News from Our Coasts :: Week of 5/4/2020
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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: To help our coastal community weather the pandemic, US Harbors is posting weekly news summaries of updates and announcements received from our coastal community, including timely information on the status of harbors and marinas around the country. The deadline for submission is Thursday, 11PM ET. Items received after that time will be put in the next week’s summary.
NEWS & UPDATES THIS WEEK
- Status Updates: Harbors & Marinas Around the Country
- News & Virtual Events from Our Partners
- Updates from Our Coastal Business Community
- Photos of the Week
Updates on Boating and Fishing During COVID-19
- See updates from your state’s Fish & Wildlife Department: https://www.usharbors.com/2020/04/links-to-coastal-state-offices-and-local-fish-wildlife-depts/
- Commerce Secretary Announces Allocation of $300 Million in CARES Act Relief for Fisheries and Marine Industries
- Fore Points Marina, Portland, ME – Marinas in Maine are open for business with safe operational procedures in place. Fore Points Marina, a brand new 150-slip marina, in downtown Portland, with docks up to 545’ in length, can accommodate vessels of all sizes. Guests and staff shall practice social distancing and conduct marina business online or over the telephone. Dock staff is on site daily to monitor property and assist boaters as needed. For the month of May, and possibly beyond, there is a 14-day quarantine order for visitors arriving into the state. Please call ahead 207-517-4860 to request a reservation and get current conditions which can also be found on the website. Fore Points Marina is accepting seasonal and transient reservations at this time. We look forward to seeing you!
- Gulfport, FL – Due to COVID 19 Pandemic, Gulfport City Council voted on Tuesday May 5th 2020 to discount monthly Mooring Field rates 50% until August 1st 2020. Online reservations can be made on Dockwa.com. Mariners without access to the internet will be able to make reservation at the marina during regular business hours. The marina can be reach @ (727) 893-1071 Mariners currently occupying the mooring will be receiving a discounted refund for May 2020 reservations. MSD (marine sanitation device) inspections are still required and will be conducted at the Gulfport Municipal Marina during regular business hours, please contacted marina staff 727-893-1071 or VHF 16
- Huntington, NY – Our office is following guidelines to the letter on trying to keep our Bay Constables safe and our marina maintenance crew safe. We cover 64 square miles of shoreline. We have seven harbors with over 1900 moorings. Our office runs a permit program that we implemented over 18 years ago. We also now have any vessels with internal fuel tanks have to have basic liability insurance which covers wreck removal and fuel mitigation. The issues we are having is our Town Hall is closed so all applications have to be sent through mail . Normally 60pct are walk ins to pay in person. We also have a town launch program with over a 100 members. Under Covid-19 we are only allowing 3 people on launch with operator to insure safe distancing. We have Kayak racks on our 8 town beaches which house over 800 kayaks that pay to store with a permit and that is also an issue because all permits now have to be mailed. With Memorial Day approaching, all 8 pump out stations are up and running. We will be keeping our two pump out boats shut down till further notice. Because of everyone staying home we are finding more boat traffic very early in our season. Our rescues are up because of water temperatures still very low. All rescues are from overturned kayaks and canoes. Hypothermia is a majority of medical issues. We are also receiving complaints of social distancing on beaches. One more note no swim lines will be put out on Town beaches till further notice so we do not give beachgoers a false sense that beaches are open. Please stay well and please pray for all our frontline workers who protect and serve our public. – Fred Uvena, Harbormaster
- Liberty Landing Marina, Jersey City, NJ – With the re-opening of Liberty State Park, Liberty Landing Marina welcomes transient boaters looking to get some fresh air out on the water. To ensure a hygienic and safe environment for staff and visitors, Liberty Landing Marina has had to scale back some of its amenities and services, but we are here to make your stay relaxed, safe, and enjoyable. Transient slips are available on a daily or weekly basis. Liberty Landing’s dock staff is currently available 7 days a week from 7:30am-4:00pm. The fuel dock is open, and fuel can be purchased 24/7 by credit card. Pump-outs must be scheduled by contacting the dockmaster’s office. For more information regarding transient rates please visit the Liberty Landing Marina website. Liberty Landing Marina is servicing boats on a reduced schedule. The ship store is closed but accepting orders by phone and email. If you have any questions regarding purchasing specific ship store merchandise or looking to make a purchase, contact Liberty Landing Marina at (201) 985 – 8000 ext. 5113 or email at [email protected]. Store orders can be delivered to your boat or picked up outside of the store at your request.
