Ride The Star Island Mailboat

Get an insider's view at island logistics on M/V Shining Star.

This is the only excursion that we offer where you do not have to rent the entire boat. Must Call ahead and book reservation!

2026 mail boat Schedule

Monday & Friday:

• Departure: 8:15 AM

• Return: Approximately 11:00 AM

Tuesday:

• Departure: 1:15 PM

• Return: Approximately 6:00 PM

Wednesday:

• Departure: 8:15 AM

• Return: Approximately 5:15 PM

Wednesday trips allow for an all-day visit to Star Island, giving guests more time to explore the island at their own pace before the return trip back to Kittery.

(estimated times - please be prepared to depart a little earlier or later)

**Times are approximate and subject to changes based on deliveries. However, the boat will never return earlier than the times listed.

Parking: We depart from Pepperrell Cove, Kittery Point, Maine

We use the Kittery Point Town Dock located behind the Pepperrell Cove Restaurant complex at 88 Pepperrell Road, Maine Route 103, across from Kittery Point Post Office.

We might land at either of the two docks at the bottom of the hill beyond the restaurants, depending on other vessel traffic.

Parking is available at the dock on a limited basis. It’s best to arrive at least fifteen minutes early to arrange parking.

Note: Parking is very tight at Pepperrell Cove. Parking for non-residents is only available on the right side of the lot if you are facing the dock.

Otherwise, lots of free parking is available at the Mitchell School. Proceed east on route 103 to School Lane on the left which leads to the parking lot at Mitchell School. This lot is a ten-minute walk from the docks.

Please do not park in the restaurant lots above and/or across the street from the dock, or in the designated resident-only spaces or one-hour spaces at the town dock. Your vehicle may be towed if you do so, even if you plan to visit the restaurants before or after your trip.

Reservations and Inquiries: The best way to communicate is via text at 207-337-0446.

**Mailboat service to Star Island will continue through the fall - please call Captain Jack at (207) 337-0446 for availability!**

Other Mail Run trips are available throughout the season from April to October, on which there is usually room for guests. These trips often have a quick turnaround, and do not always allow for island walks. Guests are welcome on all of these runs, space permitting.

Departing from Pepperrell Cove in Kittery, ME!

Look for the M/V Shining Star

Rates

Monday / Wednesday / Friday - $30/person. Children 12 and under ride for free.

Tuesdays - $40/adult & $20/child

Call us today to reserve your spot and for more details!

More details about Riding The Mailboat!

While most of our charters are private group trips by advance reservation, we do offer individual tickets on scheduled mail and freight runs to Star Island at the Isles of Shoals. Star Island supports a population of up to four hundred people in the summer. This historic location is little-changed since its heyday in earlier centuries. These trips provide an insider’s view into the comings and goings of island life, and are an interesting and unique way to experience the Isles of Shoals.

On a typical trip, guests will ride out with mail, food, freight and whatever else is headed out to Star Island that day- along with commuting island staff, hotel guests and volunteers. Some trips include a stop at the local lobster wharf to pick up the evening’s meal.

In summer, our coastal weather is generally calmest on the morning trips. On the way, out we typically see seals, porpoises and the occasional whale- in addition to gannets, loons and a variety of other birds, including bald eagles. We will most often pass close to working fisherman and commercial traffic navigating the Piscataqua River. The run to the Isles of Shoals takes about an hour. Guests are welcome to engage in conversation with the crew, help navigate the boat or simply enjoy the ocean breezes and the sunshine sparkling on the water.

Once at the island, visitors have the opportunity for a self-guided forty-five-minute walk ashore (morning trips only) of beautiful Star Island (don’t forget to peek into the historic stone chapel) while the vessel is unloaded and readied for the return trip.

On the return trip back to America (as the original Isles of Shoalers would say) the passenger list may include island staff and guests as well as mail, luggage, recycling, empty fuel tanks and the occasional surprise. (We have hauled everything from pianos to palm trees and everything in between.)

We encourage you to grab some breakfast and a coffee to go, and join us for a fun and fascinating experience.

Last minute reservations are encouraged, as long as we have room on the boat.