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Annisquam Yacht Club

17 River Road, Gloucester, MA

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17 River Road; P.O. Box 1266 • Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930

978-283-4507

[email protected]

© 2024 Annisquam Yacht Club, All rights reserved.

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19 River Rd

Gloucester, MA 01930

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Great spot, view is to die for, but be forewarned, this is a private club with a members only policy. Food is above average for club food, but if you want cutting edge or farm to table go down the street to the market (which is among the best on the north shore). If you are out cruising and want to stop in for dinner and a cocktail this is the place for you. Also great for weddings and other major events. Important to keep in mind that this club caters to its members, it is not in the business of being everything to everyone. So take it as it is and you will likely be pleased. I have read the reviews on moorings etc. and they seem odd. Reservation policies exist to protect against cancellations, which is what one reviewer tried. Seems that they should have followed the rules.

Lovely spot on the annisquam river to view the sunset and wingaersheek beach. Private club and docks that sit In The middle of the river on pylons. Active social environment, sailing and tennis and friendly members.

When I think of a yacht club, old money, old folks with old money, and lots more old money come to mind. Though the view iwas spectacular, I felt like an uninvited guest here. My bf's folks are members and membership is a requirement to dine at this establishment. Maybe I was just paranoid, but I felt that others were giving me the evil eye. The food and service were great but the experience left me with an indifferent vibe.

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Cape Ann: Annisquam

Cozy but sophisticated, Annisquam is the hidden jewel of Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

Nestled along Lobster Cove lies the picturesque village of Annisquam, settled in 1631 and home to several families whose ancestors go back many generations. The name derives from Native American and translates into “top of the rock” a fitting nomenclature for this hamlet of rolling hills and flinty pastureland studded with granite outcrops. In the late 19th century, Annisquam was an important area for granite quarrying and shipbuilding, launching vessels into the cove from hefty granite piers.

The shimmering light and coastline pastures also attracted many painters, and soon, the area became an established art colony, Margaret Fitz Hugh Brown and George Loftus Noyes being two of the more important artists. Today, portraits of village folk by Fitz Hugh Brown are on view in the Village Hall.

A thriving and active community belies the first impression that the village is a sleepy hollow. Annisquam is home to writers, poets, musicians, actors, and filmmakers. The village boasts one of the longest-running community theaters in the nation — the Annisquam Village Players, a troupe of semi-professional actors whose summer musicals play to sell-out audiences.

The village’s annual Sea Fair held on the last Saturday in July raises funds to maintain both the historic Village Hall and the charming Annisquam Village Church (est. 1728 and housing an important organ and harpsichord by master instrument maker Jeremy Adams) and is an old-fashioned country-style fair of games, food tables, book and white elephant sales, and the famous Wax Works, a theatrical tableaux in which local residents pose as wax figures in scenes depicting history, literature, the arts and pop culture. For history buff s, the village Historical Society is a wealth of artifacts and showcases the c.1847 stage coach that brought villagers to Gloucester Harbor.

The Market Restaurant is one of the best on Cape Ann . Owned by two young chefs trained under Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, the restaurant sits over the lazily lapping waters of Lobster Cove. By candlelight, diners look onto a quintessential harbor scene, enjoying beautifully presented courses deserving of a Michelin star. Bookings are essential, except for the morning menu where breakfast and the paper make the perfect beginning to a summer’s day.

Two beaches stretch along the outer coastline and face Ipswich Bay. Cambridge Beach is private to village residents, but Lighthouse Beach is public and reached by footpath through pastureland that opens onto sandy shores looking toward Annisquam Lighthouse, first built in 1801, later replaced in 1851, and again in 1897, with final repairs completed in 2000. Th e foghorn is in use only in summer and only during daylight as not to disturb the tranquility of summer residents.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Derrick Mills (@dcmillsphotos) on Aug 21, 2020 at 7:00am PDT

Those hunting for antiques and oddities will be beguiled by the Annisquam Exchange, housed in the original one-room schoolhouse in the village center. Open Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day, the Exchange is nonpareil for treasures. Occasionally, one will spot a rare textile by the famous Folly Cove designers, a coveted find! Upstairs at the Exchange Art Gallery, paintings by local artists rotate through summer exhibitions and make for lovely mementos of this unspoiled community.

What would summer be without a good book? Next to the Exchange, the Village Library is open on Monday afternoons and Thursday evenings. Remember the rubber stamp that noted the due date on a yellow card? Th at stamp is still in use in the library; although the stamp may be quaint, the shelves are stocked with contemporary editions as well as historical literature and books by local authors.

Sailing is in the blood of Cape Ann residents and is no less the case for Annisquamers. The Annisquam Yacht Club (founded 1896) provides its members a haven for sailing, yachting, tennis, and friendship. The club has a limited number of guest moorings and can accommodate visiting boats up to 45’.

Where to stay? The Brynmere looks out at Cambridge Beach, “at the point where the river meets the open sea,” and has been a summer hotel since the late 19th century. Step onto the porch, through the screened door and into the warmth of another era. In 1905, the Brynmere was listed as one of Gloucester’s “grand hotels.” Although rooms are no longer $3 a day, the hotel is a favorite among those who return year after year to its charm.

By Beatrice E.

Featured image: Annisquam’s Lobster Cove (Credit: Ren Fuller; Courtesy: The Market Restaurant)

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Introduction

The mouth of the Annisquam River makes an unlikely little harbor.

Often deserted in the spring and fall, with the yacht club shuttered, the beach empty, and the nearest public facilities two miles away, Annisquam can seem desolate. We’ve spent a day moored in the river, in fog thick enough to obscure both shores, and felt like the only boat in New England.

