Pope's Island Marina

This small island boasts a big marina known for creating a welcoming community for seasonal and transient boaters alike. Operated by the HDC, Pope’s Island Marina sits prominently at the head of the harbor like a jewel in the city’s recreational boating crown. It is home ot about 180 seasonal boaters. Click here to see the location of the Pope’s Island Marina.

The Marina has a timber “T-Pier” structure with a system of floating docks, which was built in 1993 and renovated in 2006. The Facilities Manager is responsible for operating the 198-slip public marina on the south side of the 9.5-acre Pope's Island, which is located within the Hurricane Barrier in the Upper Harbor, east of the New Bedford/Fairhaven Bridge. 

The Commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) owns the slip assets and rents them to the HDC under a lease agreement. The City of New Bedford Parks Department owns a portion of the landside assets on Pope’s Island, which consists of a 9.7-acre public park abutting the Marina.

Marina Services and Rates

Seasonal Slips:

• Slips: The Marina is popular and its seasonal slips fill up quickly. Preference for future docking is given to boaters currently using the facility and, there may be a short wait list of boaters who want to rent slips on a seasonal basis.The docking fees, which are based on vessel length, are $90 per foot. 

 Transient Slips:

• Slips: The Marina also reserves a number of slips for visiting boats at a rate of $3.25 per foot per day for up to six days, $3.00 per foot per day for one to three weeks, and $2.75 per foot per day on a monthly basis.

Support services include pump out services through a pump out vessel and sells ice and retail products promoting New Bedford. There is free wireless internet access, dockside water and electricity, on-site laundry facilities, and shower rooms. Upfront slip charge for electricity for Full Season Patrons for 30-Amp service is included with base slip fee. Upgraded electricity service, including 50-Amp and 100-Amp service is $300 and $400 per season, respectively.

Marina Employees

The year-round team that manages Pope’s Island Marina includes the Facilities Manager and Dock Master officials both of which report to the Director of Operations. In the busy summer season, April through the end of September, staffing needs increase by adding two seasonal Harbor Attendants and a receptionist to the personnel team as well as cashiers, parking lot attendants, full- and part-time shuttle bus drivers, and night security.

HDC staff monitors Channels 9 and 74 24 hours a day, seven days a week (Harbor Master officials/Harbor Attendants daily from 6am to 6pm and marina night security from 6pm to 6am). Channel 16 serves as an emergency channel and is monitored by the Harbor Master officials. The Dock Master officials also provide general maintenance and services, such as mowing, landscaping, and garbage removal for the Marina and the City of New Bedford’s public park adjacent to the Marina.

Harbor Attendants ‘meet and greet’ boats with information on navigating the Harbor and visiting downtown New Bedford, including landside points of interest. Harbor Attendants are the point of contacts for recreational boaters for mooring rentals and information, and are responsible for maintaining the mooring database and billing. Harbor Attendants also provide pump out services for the entire Harbor and report incidents to the City of New Bedford Police Department’s Port Security Team. While Harbor Attendants can issue citations as a means of enforcing the HDC Rules and Regulations, they cannot act on criminal affairs outside of HDC jurisdiction.