CARJ IS DISPATCHED TO ARPT FORECAST TO BE VFR AND ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS WITH NO OPERABLE INST APCHS AVAILABLE.

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PRIOR TO PUSHBACK IN CVG; WE NOTED THAT PWM HAD PART TIME ATC FACILITIES AND THAT THE RELEASE NOTED THAT RWY 11/29 HAD INTERMITTENT CLOSURES 'WEF' -- WHEN EFFECTIVE. THE CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCH PRIOR TO PUSH; AND WAS ADVISED THAT ATC TWR WOULD BE CLOSED ON ARR. AT OUR ARR TIME; WX WAS FORECAST VFR; WITH TEMP FOR LOWER CEILING AND LIGHT RAIN. MHT WAS LISTED AS THE ALTERNATE. BEGINNING OUR DSCNT INTO PWM; ASOS RPTED THAT WX WAS 2700 FT BROKEN; 2000 FT SCATTERED AND 10 MI. RECORDED NOTAM ALSO ADVISED THAT RWY 11/29 CLOSED AND ILS SYS WAS OTS ALONG WITH PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS. OUR ONLY OPTION BECAME A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35; A 5000 FT RWY WITH VASI. ZBW ADVISED HE COULD TAKE US OVER THE FIELD AT 2600 FT; HIS MVA; BUT COULD PROVIDE NO OTHER RADAR APCHS. THE CAPT CONTACTED AN ARPT GND CREW ON TWR/CTAF; WHO ADVISED THEY WOULD TURN ON RWY LIGHTS/VASI TO RWY 35. ON A VECTOR TO THE ARPT AT 2600 FT; WE BROKE OUT (BARELY) ABOVE THE FIELD AND TURNED R TO ENTER A DOWNWIND. WE IMMEDIATELY WENT IMC AND BEGAN A CLB TO 4000 FT PER ZBW. BOS ASKED INTENTIONS AND SUGGESTED WE MIGHT GET A VISUAL BY DSNDING OVER THE OCEAN AND GETTING UNDER THE LAYERS. BOS VECTORED US OUT OVER THE WATER; CLRED US BACK TO MVA OF 2600 FT AND THEN VECTORED US 'TOWARDS' THE RWY. WE PICKED UP THE VASI ABOUT 8 MI OUT; REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A VISUAL APCH; CLRNC AND LANDED. THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY DIVERT TO MHT IF WE HAD NOT GOTTEN A VISUAL MORE THAN 5 MI OUT. COMMENTS: 1) WE WERE DISPATCHED TO AN ARPT WITH NO OPERABLE INST APCHS IN MVFR CONDITIONS. 2) IF DISPATCH HAD ADVISED US PRIOR TO DEP WHEN WE CALLED THAT ILS AND THE LONG RWY WAS CLOSED; WE WOULD HAVE ADDED FUEL. 3) FOG AND LOW CEILINGS ARE COMMON ALONG THE COAST IN THE NE DURING THE FALL. WE GOT A VISUAL APCH BY 100 FT OF CLOUD CLRNC ON THE SECOND TRY. THIS FLT COULD HAVE EASILY DIVERTED; COSTING THE COMPANY A LOT OF MONEY.