- Morehead City, NC – We are taking transient reservations but the showers/restrooms are still closed at this time. – Lee Everett, Dockmaster
- Stratford, CT – The River is starting to wake up with small boat traffic and fishing activites. The oyster business is resuming again after a complete sandstill becuase of no demand from restaurants.Boats stored in local yards are still covered from the winter. All Marinas and local boat ramps are practicing social distancing. Hoefullythings will soon get back into swing in the near future for all. – Ross Hatfield, Harbormaster
- Washington, NC – The Washington Waterfront Docks is open and doing business pretty much as usual. Dock Attendants are on hand from 8AM to 7PM every day. We have 320 feet of bulkhead docks (without power and water) where boaters can stay for 2 days at no charge, and are able to accept a limited number of boats up to about 80 feet on docks with power and water. As a matter of fact, we have 4 northbound cruisers hanging out in Washington right now, waiting for passage through Maryland to open up. Boater Only heads and showers, ice, laundry, pumpout, and loaner bicycles for playing tourist or running to the store are all available. There is space to anchor or 8 open mooring balls in the mooring field, should you prefer to not be at the dock, and registered boaters can use our dinghy dock, heads, and showers.
Some of the restaurants within 2 blocks of the docks are currently closed, but there are 4 or 5 available for takeout orders. The local farmers market – one block from the docks – has reopened on Thursday through Saturday. We are seeing a large number of families coming down to the waterfront to walk, play, and picnic – Washington is a friendly place. And our local marine service providers are all open for business. – Rick Brass, Dockmaster
News & Events from Our Partners
Cape Yachts
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We’d like to show our gratitude for the courageous and selfless work our community’s essential employees are doing every day on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Nauti Jane’s Boat Rentals, we believe that the ocean is healing; we value our time on the water and appreciate that we can bring that experience to others. We are excited to be giving away several powerboat, kayak, and paddle board rentals in hopes that a little time on the water will be restorative to the mind and body for those who need it. Please take a moment to think of people you have relied upon – from healthcare professionals to grocery store clerks and everyone in between. Please fill out the form to nominate them and share a few kind words describing their efforts amidst the crisis.
Nominations will be accepted from now until May 31, 2020. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced the week of June 1st. To nominate your frontline hero click HERE. |
It’s time to get the boats back in the water. If you have a wooden boat that could use a few repairs or just some freshening up after a long winter, the team at Chesapeake Light Craft can help provide some tips to make the job easier and more successful. Start with John C. Harris’ informative blog post on repairing stitch-and-glue boats (https://www.clcboats.com/
Formula Boats
Formula is actively building boats again, after being closed for five weeks due to the Indiana Stay-At-Home order. With social distancing and safety in mind, we are working together to once again make your dreams a reality! We will keep you posted on what is happening here this spring and summer, but it is refreshing to get back to creating the best designed, best built pleasure boats on the water today.
We also released our newest 430 Super Sport Crossover video:
Suzuki Marine
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(Brea, CA –May 5, 2020) Suzuki Marine was honored today with a 2020 Top Products Award from leading marine business journal Boating Industry Magazine. Suzuki received the award for its new DF300B V-6 4-Stroke Outboard — the first outboard in its class to offer the proven benefits of Suzuki’s contra-rotating twin propellers.
Winners of this annual award are hand picked by the editorial staff of Boating Industry from among hundreds of nominated products. This coveted award is given each year to 50 total products that stand out for their innovation, uniqueness and benefits they bring to the boating industry. They are chosen from a wide array of categories, including boats and engines, electronics, accessories, apps and others. Read More...
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Updates From Our Coastal Business Community
Camden Real Estate – At Camden Real Estate Company, our physical offices have been closed for nearly 2 months. We have made changes along with everyone else, working remotely in a business that is typically highlighted by in-person meetings with clients. As an essential business, we continue to follow the Governor of Maine’s Executive Orders and use the CDC guidelines as our framework for conducting business safely.
| Coastal Tours – This weekend only, Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th, Coastal Expeditions will re-open on Shem Creek! We will begin taking reservations by text on Friday, May 8 at 9 a.m.
This will be a soft re-opening offering no-touch service for rental clients by reservation only. We’ve worked hard to come up with a plan that will give our employees and you the confidence that Coastal Expeditions is a safe place for families to recreate on the water.
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Dennison Yachting – Announced this week that they have created a virtual boat show. Click HERE to take a virtual tour, chat with an expert or make a deposit on a brand new boat!
Edson Marine and Edson Pumps – Edson is open and our full team is still with us and healthy. We have put a number of safety precautions in place, including running our office remotely and having our shop operate at a reduced capacity. Protecting the health of our team is our top priority right now. We are focusing on building essential equipment, such as water pumps for temporary hospitals and the military, pumpout stations, and marine wildlife rescue equipment. However, we are also still shipping commercial and recreational marine equipment. We look forward to helping everyone get back out on the water this summer – we can’t think of a better way to enjoy the nice weather and mitigate risk!
| Joppatown Nautical Creations – Hello Fellow Boaters, Many years ago we bought our first larger boat. It was an antique 1961 Owens Tahitian aft cabin cruiser. All mahogany and teak with twin Chevy Corvette engines. We loved that boat. However, it needed sprucing up in the cabins. So we decided that we wanted several large nautical throw pillows. But as most of you know, such things are scarce on the market. Several years later I started my own very small business making just throw pillows in nautical designs and offering them for sale. I found several fabric prints with all kinds of nautical designs and went to work.
