Cruising Guide to Salem, Massachusetts

Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive cruising guide to Salem, but a summary of our experience and recommendations and what we believe would be interesting to fellow travelers.

We initially wanted to make is to Salem in time for Halloween, but we were having too much fun in Maine. We arrived a week after and in the end, this was the better choice for us. The town wasn’t as chaotic and we were able to walk around in peace. We asked a local walking their dog where the “best dive bar” was and they pointed us in the direction of what looked like a very touristy bar that may or may not have allowed dogs. Next time, we’ll have to do more exploring without Charlie.

Anchorage and Mooring

• The Salem Harbor Master moorings are located next to Winter Island Park. The balls are marked as “Guest.” We considered anchoring, but the basin is packed with mooring balls. When I say packed, I mean it is almost impossible to find a large enough space to drop anchor. I’m sure there is a spot to anchor, but we didn’t feel like trying to find it.
• Payment for the Salem Harbormaster is done through their website.
• We stayed for two nights at $40/night with a $2.85 credit card processing fee.

Dinghy Dockage

• There is a dinghy dock located on the east side of Congress Street next to Pickering Wharf Marina.
  • Coordinates are here.
• During low tide, you can also access the floating dock south of Charlotte Forten Park.
  • Coordinates are here.

Things to Do

• Couch Dog Brewing Company – An interesting selection of beer that was surprisingly subtle. As a brewery that has “couch” in the name, I was expecting more couches but they had a very cute wall filled with polaroids of dogs who had visited.
• Howling Wolf Taqueria – Couch Dog doesn’t serve food, but there is a taqueria next door. We ordered through Door Dash and walked over to pick it up. Service was fast and food was delicious. We were also very hungry.
• Salem Commons – We wandered over here on our first night to get the lay of the land. There was a group of dogs off leash and we easily worked our way in. Even though they weren’t technically supposed to be off-leash, everyone and every dog was friendly.
• O’Neills Pub & Restaurant – We were in the mood for a dive bar, but half the places were closed for the season. We ended up at an Irish bar with some solid beer offerings.