harbor it is better to pick up a mooring.
Sunset Harbor Cruise aboard the Challenger
With enough visibility, you can power around Smuttynose and reset the hook on the eastern side of the breakwater between Cedar and Smuttynose. The bottom has good holding in sand and boulders, but expect a swell. Coming from the south, aim for the 82-foot light on White Island, leaving it to port. Pass between nun “4” on Halfway Rocks and Lunging Island to find red-and-white bell “IS” (42° 58.87’N070° 37.26’W) at the mouth of Gosport Harbor. Ferry services to Star Island are located in Portsmouth through the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company and the Uncle Oscar in Rye.
Smuttynose was also the site of a grisly double murder on the cold night of March 6, 1873. Six Norwegian immigrants—three couples—lived in what would become known as the “Hontvet House,” which was owned and operated as a boarding house by the family of Celia Thaxter on Appledore Island. The men had sailed to the mainland on a bait-buying trip but had not returned by nightfall.
On warm weekends you will be competing with day-trippers from Portsmouth and Kittery as well as cruising boats, sometimes rafted four and five abreast. Even on weekdays there may be 10 or 20 boats here, so arrive early to choose a spot. As an island environment ten miles out to sea, Star Island must provide its own utilities including electricity, water, waste treatment, and garbage disposal. We are currently installing a reverse osmosis machine to allow us to convert salt water to drinking water. We handle the largest amount of compost in the State of New Hampshire.
Relax with your favorite cocktail or local beer from our full service bar and enjoy the nighttime sights of the Seacoast. Immerse yourself in the beauty of a sunset, or view the spectacular lights of the city. Come aboard for a tour of the NH Seacoast’s waterways. Our cruises are casual, sometimes amusing and always informative. Our narrated cruises are casual, sometimes amusing and always informative.
Hours are updated weekly on our automated phone system.
Suddenly, in the depth of the night, they were awoken by a brutal attacker swinging an ax. The third, Maren, escaped and hid among the rocks with her dog Ringe. To maximize our time cruising the islands this tour does not stop at the Isles of Shoals.
