The Gloucester Fleet runs the Lady Sea, a 72 foot party boat that sells cod and haddock days by the seat from $65, the second of the port’s two budget head boats. It is a walk on operation with the gear included, a friendly crew reviewers like, and a low per person price that makes it an easy first trip or a cheap day on the groundfish grounds. It is a smaller and less proven operation than the long running Yankee Fleet, and a couple of reviews flag late notice cancellations, but for an affordable seat on a big stable boat it does the job.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.3 it is a strong choice for the budget and eighth in the port, the other by the seat option alongside the Yankee Fleet. The case is the same: a cheap walk on seat, gear included, on a big stable boat, good for a beginner or a budget day. It ranks at the foot of the field for two reasons. It is a single boat with a shorter, lighter track record than the 1944 Yankee operation, and the reviews, while mostly warm, include a couple of late cancellations and a slow trip. As with any party boat, you fish a shared rail rather than a private deck. For the fishing of a small private group, the six packs higher up the ranking are the step up. Compare the field on the Gloucester ranking.
The boat
The Lady Sea is a 72 foot party boat with a galley and two bathrooms and a cabin that seats around thirty with standing room beyond, a USCG inspected vessel built to carry a crowd onto the grounds affordably. It is a stable, roomy platform, the right kind of boat for a first timer who wants space to move and a bathroom aboard. As with the Yankee Fleet, the format is the trade: a busy day means a full rail, shared space, and a wait at the cleaning table. For what it is, a working party boat, it is comfortable and well suited to the job.
The fishing and what you target
The Lady Sea fishes the groundfish grounds off Cape Ann for cod and haddock, with pollock, cusk, and redfish in the mix. Haddock is the steady keeper, open most of the year at a 15 fish limit, while cod is tightly restricted to a short season and a single fish, so it is a bonus rather than the plan. The longer all day and marathon trips reach deeper, better water and usually outfish the half day. Confirm the current cod and haddock seasons with NOAA Fisheries before you book a trip around a particular fish.
Trips and prices
The Gloucester Fleet sells by the seat aboard the Lady Sea, and the prices are among the lowest in the port. Per person, a half day (1:30 to 6 p.m.) is $65, a three quarter day (7 a.m. to 1 p.m.) $75, an all day (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) $100, and a marathon (5 a.m. to 5 p.m.) $125. Every trip includes the rod and reel, bait, hooks, and the first sinker, so a beginner can walk on with nothing but a cooler and lunch. That all included, low per person price is the operation’s strongest card. Our cost guide and the head boat versus private charter guide weigh a seat against booking the whole boat.
The crew
Reviewers consistently name Captain Mike and the mates and describe a friendly, well run boat that puts people on fish, which is the heart of the operation’s positive reviews across Facebook and Yelp. The track record is the soft spot: it is a single boat with a lighter, shorter review history than the Yankee Fleet, and a couple of reviews report a late notice cancellation and one trip that ran short on both time and fish. None of that is a pattern of trouble, but it is enough to keep the track record and service scores modest next to the more established operations.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site, and choose the all day or marathon over the half day if the fishing matters, since the longer trips reach better water. Arrive early for a good rail spot, and bring food, warm and waterproof layers, sunscreen, and a cooler; the rod, reel, and bait are included. Confirm your trip the day before, given the cancellation notes, especially if the weather looks marginal.
How we scored it
The Gloucester Fleet earns its 7.3 on a cheap, all included seat aboard a big stable boat with a crew reviewers like, held to the foot of the field by a shorter track record than the Yankee Fleet, a couple of cancellation complaints, and the shared rail format. Value is its strongest factor. See how we scored this boat and the Gloucester ranking for the field.