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2025 "Best Harbor" Contest Winners Announced
The People Have Spoken: Block Island Wins Again! Grand Winner, Best Harbor in the U.S. for 2025: Block Island, RI Last year’s Grand Winner for Best Harbor in the U.S., Block Island, RI, took home the prize again for 2025. This year saw a record number of votes cast for over… SEE MORE
NMMA Backs Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund
By US Harbors On June 12, 2025, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D–MI) and Rob Wittman (R–VA) introduced legislation to renew the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (“Trust Fund”), a cornerstone federal program since 1950. Supported by NMMA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer, the fund is sustained by excise taxes… SEE MORE
Navigation Markers Targeted for Removal by U.S. Coast Guard — Here's How to Weigh In
Coast Guard proposing the removal of 350+ navigation aids (NY to Maine). Public comment deadline: June 13, 2025 By US Harbors The U.S. Coast Guard has proposed eliminating more than 350 navigational aids—buoys, daymarks, and lights—along the Northeast coast, from New York to Eastport, Maine. These changes are part of… SEE MORE
Kayak Fishing the Everglades at Flamingo
By Nick Carter Exploring the backcountry and the flats of Florida Bay in motorized fishing kayaks. The Florida Everglades are a million and a half acres of wetland famously called a river of grass. From the water at Flamingo, it’s more of a mangrove jungle. Here at the southernmost outpost of Everglades… SEE MORE
NOAA Withdraws Proposed Speed Restrictions on Boats 35-65ft.
The proposed rule, intended to protect North Atlantic Right Whales, would have extended current restrictions to recreational boats ranging from 35 to 65 feet to a speed of 10 knots along much of the Eastern Seaboard for up to seven months of the year. In a significant development for the… SEE MORE
Energy-Efficient salmon Gurdies
By Paul Molyneaux. Chandler Kemp, owner of Kempy Energetics of Dillingham, Alaska, has been experimenting with hybrid electric boats – primarily salmon trollers in Southeast Alaska – for several years. With grants from various sources, he worked with the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), hybrid gear manufacturer Transfluid, and others. Kempy, formerly of Sitka, is… SEE MORE
A One-Stop Boatyard in Washington
By Michael Crowley. What’s the best test of a successful boatyard? Customers coming back time and again for another boat seems the most obvious answer. On that basis, Lee Shore Boats in Port Angeles, Wash., and Salish Seafoods, in Sheldon, Wash., have had a very productive relationship. Salish Seafoods is owned by Washington… SEE MORE
Buyboat is a Labor of Love
By Larry Chowning. Several years ago, while attending the Sultana Downrigging Festival in Chestertown, Md., Jim Drake and his wife Brooke were introduced to Chesapeake Bay buyboats. Brooke fell in love with the boats and Jim set out to build her one. Since 2015 National Fisherman has followed Jim Drake’s efforts in… SEE MORE
Commodores Boats Transforms Alaskan Crabber into a Powerhouse
By Paul Molyneaux. Commodores Boats in Richmond, British Columbia, has been repairing boats for over 30 years, and the yard has seen some interesting projects. Last year, the crew sponsoned two boats, the Golovin Bay and the Sea Lady, at close to the same time using two different systems. According to Jake Spiller, the… SEE MORE
2024 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Wrap Up
We once again had the pleasure of attending the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-water boat show in the world. The 2024 edition lived up to FLIBS’ grand reputation, with sunny skies and a steady breeze that kept things comfortable for the USHarbors crew from Maine. And, as… SEE MORE
Century-Old Halibut Schooners Restored in Port Townsend
By Michael Crowley. The boatyard many fishermen who ply the waters of the Pacific Northwest or Alaska in wooden boats choose for maintenance and repairs is Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op in Port Townsend, Wash. At the yard this September, several wooden halibut schooners had been hauled out awaiting work this fall. Among them… SEE MORE
Boat of the Month: Outer Fall
By Paul Molyneaux The first time I ever saw Jimmy Tripp was in late 1982. Jimmy had his boat, the Day Star, loaded with big wooden Anderson traps and was heading offshore. It was snowing and the flakes vanished in the water of Spruce Head harbor. Tripp had his head sticking out… SEE MORE
