Boat Dealers in Clinton, CT

June through September is generally the best time to boat from Clinton Harbor into Long Island Sound. NOAA’s nearby New Haven and New London records show average water temperatures rising from the low to upper 60s in June to around 70 through the mid-70s in July and August, then remaining around 70 in September. By October, averages fall into the low 60s. Clinton’s town docking season runs approximately April 1 to November 15.

Plan around the tide and weather. NOAA describes Clinton Harbor’s dredged channel as shallow and changeable, with buoys shifted as conditions change. Tide rips frequently form near Kelsey Point Breakwater, and the harbor entrance anchorage is exposed to southerly winds.

Source: Town of Clinton (clintonct.org)

From Clinton, launch at the Clinton Town Marina into protected Clinton Harbor, then follow the marked channel around Cedar Island to Long Island Sound. The harbor is the sheltered option, while the Sound offers open coastal water.

The Hammonasset River continues above the harbor, but it becomes shallow beyond the dredged channel. Indian River and Hammock River branch from the inner harbor through narrow, crooked, very shallow approach channels. These river routes require more care than staying in the federal channel, whose buoys may be moved as channel conditions change.

Source: Town of Clinton (clintonct.org)

Boaters leaving Clinton Harbor can make day trips to Duck Island Roads, North Cove in Old Saybrook, and Outer Island in Branford’s Thimble Islands. Duck Island Roads draws crews seeking a harbor of refuge and an anchorage protected by breakwaters. North Cove offers transient town moorings and a dinghy dock, with provisions, coffee shops and restaurants on Main Street. Outer Island is accessible by private vessel and offers granite outcrops, cobble beaches, small salt marshes and wildlife viewing; its observation areas and paths operate seasonally.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Yes. Connecticut generally requires a boating certificate rather than a license, with no birth date cutoff. Connecticut residents, real property owners and operators of Connecticut registered vessels need an SBC or CPWO for motorboats or sailboats 19½ feet or longer. Personal watercraft operators need a CPWO or an accepted reciprocal certificate.

Children under 12 cannot operate over 10 horsepower without a certified adult onboard. Operators under 16 need adult supervision onboard a personal watercraft; for other vessels, they may operate uncertified under a qualified adult. Non-PWC rentals from a boat livery for 14 days or less are exempt. Temporary certificates are available to qualifying new boat owners. Connecticut DEEP administers the program.

Source: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (portal.ct.gov)

Connecticut boaters should know DEEP’s rules for life jackets, sober operation, registration, personal watercraft, and slow speeds near shore. Anyone under 13 must wear a life jacket while a vessel is underway unless below deck or in an enclosed cabin; every PWC rider must wear one. Operating under the influence is illegal; the blood alcohol limit is .08, or .02 for operators under 21. All motorboats and sail-only boats 19½ feet or longer must be registered. PWC operators need a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation; those under 16 require onboard supervision by an adult at least 18 with a CPWO. Slow-no-wake limits apply within 100 feet for motorboats and 200 feet for PWCs.

Source: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (portal.ct.gov)

Connecticut DEEP’s minimum operating age depends on vessel type. To operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower alone, an operator must be at least 12 and hold an SBC or CPWO; under 12 requires an onboard certificate holder age 18 or older. Under 16 without a certificate, a person may operate a non-PWC vessel only under direct supervision of someone 18 or older who has held a boating certificate for two years. A PWC operator under 16 needs onboard supervision by someone at least 18 who holds a CPWO. At 16, that supervision requirement ends. Confirm the rental operator’s minimum when booking.

Source: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (portal.ct.gov)

Alongside the boat dealers on this page, Clinton has 2 boat clubs and 8 marinas.