I call my company Joppatown Nautical Creations after the historic town in Maryland that is not far from where I live. So, if any of you who own a boat, yacht or a house by the water and would like to have any of my hand made throw pillows, please see the pictures below and give me a call or write an e-mail. I would love to do some for you. – Fair Winds and Following Seas. |
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Latitude Yacht Brokerage – Latitude Yacht Brokerage based out of Jamestown, RI has turned to social platforms to continue their business. This week, brokers from Latitude virtually stepped on board a late model Lagoon 42 in Tortola as a survey and sea trial took place via video conference. As social distancing measures continue, we are happy to continue delivering customers with the safest and most accessible listings possible as virtual listings are available upon request.
| Outerlimits Powerboats – World-record-setting high-performance boat builder Outerlimits Powerboats is proud to announce a major expansion for its brand: the all-new Outerlimits SX Series Center Console line. This performance fishing boat line, designed to run with multi-outboard power, is set to launch with the new SX-39 Center Console in late summer 2020. |
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Penobscot Marine Museum – As we continue to social distance, Penobscot Marine Museum looks towards the future by making connections with the past through a variety of programs designed to occupy the mind while keeping a safe distance. In celebration of Maine’s Bicentennial, Penobscot Marine Museum launched a Where’s Waldo scavenger hunt. Waldo County, founded on February 7, 1827, was named after Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo, who had attempted to populate a large tract of land with European settlers in what is now Maine. Local residents can look for General Waldo’s face in the windows of buildings on the Museum’s campus. All Waldos are visible from the road. The image of General Waldo used in the hunt is from a painting in the collection of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Not only can General Waldo be found on the Museum’s campus, he can also be spotted in a window at Searsport’s Carver Memorial Library and the Captain Nickels Inn. If any business or organization would like to participate in Where’s Waldo, please contact Jeana Ganskop at [email protected].
Using the journal of Ernest W. Perkins from 1892, the Museum has created a story map that allows people to follow Perkins as he sails from Boston to Buenos Aires on the Barkentine MABEL I. MEYERS. To view the story map visit tinyurl.com/1892diary.
The Museum is hosting a digital book club on Facebook. Participants can read any or all of the four titles and add to the discussion. For more information and join in the discussion, visit the Museum’s Facebook page at facebook.com/Penobscot/.
The Museum’s education website is full of interesting and fun historical information, as well as ideas for activities. Visit Penobscot Bay History Online at penobscotmarinemuseum.org/pbho-1/.
Research requests are still being processed by the Museum’s research library. Resources consist of ships logs, accounts and personal papers of Searsport and Belfast seafaring families from the 19th and early 20th centuries, records of Searsport merchants and shipping agents from 1860s-1900, and genealogical research collections for Waldo County. If you have a research request please email Cipperly Good, Curator, at [email protected]. Please note there may be a delay in processing requests.
For more information on any of these activities email Jeana Ganskop, Education Director, at [email protected]. To stay connected with Penobscot Marine Museum visit their website at penobscotmarinemuseum.org, Facebook page at facebook.com/Penobscot/, and Instagram at instagram.com/penobscotmarinemuseum/?hl=en.
| Portland Pudgy – Since boatbuilding is an essential service in Maine, we have been able to keep working. After bracing ourselves for the worst, we have actually had a pretty good flow of orders for the Portland Pudgy safety dinghy. Maybe people are thinking of ways they can enjoy themselves while safely distant. The Pudgy is pretty indestructible, so they feel well-prepared having one as a tender/lifeboat.
We live and work near Portland’s waterfront, that’s our go-to place for our daily socially distanced constitutional. We’re impressed by the resilience and ingenuity of the fishermen and lobstermen. Normally they rely on local restaurants for a market, but many of them are now selling directly to consumers. We have seen them selling directly from their boats, down on the Portland waterfront. We got some lobsters from a lobsterman there. Local small scale seafood distributors are also selling from their trucks on Portland’s Commercial Street. The waterfront still looks pretty active with fishing boats coming and going. We came across this boat, which looks like a giant aluminum Portland Pudgy dinghy. Some fishermen who were working on a net nearby said it’s called a bug boat and is used to spread a purse net. |
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| Smart Plug – The SmartPlug system replaces outdated and troublesome twist -style shore power connections. It’s available in 30A and 50A versions, and matches industry standard hole patterns, so it’s easily installed. Current SmartPlug users can upgrade to the latest technology with Parts Kits that include a Female Connector Service Kit, Gasket Service Kit and a Male Inlet Connector Service Kit. Read their full list of maintenance recommendations here. |
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Photos of the Week
NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR: Do you have a beautiful or fun photo of your harbor, what you’ve been doing for social distancing, or a project you’re working on? Send it to us!