We’ve hung from the same mooring on a summer weekend: Day visitors anchor 3-deep off the beach. Fishermen, looking for stripers among the rocks or hunting tuna off the Isles of Shoals, come and go at all hours. It can feel like every boat in New England is passing through the Annisquam in a relentless parade.

Still, the harbor is convenient; the setting is beautiful; the protection is good. And Lobster Cove, accessible when the tide is anywhere above low, offers the snuggest moorings around.

The view from Wingaersheek Beach across the mouth of the Annisquam River. In the evening, it’s usually a quiet place to watch the setting sun light up the far shore.

The southern approach, up from Gloucester, is discussed in detail under Blynman Canal . Remember that depths in the Annisquam River change year to year, and that even a five foot draft may stumble in places near low tide. In recent years, the controlling depth has been about 4 feet on an average low.

From the north, find Red & White “AR” in Ipswich Bay. The channel into Annisquam is straight and well marked, of no particular difficulty in most conditions. A strong northerly can make it choppy and even a bit treacherous, however, especially if the tide is ebbing. The dredged portion is subject to shoaling, and can add unwelcome excitement to a transit at low water. We’ve seen depths under 6 feet in some years, but in 2010 there was at least 8 feet down the middle at average low. The thinnest spots were in the vicinity of nun “4”; south of that, there’s at least a foot or so more water through to the mooring area.

Barn Rocks, well outside the channel on the Wingaersheek side, are marked with a daybeacon.

The green and white beacon sits close against the shore between the yacht club and Lobster Cove.

There is no room to anchor comfortably in Annisquam. Boats will drop the hook off Wingaersheek Beach for the afternoon, but swinging room is limited by moorings, the bottom drops off steeply into the channel, and the current runs hard.

Annisquam is part of Gloucester, but the Gloucester Harbormaster does not maintain a full-time presence at this end of the river. There are two sources for moorings in Annisquam.

The Annisquam Yacht Club is on the east bank of the river, a bit more than a half mile south of Annisquam Harbor Light. Their guest moorings are big red balls across the channel from the clubhouse, with deep water, room to swing, and good protection from all but a strong northerly. On a pleasant summer evening, though, as the stream of boats passes by, you’ll feel either the energy of a sidewalk cafe or the charm of a roadside picnic table, depending on your frame of mind. The Annisquam Yacht Club has launch service and showers.

Lobster Cove Market and Marina oversees a few moorings within Lobster Cove which may be available for visitors. The moorings are well sheltered from all weather, and removed from the traffic in the river. The Marina is small, low-profile and pretty informally run, so it can take some effort to track them down.

Taking advantage of its placid conditions, Lobster Cove is packed as tightly with boats as any harbor in New England. The mouth is guarded by a ledge, covered maybe 5 feet at low water. Note that when entering the cove, Can “11” is a mark for the river, and must be left to starboard. The passage into Lobster Cove is between C”11″ and the Green & White beacon (GW “LC” on the chart) near shore.

There are no slips specifically for transients, although you may be able to arrange for tie-up space at the Lobster Cove Marina float.

The AYC moorings are reassuringly large, given the current they must stand up to. When it’s running, make your approach into the current to have any control. And once you’re secured, lock the rudder off straight so the boat won’t pull sideways on the mooring.

Not for navigation. charts are not updated. , going ashore.

An easy dinghy trip to the beach, to the Yacht Club float or to the Lobster Cove docks will get you to Annisquam’s best shoreside features: both sides of the river are inviting and relaxing places to walk.

On the west shore is Wingaersheek Beach, narrow at high tide and surprisingly expansive at low. As you contemplate the passage out of the river, it’s fun to watch kids playing on the beach, seemingly in reach of the nuns marking the west side of the channel.

On the east side is the village of Annisquam, whose quiet residential streets full of neat cottages are delightful to explore.

And the footbridge across Lobster Cove is nearly irresistible.

The old cottages of Annisquam blend quietly into the landscape.

The moorings in Lobster Cove, viewed from the footbridge.

One hour ashore.

Ice cream at the market in Lobster Cove, or sunset on the beach.

Off the Beaten Path

The streets of Annisquam are pretty and never crowded. The walk out to the lighthouse is short.

Maritime History

A sign on shore reads “For nearly two and a half centuries Annisquam was a fishing and shipbuilding center.” The evidence that remains is mostly read in the architecture.

There are no public indoor diversions here.

Proximity to beaches and marshes gives Annisquam its unusual beauty. It also means the harbor is more prone to insects than the built-up ports found elsewhere in Massachusetts. Midgies seem to peak in June; July can bring greenheads. We pack a few lengths of plastic screen fabric to drape over the hatches in the evenings.

The Annisquam Yacht Club launch serves their guest moorings.

To get to the village, dinghy in to the yacht club float or Lobster Cove Marina. Or dinghy to the beach.

The yacht club has showers and restrooms.

Fitting Out

There is no diesel in Annisquam; the closest is at Cape Ann Marina, near Gloucester Harbor in the Blynman Canal

Water is available at the yacht club.

The Lobster Cove Marina store has a limited selection of groceries and ice.

Annisquam Yacht Club 1-978-283-4507 VHF: 68 Book with Dockwa

If you have updated information, corrections, or contributions to this harbor, please share them below. Comments are moderated by Boston Sailing Center. 

Sit on the cans going in or coming out. Avoid the approach from Ipswich Bay in a stiff northwest at all costs if you draw 6+. You will ground.

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