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Old 09-09-2020, 12:11   #1
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Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

We were on our home mooring last weekend in an unnamed cove in Narragansett Bay. We watched as these drunken or possibly high, sketchy-looking characters stalled the outboard on their inflatable and drifted through the anchorage trying to start it. A third character hollered over and paddled (literally with his hands) out to help, and got into a heated argument trying to coax one guy out so he could climb aboard and start "his" motor. The displaced guy then drifted off, hollering to the passing launch for help, and calling him nasty names. He eventually drifted alongside a neighboring boat where he started yelling "Ahoy!" (which presumably is what you holler to get someone's attention) for the guy to come out. The boat owner - an older liveaboard I was told - came out and the dinghy guy boarded his boat and demanded that he "save" him. the boat owner demanded the guy get off his boat immediately and it got quite heated.
I finally called the Harbormaster to intervene, only to get the "leave a message and I'll return your call". I decided the cops should get involved since it sounded like things could get violent. I called the local number, only to get transferred to the Harbormaster's voicemail. I then hung up and called 911, got transferred back to the local police, and then told that technically the mooring field was in the next town. They transferred me to the next town who took my report and told me they had had multiple calls and uniforms were on their way. It took another 25-30 minutes before the launch transported 3 officers out to the scene where they took the perp ashore, and questioned the other 2 lads. Shortly thereafter, I took the pup ashore and saw about 10 officers and 5 squad cars in the parking lot with the perp in cuffs on the ground where he seemed to be burying himself deeper in doo by shouting insults and racial slurs at the LEO's and an EMT who was there to help. When I talked to the launch driver he said that after the cops arrived they stood around for 10 minutes arguing about who was going to go out there in the launch.

The takeaway for me was:
1. Not all folks in even the best anchorages are good "yachting" types. All sorts of nefarious types with bad intent can float through at any time.
2. Although we're in a marina mooring area, we're pretty much on our own if we're boarded by do-badders.
3. The Harbormaster is a parttime, token position and takes no responsibility for events that happen "not on his watch".
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Old 09-09-2020, 12:20   #2
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Harbormaster roles are not honorary. However, they are not 'Harbor Police'. Some towns have sent their harbormaster to the police academy and had them carry a badge, but that is rare.
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Old 09-09-2020, 12:22   #3
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Harbor master is in charge of who goes on what mooring and that type of thing. The water cops are in charge of your situation.

We are definitely completely on our own on the boat and that’s what’s so great about it.

Hep is far away, so be ready for anything. That’s part of the draw of it all
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Old 09-09-2020, 12:36   #4
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrew View Post
Harbormaster roles are not honorary. However, they are not 'Harbor Police'. Some towns have sent their harbormaster to the police academy and had them carry a badge, but that is rare.
Ok, it's just that I see them patrolling and pulling over people that don't obey the no-wake zone so I guess I assume they're the guys that police the harbor.
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Old 09-09-2020, 14:14   #5
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

There's no one definition for the title "Harbormaster."

In some municipalities, it's a member of the local police force. In most, it's the person who assigns moorings and enforces harbor rules. Sometimes it's a largely administrative job, sometimes it's mostly out on the water. Usually it's a mix. Some harbormasters do SAR and LE, some places have dedicated police boats plus harbormaster boats. In some places it's just one individual and in others there's a whole staff.

I've even heard the person who manages transient slips at a private marina referred to as harbormaster, although dock master is more common.

As for the OP's situation, another option would have been a Mayday on VHF 16. The Coast Guard has LE authority, and also lists of contacts for all the local state and municipal LE agencies. This might have shortened the response time considerably.
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Old 09-09-2020, 14:44   #6
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

In one town here the "Harbormaster" is also the Chief of Police. It's a really small town so if the two jobs were held by two different people neither one of them would be very busy. Makes good financial sense, although the Chief might not know much about boats. The town doesn't have water cops, the County handles that, and quite well.
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Old 09-09-2020, 15:05   #7
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Yes a call on channel 16, should alert local water authorities and also any one at anchor who leaves their set on so a whole bunch of people may be alert to the situation. When bad guys are around the more witnesses the better.
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Old 09-09-2020, 15:10   #8
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Lots of stuff going on here.

First is the well worn meme 'when you need help in seconds the police are minutes away'. Even living on dirt this is an issue.

As a rule harbormasters work 8-5. Marinas/harbors are not usually open 24/7 so calls when they are closed will go to voice mail; if they have voice mail. Even in big first tier places it can be a real effort to contact anyone outside of normal hours. That being said harbormasters do have real power including who can be in the harbor and in some cases (hurricanes and the like) shutting down the harbor. It is interesting the OP mentions honorary harbormasters. In government run marinas (and marinas that need a local license to operate) the harbormaster not only has to run the harbor but may be subject to pressure from local pols; especially elected pols.

It is also common for there to be jurisdictional issues that determine LEOs who have authority in the harbor. Not trying to dis the USCG but as a rule the county sheriff and the state agency assigned to this type of thing are the ones to call (in Florida it is the Fish and Wildlife peeps). As a rule USCG monitors CH16 and if there are problems mentioned on CH16 they will the right people.

I have been in places where there is a Wild West vibe and places where there is a very much of an iron fist rule. Just my two cents but in Florida (and in other places as well) there seem to be more and more what I call homeless boat ghettos with boats that can't move on their own and the people on them would be homeless on land. While there are efforts to deal with this it is a hard problem to solve.

Bottom line is, at least in Florida, the composition of the peeps on boats has been changing for a long time; and not for the better.
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Old 10-09-2020, 09:26   #9
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Our harbormaster is a pretty busy guy, controlling more than 100 moorings and dock spaces, but he doesn't have an office on or near the harbor or an official boat of his own. The police have their own boat, and would be the people to call for incidents like the OP's.
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Old 10-09-2020, 14:39   #10
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Here you are painting all Harbormaster's with a very broad brush. That's not nice. I've been a Full-Time Bay Constable & Harbormaster for the past 34 years. Depending on the municipality and commitment from the politicians in that Town or City you will find that "MOST" take their Waterways and the enforcement of those waterways very serious. On Long Island for example most Bay Constables and Harbormasters are Full time. Due to the influx in boating traffic in the summer, most Marine Unit hire part time officers. Most of them are Police officers. I myself am a former USCG search and rescue boat Coxswain with a USCG Masters License as well as a Certified Boating Safety Instructor. We all have been trained by a Police or Sheriffs Academy. Most carry firearms, most are EMTs. So if you ever need of Assistance and your in my neck of the woods don't hesitate to hail the HARBORMASTER on 16vhf-fm and you'll soon change your tune on there capability and professionalism. Not all Harbormaster's are the same.
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Old 10-09-2020, 15:38   #11
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Our harbormaster has a LE. background. Not part of the police but on call. 2500 moorings. The department has several boats. In a few minutes reach are harbors with firefighting capabilities.
Massachusetts harbormasters need a USCG Masters license.
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Old 10-09-2020, 15:45   #12
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

Good..Bad..or indifferent..

https://www.capitalgazette.com/maryl...421-story.html
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Old 11-09-2020, 08:50   #13
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Re: Are all Harbormaster jobs honorary?

The harbormaster position I am most familiar with is at Boot Key Harbor. In season there are 230 some balls, maybe 8-10 boats on the walls, and twice that many boats in the managed and unmanaged anchorages.

There are two pumpout boats and both are out every day making multiple runs. There is also a boat the harbormaster uses for what ever. There is also an FWC boat on a lift there.

While I have seen every post in this thread this one is the first one I have seen that stresses the importance of the pumpout function.
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