Newcastle Inn

View our Maine coast from a Hardy Boat Cruise

A warm-weather visit to Midcoast Maine just doesn’t seem complete without spending time on the water. Hardy Boat Cruises in New Harbor offers regular sight-seeing cruises and trips to beautiful Monhegan Island.

New Harbor is the perfect departure point for Monhegan Island. A day trip to the island consists of five hours on the island followed by a fun and informative Seal Watch on the return trip. The Hardy Boat offers the shortest crossing distance to Monhegan Island, about 50 minutes one-way. Parking is just $3 a day, and the company strongly suggests you make reservations.

Another popular cruise is the Puffin Watch on Eastern Egg Island. As the boat heads out to the small, rugged island, the crew presents giant flash cards depicting the silhouettes of commonly seen bird species. The presentation also includes some history of Maine’s migratory sea birds and the story of the National Audubon’s Project Puffin. Puffins are remarkable birds that had nearly disappeared from the Maine coast just a few decades ago. Thanks to the project, the puffin colony has been restored and continues to grow. A portion of every fare is donated directly to Project Puffin to support their ongoing research and stewardship of this fragile colony. To date Hardy Boat Cruises has contributed $117,000 to Project Puffin.

A separate Hardy cruise can take you and the family to visit harbor seals. Along with the wild life, you’ll see lobstermen hard at work hauling their gear. During the fall, Hardy offers a coastal cruise that gives passengers an amazing view of fall foliage.

Fare information and schedules are available on the Hardy Boat Cruise site. Reservations are encouraged for most of the cruises. The dock in New Harbor is about 14 miles south of the Newcastle Inn. Ask us for directions.

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