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Today I took my first big sea trip with my kayak. I was planning to stay overnight in Gloucester or Rockport to do some photography, when it occurred to me that I should bring my kayak to see some lighthouses that I can’t normally get to. After talking with with the good folks at North Shore Kayak Outdoor Center, it sounded like a pretty easy paddle from Rockport Harbor to Thacher Island in good weather. (Note: this company leads kayak tours to Thacher Island daily, and you can rent a kayak and do this tour with them for only $50).

This trip appealed to me for several reasons, not least because there are three lighthouses along the route: the two on Thacher Island, plus one on Straitsmouth Island.

Here are instructions to do this trip

Put in your kayak at the Rockport town dock at the end of T-Wharf. Arrive early enough in the day and you can park right on T-Wharf. At other times, you might have to drop off your kayak and park far away from the dock; perhaps very far away. At the end of T-Wharf, there’s a stairway to a floating platform; carry your kayak down those stairs and launch from the platform.

Coming out of Rockport Harbor, you can see Straitsmouth Island immediately to the right. Head for the lighthouse (there are better views on the far side). As you approach Straitsmouth Island, you’ll see the twin lighthouses of Thacher Island through Gap Head. Go through Gap Head toward Thacher Island. (I didn’t see any seals, but apparently there are sometimes seals at Gap Head). I took a little detour along the south end of Straitsmouth Island to see a better view of the lighthouse and keeper’s house. Then I headed due south.

At this point, you’re about halfway to Thacher Island. Aim for the north tower; the boathouse is a few hundred yards to the right of the north tower. Pull your kayak up the boat ramp, to the concrete resting area. From here you can tour the island.

Officially, the island is closed outside of June through October. The towers are not open and there is nobody on the island. However, the kayak tours do stop there, and the official web site does not say that you’re not allowed to visit the island during the off-season. The trails were well-mowed when I visited, so somebody is keeping up the place. I wore sandals, but I would have preferred sneakers or hiking shoes for climbing rocks and walking through the occasional brambles and bushes.

I arrived on Memorial Day (May 25), when it was seagull nesting season, so I was bombarded by territorial gulls along most of the coastal area. There are picnic tables near the south tower, and also in the camping area near the boathouse. I ate lunch on the bench at the boathouse, where it was shady and the seagulls did not bother me. There is no running water or bathrooms on the island. No pets are allowed on the island.

There are maps of Thacher Island here and here, but you don’t really need a map. The towers are powerful landmarks that help keep you oriented. Even if you can’t go inside the towers, they are fun to see up close and photograph. I’d like to go back when the towers are open, though.

Alternate starting points: It occurs to me that if you were to begin your kayak trip from Long Beach, you could stop at Thacher Island and then head to Rockport. Dock at Rockport for lunch (and/or ice cream), and avoid the hassle of parking in town. If you stayed overnight at the Cape Ann Motor Inn, you’d be right on the beach. Alternatively, the Old Granite Pier looks like a good starting point, just north of Rockport Harbor. It’s about 3.5 miles from Old Granite to Thacher Island. I have not been there, but it looks like a good put-in spot; it’s easier to park than the harbor, and you can still stop by the harbor for lunch or ice cream.

Thacher island route; click to see bigger