island cruises

We took our 4.5 year old grandson and 2.5 year old granddaughter on this 1 hour lobster boat cruise and it was fantastic. They caught about 15 lobsters out of 15 traps. The woman doing the narration lays the lobster right in front of the guests and shows how to determine its sex and how they measure to determine if it is large enough to keep. Our grandkids were fully captivated by the experience. Rye Harbor is a beautiful small harbor full of moored lobster boats and other boats. The tour goes just outside the harbor into the open ocean to pull traps. I strongly recommend this tour for adults and children. Snacks are available on the boat, but no one bought anything as it lasts just one hour.

Our family chartered the Uncle Oscar out of Rye Harbor for a three-hour Isles of Shoals cruise and picnic on Star Island. There were twelve of us, and the boat was exactly the right size. The weather was perfect, and we could all comfortably sit on benches on the outside deck or stand along the rail to enjoy the sea breezes and waves. Our captain was professional, capable, and kept us well informed about the sights and history of this beautiful area just off the coast of New Hampshire. The historic old hotel on Star Island is now a personal retreat/conference center which has a large communal dining room, outside activities on the expansive lawns, a gift shop, bathrooms available for ferry passengers, and a wonderful front porch lined with welcoming rocking chairs. Rye Harbor is the closest mainland port to the Isles of Shoals, and there is convenient parking available very close to the dock for a modest fee. Choose Rye Harbor over the more touristy Portsmouth as your departure point for exploring the New Hampshire seacoast and take the Uncle Oscar for an Isles of Shoals cruise. You won't be disappointed.