Cuttyhunk Recreational Facility

Cuttyhunk Island Recreational Lodging

Location: Cuttyhunk Island, MA, 14 miles off the coast of New Bedford and just west of Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

Season of Operation: Memorial Day to Labor Day may be rented for one-week rental periods only. The remaining year, the facility may be rented for periods shorter or longer than one week.

Description: Cuttyhunk Island is one of the Elizabeth Islands discovered in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold. A former Coast Guard lifeboat station now converted into a house with 2 separate apartments that can be rented separately of as the entire house.

History: The Cuttyhunk lodging facility, and former living quarters to those stationed at Cuttyhunk Station, is rich with history and one the Town of Gosnold helps the USCG preserve. Built in 1889, the former Life-Saving Service, now the United States Coast Guard, was brought in to help piloting and rescuing ships in distress along the busy coastal seaway. What started with one keeper, soon turned into 16 USCG members stationed on the island who also occupied the living quarters. The station was decommissioned in 1964 where service moved to Woods Hole and Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard, both still active today. The boathouse is now town-owned and still sits near the town’s ferry dock today. While most of the interior is still original, major updates to the boathouse are being made to expand use

The former living quarters has been converted into what we know today at the MWR Cuttyhunk Recreation Lodging Facility. The Coast Guard quarters building is located on a hill up the street from the boathouse. It is also decommissioned and maintained and managed by the Coast Guard. Both traditional structures are signature buildings with their distinctive regulation colors of white wooden shingle siding and red-cedar shingle-roof architecture, and are associated with assistance, rescue, and lifesaving on the island.

Find out more here:

Facilities: One, 3-bedroom apartment (upstairs) and one, 2-bedroom apartment (downstairs), picnic area, fishing pier, nature trails, beaches, and island has boat docks. The facility has two golf carts for use by renters; no car ferries are available to the island.

Activities: Swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking, and hiking.

Recreation Equipment Available: TV/VCR, corn hole, pickleball and badminton set, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and more lawn games located in the backyard shed.

General Information: The upstairs 3-bedroom apartment can sleep up to 12 people plus 1 futon in the living room; the downstairs 2-bedroom apartment can sleep up to 5 people plus 2 futons in the living room. Each apartment is provided with separate living room, kitchen, and bathroom facilities, is fully furnished, including bed linen, towels, and blankets. Baby pen and folding beds are available on the premises. A laundry room with 2 washers and 2 dryers is located on the first floor for use by both apartments. Camping out is not allowed. Guests should be prepared with enough food for the week. Food is limited and expensive on the island. All applicable Coast Guard regulations apply at Cuttyhunk Island Recreational Lodging. For your convenience a cleaning list is provided here and is accessible at the facility.

Reservations: Reservations are accepted by email only by clicking here and send:
1. Name
2. Rank/Grade
3. MWR Eligibility
4. Phone and email address
5. Apartment Requested
6. Dates requested.
Housing policies and addition information, along with required forms, can be found here: Cuttyhunk Handbook.

Submissions for rental dates will be determined on a first come first serve basis determined by MWR eligibility. Priority is given as described below. Reservation requests will open 17 March 2025. All entries need to be submitted no later than 31 March 2025. Dates will be filled on an as received basis, giving priority to group one before selecting group two patrons. Once the date is filled, an email will be sent confirming the date with an MWR representative. Should there be remaining weeks after this process is complete, we will contact those on the waiting list to offer remaining available weeks. If contacted, you will have 48 hours to take the offered week.

- Priority One. Active-Duty personnel from all five-Armed Forces and their dependents. Request due by 31 March 2024 (notifications will be sent by 3 April and confirmed by 5 April).
- Priority Two. All other eligible MWR patrons as stated in Chapter 3 of COMDTINST M1710.13 (series). Requests due by 31 March 2024 (notifications will be sent by 8 April and confirmed by 10 April).

All off-season rentals will need to be scheduled with MWR and will be determined on a case-to-case basis. The Recreational Facility off-season rental period is 7 September – 18 October 2025. Rental blocks within this period are available on a first come, first serve basis after completion of the summer rental calendar. Off season rentals are for a minimum of three nights. Weekly rentals will be given priority during the off-season. Any rental requests outside these dates must be sent via email to the MWR Director for consideration.
After 15 April 2025 all requests will be handled on a first come, first serve basis for remaining open weeks.

Transportation: Transportation to Cuttyhunk Island is provided by Cuttyhunk Ferry Company, Inc. 66B State Pier South Bulkhead New Bedford, MA, at (508) 992-0200, www.cuttyhunkferryco.com. Prepaid reservations are suggested and highly recommended during the busy summer season to ensure space on board the ferry. Vehicles are not transported. There are additional charges for more than one carry-on item and additional items will be charged by weight. Contact Cuttyhunk Ferry Company, Inc for parking arrangements. Transportation is also available via the Cuttyhunk Shuttle. More information can be found here, Cuttyhunk Shuttle – Cuttyhunk Ferry Company, Inc.

If you’re interested in bringing your own boat, please contact the Cuttyhunk Dockmaster. All information can be found here: Welcome to Cuttyhunk Marina

Driving Instructions: From Boston, MA, to New Bedford, MA, take Route 24 to Route 140 south to Route 195 east to Route 18 south (exit #15). Stay on Route 18 south for about 1 mile. Take the Downtown Exit. Go straight on Water Street. At the stop sign, take a left onto Union Street. Go to the bottom of the road, go through the lights (look for large signs to boat) take another left. Cuttyhunk Ferry Company, Inc. is on the right, behind the Waterfront Visitors Center.

For additional information please contact the following:

Commanding Officer (MWR)
USCG Base Boston
ATTN: MWR Office
427 Commercial Street
Boston, MA 02109
Office: (857) 416-3291
Email: USCG.Boston.MWR@uscg.mil

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