FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL

We do not recommend waiting to purchase your ticket last minute at risk of the boat selling out. We find purchasing your ticket at least a week in advance is a good practice.
Trip Vouchers must be redeemed in person. You may book your tickets online and must pay with a credit card. When you arrive for your cruise please provide the physical voucher to the booth staff to be redeemed for a refund back on to your credit card.

Gift Cards will have a unique code that can be applied online. Click on this icon at checkout to enter the code.

Other vouchers or certificates may or may not still be valid. If you are unsure if your Trip Voucher is still valid or what it qualifies for, you may email a photo to [email protected]
Yes, for a $20 fee, you may bring your dog on the boat, but please have them leashed or kenneled. Dogs are allowed on the island, however, island residents would prefer you leave your dog at home. You must pick up after your dog.
The surface water temperature reaches the mid-60s in the height of the summer. On the warmest of days, it can feel refreshing and a much needed break from the heat. On other days it can feel quite chilly. We recommend that you dress in layers so you can take off or put on what you need to feel comfortable.
Yes! The galley is stocked with snacks and drinks. You can expect to find chips, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, and products from Monhegan including coffee and chocolate bars! For drinks we offer sodas, bottled water, hot beverages, beer, and wine.
No! People often ask us what the best equipment is for taking photos of wildlife from our boat. Tripods are made to steady a camera but remember that the boat is a moving platform and therefore a tripod is not helpful. A good zoom is most helpful especially if you’re looking for a good picture of a puffin. They are small birds, only 10 inches tall.
Yes! We can accommodate individuals with ambulatory challenges and those in collapsible wheel chairs. Mobility devices must be able to be folded and light enough for the crew to assist bringing aboard. Motorized wheel chairs are too big and heavy to navigate our ramp and docking system. The ramp leading down to a floating dock can get steep depending on tides. Then there are 3 steps required to board the vessel. Due to limited accessible parking available, please plan on getting dropped off at the dock and having a family/friend bring your vehicle up to the grassy lot which is about a 5 minute walk away. Please contact us ahead of time to be sure that we can accommodate your needs.
The Hardy III travels at about 11 knots.
The Hardy III was built with large cages that surround the propellers and prevent any rope from being entangled in the prop!
Seasickness is something certain people may be prone to and different sea conditions can affect people differently. If you know you suffer from any type of motion sickness, we suggest you take the necessary steps to avoid getting sick. We have found sea sick patches to be helpful and sell them onboard. We recommend bringing your own favorite remedy or over the counter drugs such as Dramamine and Bonine if you’d like, as we do not sell these medications onboard.
Yes! We have navigational equipment aboard that allows us to run safely in the fog. In fact, we’ve found puffins to be very active on foggy, overcast, or drizzly days!
The ferry service to Monhegan Island is very rarely canceled, only if sea conditions put passenger safety at risk. Other trips may be more subject to weather conditions. But, we do sail in the rain! We will notify guests via email of any changes.

MONHEGAN AND FERRY SERVICE

In order to book a round trip, two one-way tickets must be purchased. Once you add your first one-way trip with the correct time and date to your cart, select “Keep Shopping” in the top right corner to add your return trip time and date to the cart! Then you may proceed to checkout.
Sorry, we do not sell open tickets.
Monhegan is a quiet island that offers beautiful hiking trails with magnificent views, a historical museum, an art museum, a lighthouse, swim beach and a myriad of artist studios. You can beach comb for sea glass along the shore or visit the shipwreck of the D.T. Sheridan. It truly is a place to unplug and enjoy.
Each person is allowed 2 items under 50lb plus 1 personal item such as a purse or backpack. Pack as if you are going to the airport. No open bags or reusable shopping bags. Hard sided luggage and plastic totes are great! Additional items are $5 per bag one way. We do charge for unusual items/ freight. Please call ahead if you are traveling with unusual items. See our Luggage Policy for more information.
There are a variety of places to eat on Monhegan.
Yes! You can find most necessities on the island.
Yes there are limited public bathrooms available on the island. Please note that these are maintained by a private business and may not be open in the shoulder season.
No. There are gravel walkways, please plan on getting around by foot.
Monhegan Island is approximately 9.8 miles Southeast of New Harbor.
Yes! During the summer months, you can join us everyday at 5:30pm for a Puffin Watch from New Harbor after your return from a day spent on Monhegan.

Animal Information

PUFFINS

The puffins arrive here on the coast of Maine by the end of April and typically migrate away around mid-August. We offer cruises mid-May through mid-August!
The puffins tend to stay close to Eastern Egg Rock. It is about 5 miles east of New Harbor. It’s about a 30 minute ride to the island.
No. Eastern Egg Rock is protected during the summer when the birds are nesting. Terns are known to lay their very well-camouflaged eggs in nondescript “nests” making them susceptible to being stepped upon. For other obvious reasons, the public is not allowed on Eastern Egg Rock during such a vulnerable time for this fragile nesting colony of birds.
Puffins found on the rocks can be 100 feet or more from the boat. Often we find puffins in the water and they can be 20 or 30 feet from the boat.
We never like to say we “guarantee” the wildlife that we are visiting in their natural habitat. However, it is very rare that we don’t see a puffin. The puffin population is now around 300 individuals. If by chance you don’t see puffins, we will give you another trip for free!
Yes! The puffins feel safe from predators in the fog. We often find them relaxing and loafing at the waters surface on foggy days.
Until recently, this remained a mystery. Advances in technology have allowed researchers to attach geo-locators to puffins on the coast of Maine and track their activities in the winter months. These devices revealed a northward migration into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence followed by a shift southward to the U.S. Continental Shelf, off the coast of New York and New Jersey, before returning to Maine in the spring to breed. The tagged puffins spent a significant amount of their winter in the open ocean around areas known for vast underwater canyons and seamounts. We look forward to learning more about the wintertime movements of puffins as the data become available.
No! Worldwide, the population of Atlantic Puffins is thriving. Locally on the coast of Maine, they were hunted to virtual extinction for their meat, eggs and feathers. Thanks to Project Puffin their numbers increase from year to year.

SEALS

Seals are often seen in the water on most cruises. Some of our cruises we will visit rocks and ledges that are popular haul areas for seals. The number we see varies from trip to trip depending on the tide and their behavior at any given moment.
May and June is pupping season for Harbor Seals. Young pups can be seen throughout the summer months!
Seals stay along our coast year round. While the summer months Harbor Seal and Gray Seals are most prevalent, the winter months provide additional species including Harp and Hooded Seals!

WHALES

Whales are cetaceans and the smallest group of the cetaceans – the Harbor Porpoise – is often seen as we navigate through the waters of Muscongus Bay! We even sometimes see Atlantic White-sided Dolphins! On rare occasions we come upon the larger whale species such as Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, or Fin Whales, However, we do not offer dedicated Whale Watching tours. If whales are your goal, we’d recommend Cap’n Fish’s Cruises in Boothbay Harbor, ME, only about a 45 minute drive from New Harbor.