The Nor’easter is the affordable head boat option in the southern Maine deep sea fishing fleet, a 42 foot boat that Captain Mike Perkins runs out of Kennebunk for a $95 per person daily groundfish trip. It steams about 20 miles offshore for haddock and pollock, includes the gear and the filleting, and needs no fishing license, which makes it the cheapest way to fish the Gulf of Maine bottom in these ports. For an angler watching the budget who wants a walk-on seat rather than a whole boat, it is the obvious starting point, with one real caveat in the reviews.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 6.9 the Nor’easter is a mixed call and sixth in the southern Maine field. Its strengths are the price and the access: a $95 walk-on seat on a 42 foot boat, gear and filleting included, is the best value way to get offshore here, and the captain is a genuine, lifelong fisherman. What drags the score into the mixed band is the record. The reviews are split: real praise for Captain Mike’s skill and the crew’s work sits alongside a recurring complaint about a brusque manner and how a rough or slow day is handled, including reports of the captain being dismissive of seasick passengers. Book it for a cheap, no frills haddock day if the price is the point. For a softer touch and a private boat, Kristin K and the other Portland charters ranked above it are the better fit.
The boat
The Nor’easter is a 42 foot head boat, the biggest hull in this ranking, run as a walk-on operation where you buy a seat rather than the whole boat. The size gives it a steadier ride on the 20 mile run than the smaller Portland center consoles, and it has the deck space for a walk-on crowd. It is a working head boat rather than a comfort cruiser, so set your expectations on a basic, functional boat built to fish the bottom. Gear is provided and the crew fillets and packages the catch back at the dock. The operator does not recommend it for children under 8, a fair flag given the length of the day and the run offshore.
The fishing and what you target
The Nor’easter fishes the Gulf of Maine groundfish bottom about 20 miles out, jigging for haddock, pollock, cod, cusk, hake, and the occasional Atlantic halibut. Haddock is the keeper mainstay under the 2026 limits, and cod is mostly released under the tight Gulf of Maine rules, so the cooler that comes home is usually haddock and pollock. The crew will teach a first timer how to fish the bottom, which suits the walk-on format. As with any single daily trip, the catch swings with the weather and the bite, and several of the harder reviews follow trips where both went against the boat.
Trips and prices
The daily deep sea trip is the core offering: $95 per person, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., about 20 miles offshore, with all gear and the filleting included and no license required. That per person price is the lowest way to fish offshore in the southern Maine ports, well under the cost of booking a private boat for a small group. Extreme fishing trips and private charters are also offered and quoted separately, so ask when you book. A 48 hour cancellation policy applies. Our cost guide sets the head boat seat against a private charter, and the party boat versus private charter guide works through the choice, which is exactly the decision this boat sits on.
The crew
The crew is where the reviews split, so it drives the mixed verdict. On the positive side, Captain Mike Perkins is a USCG master from a long line of New England fishermen, and reviewers praise his sea skills, the mate’s filleting, and the humor on board. On the other side, a recurring strand of reviews describes the captain as brusque or rude, and points to how a rough or slow trip is handled, including not responding well to seasick passengers. The pattern is consistent enough across platforms to be a real finding rather than a one off, which is why captain and crew and track record sit in the middle of the range. Read the recent reviews and weigh your own tolerance before you book.
Booking and what to know
Book direct through the operator’s site or by phone. The boat leaves from 4 Western Avenue in Kennebunk at 6:30 a.m., with check-in at 6:15, so plan an early start and arrive in time to park and board. No license is needed, the crew fillets the catch, and you bring your own food and drinks for the day. Dress in warm layers and bring motion sickness medication, since the ride is long and the Gulf of Maine can be rough; on this boat in particular, a calm forecast is worth waiting for.
How we scored it
The Nor’easter scores 6.9, a mixed verdict and sixth in the southern Maine port. Trips and access and value and transparency are its strongest factors, on the cheap $95 walk-on seat and a clear, all included price, and the boat scores fairly for a roomy head boat. It is marked down on track record and service and booking for a genuinely mixed review record and a recurring complaint about the captain’s manner. See how we scored this boat for the full rubric, and compare it against the rest of our southern Maine rankings.