Isles of Shoals

Isles of Shoals

The Isles of Shoals, nine rocky isles six miles off the New Hampshire and Maine coast, were announced to the Western world in 1614 by Capt. John Smith, of Pocahontas fame.

Over the years since they served as a base for fishermen working the bountiful waters of the Gulf of Maine, a haven for the occasional pirate, a summer retreat for artists and the well-to-do, and for more than 100 years, the site of a Unitarian conference center.

No one lives year-round at the Shoals any more -- there's White Island Light, the Oceanic Hotel where the Unitarian conferences are held, a few summer houses, and the Shoals Marine Research Laboratory -- but the Shoals are often visible from the beaches from Newburyport, Mass. to Ogunquit, Maine. and they figure prominently in the Seacoast imagination. A famed double-murder took place on Smuttynose Island in the 1800s (the basis for the book and movie "The Weight of Water"), and New Hampshire's most famous poet of the 19th Century, Celia Thaxter, was raised there, the daughter of lighthouse keeper Thomas Laighton.

Various excursion boat companies cruise to the Shoals, usually accompanied by descriptions of the area's colorful history. Since the Shoals are privately owned, stopovers are not always included in cruises or are limited.

    White Island

The islands were divided up in 1629 between Captain John Mason, who owned New Hampshire, and Sir Ferdinando Gorges, who owned the Province of Maine. Maine ended up with five of the islands and New Hampshire the other four. The Isles of Shoals Lighthouse sits atop White Island, the most southerly of the islets.

In 1993, White Island and a couple other islands in the group were transferred to the New Hampshire State Parks system. The station had fallen into disrepair by the start of the new millennium, but a group of local students at North Hampton School known as the Lighthouse Kids took on the mission of raising funds to restore the lighthouse. In April of 2003, their efforts were rewarded with a $250,000 Save America’s Treasures Grant. Through their own projects, they raised additional money, and in 2005, the towers was repaired and covered in a fresh stucco coating, and the dwelling received a new roof.

    Star Island

Star Island is located ten miles off the coast of New Hampshire. It is the second largest of the nine islands that make up the Isles of Shoals and its historic Oceanic House and adjacent buildings become the village home for thousands of visitors each summer. The nonprofit Star Island Corporation has owned and operated Star Island since 1916, providing affordable individual and family retreats. From June to September guests come for a day, an overnight visit or to attend one of the many conferences presented each summer on a range of subjects such as natural history, writing, photography, music, painting, ecology, matters of the spirit, yoga and more. And because Star Island has historic connections to Unitarian Universalism and the United Church of Christ, it has a liberal spiritual quality that is renewing and uplifting.

    Appledore Island

Appledore Island is the largest of the nine islands in the Isles of Shoals archipelago located in what's known as the Gulf of Maine to biologists, geologists and oceanographers. Not only is Appledore home of Shoals Marine Laboratory, but its waters, shoreline, rocks and brambles host a myriad of marine and terrestrial animals and plants. Migratory song, wading and shorebirds stop over and nest on Appledore Island in the summer, while harbor seals raise their pups on neighboring Duck Island. The intertidal and subtidal zones are rich in species of algae, fish and invertebrates, while the deeper waters surrounding the Isles provide habitat for schools of fish and pods of dolphins and whales.

    How to Visit the Isles of Shoals

 Visitors to the Oceanic Hotel will have their own ferry as will students at the Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore.

Historic Isles of Shoals, Lighthouses and Portsmouth Harbor Tour
departing twice daily aboard the steamship style M/V Thomas Laighton
from Portsmouth. Tour features up close views and famous narration of
the nine Isles of Shoals and sights of Portsmouth Harbor including three lighthouses, five forts and the Olde Port Waterfront. Beverages and snacks available. Onboard activities and portable touch tank provided by Blue Ocean Society.Special events, party ships, dinner cruises, weddings, receptions and educational fieldtrips are also offered.

Isles of Shoals Ferry Service and Tours

This information is offered by: