News from Our Coasts: Week of 5/25/2020
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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 the 2020 Hurricane Season
- Get the latest info on hurricane prep during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.usharbors.com/2020/05/preparing-for-hurricane-season-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
- What to expect from the 2020 season: https://www.usharbors.com/2020/05/what-to-expect-for-the-2020-hurricane-season/
Updates on Boating and Fishing during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Belfast, ME – We are open 7 days a week from 7am to 4:00 pm and soon until 5:00pm. Our facility is fully open with the exception of the showers which we most likely will open later in the summer. We have transient slip and mooring rentals, diesel, non-ethanol high octane gasoline, power and water on the docks, and wifi. Our launch ramp is also open. We are asking boaters to be considerate of each other while on the docks, practice safe distancing, try not to gather in large groups, use common sense, and enjoy yourselves!
If you need to contact the Harbor Office with any questions or reservations, please call 207-338-1142, or email at [email protected]
- Chatham, MA – The Town of Chatham purchased the fish off-loading dock and property adjacent to our Harbormaster Office at 613 Stage Harbor road in Chatham, MA. Earlier this year, the Town engaged with ACK Marine of Quincy Ma, to replace the old pier with a new commercial off-loading pier. The contract price for the replacement of this pier was approximately $1.5 million. While the pier will be primarily used for the off-loading of commercial and recreational fish, it is open to the general public. (picture below)
The Town also hired a Texas company to partially dredge the Stage Harbor channel while they are nearing the completion of their contract, there is still considerable shoaling to be removed. The Army Corps of Engineers, dredge Currituck, will be here in the middle of June for several weeks to remove shoaling in the federal Stage Harbor channel. Visitors transiting the Stage Harbor channel should call the Harbormaster Office at 508-945-5185 for the most recent available depths in the channel.
The long-awaited completion of the public observation deck at the commercial Municipal Fish Pier in Aunt Lydia’s Cove should be completed by June 12th, 2020. We will provide details on the opening of the deck to the public after vetting the COVID-19 issue internally with the Town. This is a beautiful area to view the off-loading of the commercial fishing fleet and Chatham Harbor. - Northeast Harbor, ME – The Northeast Harbor Marina is open for business under the guidelines set by the State of Maine. We will not be running a Launch boat this year. We have slips and moorings for rent. We will be enforcing the 14 day quarantine for visitors from out of state until that is changed by Governor Mills.
- Rockland, ME – We installed the south end boat ramp floats last week, installing half of the public landing floats this week. We should be open for business with the office open next Monday to the public, limit access of course.
News & Events from Our Partners
GREAT ISLAND BOATYARD
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In preparation for this year’s Bermuda One-Two Race, the GIBY team installed a Hyrdrovane and Watt & Sea Hydrogenerator aboard a Spirit CR 47. “It was important to the owner that the components of the combined unit be easily removable and also match the existing aesthetics of the boat,” says Graham, the boat’s Service Manager.
To meet these goals, our crew fabricated fairing blocks and backing plates to match the hull paint, transom varnish, and highly-polished hardware onboard. The Hydrovane unit will allow for steering a course to the wind, but will also act as an emergency rudder, if needed. With the addition of the Watt & Sea Hydrogenerator, the owner will also gain the ability to charge his batteries even while under sail. The hydrogenerator has a controlled pitch prop, minimal drag, and optimal energy output at 5 to 30 knots. When the batteries are charged, the unit stows up and out of the water. It’s clean. It’s green. And it’s ready for the next Bermuda One-Two. |
MAINE ISLAND TRAIL ASSOCIATION
A Call to Oars! And sails, motors and paddles – Maine Island Trail challenges recreational boaters to clean Maine’s wild islands this summer. One of Maine’s most unique recreational assets is the Maine Island Trail. Consisting of over 240 islands and coastal properties, the Trail has grown over 32 years thanks in large part to the volunteer stewardship of its mostly privately-owned, uninhabited islands. It is this work that compels many island owners to be part of the Trail, allowing visitors for daytime recreation or overnight camping. What started as a simple, grassroots agreement between island owners and visitors willing to lend a hand has gradually become more organized. A program of Island Adoptors came first, eventually followed by a corps of some 30 volunteer Monitor Skippers who bring groups of volunteers to the islands using the organization’s ubiquitous red skiffs. As a result, groups of volunteers working on the islands together has been the image of the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) for 20 years.
In this Coronavirus season, however, group-based activities may not be possible. Instead, MITA will rely heavily on individuals to conduct stewardship work using their own boats. The organization is asking its 6,900 members, and anyone else who is so inclined, to clean up the islands and report their activities via a simple web form. They have dubbed this effort “A Call to Oars!”
“The idea is to turn this challenging situation of Coronavirus on its head,” says Program Director Brian Marcaurelle. “In response to social distancing rules, MITA will go back to our roots and empower individuals to do rewarding volunteer work on their own boats and schedules.”The request is a simple one. Participants will download the Maine Island Trail App, visit islands where they can do so safely, carry trash off, and send a brief web-based report back to MITA at MITA.org/report.
“This is an important undertaking,” notes MITA Executive Director, Doug Welch. “Between our large-group cleanups and small-group outings, MITA logged over 2,300 hours of group-based volunteerism last year. We cannot afford for that effort to just disappear in 2020. We have islands to keep clean and owners to keep happy in order for the Trail to continue to succeed.”
The staff is cautiously optimistic that the combination of boaters’ pent-up energy with warm weather will result in smooth sailing for the program. “MITA is composed of can-do folks who love a challenge and an excuse to go boating,” Marcaurelle notes. “And we as a population are eager for safe, refreshing outdoor experiences. So we hope that whether they sail, power, or paddle, all Maine boaters will be part of A Call to Oars!”
For more information email [email protected] or visit www.MITA.org/Call-to-Oars
Updates From Our Coastal Business Community
| Aquidneck Custom – Bill Koffler let us know that they have been working on an Atlantic 72 sailing cat built in carbon. The boat will be launching in the summer of 2021. |  |
DiMillo’s Yacht Sales – We are excited to announce that DiMillo’s Marina and DiMillo’s on the Water are now offering a Dockside menu. Dockside available Tuesday – Saturday from 12-8PM. To ORDER and PAY by phone, please call 207-772-2216. Before you arrive, hail in on channel 71 for detailed docking instructions.
Extreme Marine Diving Services of Marion, MA – We service Marinas, offer mooring Inspections, mooring installations, and repairs. Servicing Buzzards Bay and beyond!
| FishTalk Magazine – Join Lenny Rudow of FishTalk Magazine for Live with Lenny, on Facebook at 5:00 p.m. Thursdays, to hear the latest news and reports of Chesapeake Bay fishing. Follow them on Facebook for great fishing content and Live with Lenny reminders! |  |
Holly Bluff Marina – Get Away And Explore Florida’s Back Country Along The Beautiful St. Johns River
Holly Bluff Marina is a family-owned full service marina located between Orlando and Daytona. We offer houseboat and pontoon boat rentals, boat storage, sales and service.
The Ida Lewis Yacht Club has scheduled its annual Ida Lewis Distance Race to start on Saturday, August 15 rather than the previously announced Friday, August 14 date. The move is meant to enable teams to participate without having to take time off from work to do so. The popular late-summer racing tradition, enjoyed by veteran offshore sailors as well as those trying the “overnight sprint” for the first time, begins off Fort Adams and ends just inside Newport Harbor where Ida Lewis volunteers can site the finish line from their clubhouse on Lime Rock before greeting each team on the water with a congratulatory bottle of Prosecco.
“We are trying to make life easier during the transition to post-pandemic activities, and of course, we will conform to any and all social distancing requirements that might be the ‘new normal’ for the 2020 Ida Lewis Distance Race,” said Event Chair Pat Kennedy. “The shoreside activities, including the Friday night Skippers Meeting and the Sunday Awards and Cocktails might have to change somewhat, but it still doesn’t change the fact that on the water, this race is like no other. There will be much pent-up energy and many who will be excited for this opportunity to get back to sailboat racing. Because of that, we’re gearing up for more teams and one of our best events ever.”
Unique to the Ida Lewis Distance Race, the Race Committee considers weather forecasts to decide from among four courses that range from 112 to 169 nautical miles. The goal is to get all teams back to the dock within 18-24 hours. The courses – incorporating some of the most iconic cruising grounds in New England – are named “The Montauk”, “The Block Island”, “The Point Judith”, and “The Buzzards Bay Tower”.
This is the 16th running of the Ida Lewis Distance Race, which is certified as a “Clean Regatta” by the Sailors for the Sea organization. Classes are for boats 28 feet or longer and include IRC, PHRF, One Design, Multihull, Double-Handed, and, new for this year, Mixed Double-Handed (to debut at the 2024 Olympics). The race also Includes Youth and Collegiate Challenge categories.
The Notice of Race will be published soon at http://www.ilyc.org/distancerace. For questions, contact Pat Kennedy, [email protected] Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
| Latitude Yacht Brokerage – This week we continued to carry out virtual showings upon request and turned more boats over to their new owners. Apart from virtual showings, we were thrilled to have the Jamestown, RI office open to the public and welcome anyone to drop by and say hello!
Continuing to get to know the team, this week we asked the brokers at Latitude Yacht Brokerage to tell us what some of their strangest survey experiences were. Here are their responses: Tim Norton, Broker – said his strangest survey experience was when he was packing up to leave for the survey, the listing broker gave him a call to tell him the boat he was about to survey had broken loose from the mooring and was on the rocks… needless to say there was no more survey to be had. Gene Magnetti, Broker – said his strangest survey experience was when the surveyor was showing the boat to a client, the client was talked out of buying the boat by the surveyor following the discovery of one rusty hose clamp. Regardless of the documented work that had been done on the boat, the first-time buyer was talked out of buying a boat by the surveyor due to the one rusted clamp. Jeffrey Judul, Broker – says his strangest experience was when early in his brokerage career when he was sea-trialing a 36’ Express Cruiser and she wouldn’t make more than 10 knots wide open. Upon haul out, he quickly discovered that the outdrives were so fouled with mussels and clams from not leaving the slip much that Summer, that there was so much cavitation, not allowing the props to grab. Matt Leduc, Broker – took the cake with the most eventful strange surveying experience. Listed as a boat in mint condition, Matt flew to Toronto to survey an alleged like-new vessel. Upon arrival, the boat was in rough shape and definitely did not look “like-new”. During their sea trial the boat ran out of fuel, then ran aground. Coming into the dock a storm came up and led to tricky navigating through a tight channel, and to top it off just as the storm came up, the winches began to come off the deck… needless to say the buyers were not impressed. And lastly, Ryan Miller, Founder – said his strangest survey experience had occurred just a few weeks ago. In the midst of quarantine and stay at home orders, Ryan did a sea trial via Zoom on board a boat in the British Virgin Islands. We are excited to have our office open to the public and invite the public to come in and chat. If you’re in the area feel free to stop by and say ‘hello’! As the weeks go on continue to stick around and learn more about our team here at Latitude. |
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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.
RIMTA – We are aggregating Rhode Island marine industry deals and sharing them via our social media in an effort to promote our member businesses. Find this week’s list HERE.
| SeaPen – Think of SeaPen as a garage for your boat. The ultimate in-water dry-docking system to protect your boat and give you more time on the water.
Contact us at info@solsticedockingsolutions.
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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!
All images this week were sent to us by Best Harbor voters!
