Belfast Forward: Boaters looking for an alternative to Maine's busier harbors

Young's Lobster Pound, on the east side of the harbor, is a local institution that welcomes boaters © Tom Richardson

Becoming a standout amid the "star harbours" of Penobscot Bay may sound like a tall order, but Belfast is what many better-known destinations in Maine's biggest bay once were: relaxed, accessible, relatively uncrowded, authentic and boater-friendly.

"Visitors these days are a pretty diverse group," says Belfast harbourmaster Kathy Pickering, who has seen the local waterfront go from nearly ignored to pleasantly busy in her 22 years on the job. With plenty of deep-water transient moorings available, even megayacht owners are charting a course to this 243-year-old city whose roots include a long tradition of blue-collar industry and commercial fishing.

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