National Harbormaster Appreciation Day | Thank your harbormaster!

Celebrate Your Harbormaster on 10/8/2024.
IDEAS FOR HOW TO CELEBRATE

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Coastal communities around the country celebrate their Harbormasters on Thursday, Oct. 8th!

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Harbormasters are the stewards of our harbors – the center of our coastal communities. They manage the overall ecosystem, including moorings and docks, harbor uses and harbor users, and interactions between local, state and federal government. Of all of our public stewards (police, EMT, fire etc.) these men and women receive the least recognition.

Harbormaster Appreciation Day* -- a day to honor our U.S. Harbormasters and the great work they do -- occurs annually on October 8th.

* National Harbormaster Appreciation Day is registered with the National Day Archive.

WHAT DO HARBORMASTERS DO?

MEET OUR HARBORMASTERS

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pleasure_Pier_in_Galveston,_Texas.jpg

Jacob O’Kelley – Galveston, TX

I am the Senior Harbormaster for the Galveston Wharves (Port of Galveston – Port Authority). I have been in the Operations Department/Harbormaster’s role since June of 2018. Prior to this […]

Don Procko – Mystic, CT

I retired after 35 years as a public school “shop”teacher, a job I loved. After serving on the Harbor Management Commission, I became Harbor Master of Mystic (Stonington and Groton) […]

Bion Pike - Harbormaster in Manchester by the Sea, MA

Bion Pike – Manchester by the Sea, MA

I am the harbormaster for the town of Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts. My duties include, but are not limited to, managing the boater database for moorings, slips and waitlist totaling […]

Thorne Bay Marina at Sunset. Submitted by J. Aaro

Jacob Aaro – Thorne Bay, AK

I just started as Harbormaster this year. I have 2 harbors to maintain with about 170 slips containing, commercial fish boats, pleasure boats, floatplanes and floathouses. Thorne Bay is extremely […]

Mario W. Bandeira -- Harbormaster, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Mario W. Bandeira – Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

My name is Mario, I’m 62 years old, work with marina development and equipment’s (floating docks, boat hoist, forklift and others) here in Brazil for 22 years and as Senior […]

Fred Brisbois – Guilford, CT

I am a 25 year Army veteran helicopter pilot and retired from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation after a 29 year career in aviation and system safety engineering. I was appointed as […]

Charlie Helms – Crescent City, CA

I’ve been the Harbor Master here in Crescent City for the past six and a half years. I started my maritime career as a deckhand on towboats on the Mississippi […]

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Ross Hatfield – Housatonic River Stratford, CT

I have been Harbormaster since 2004 before that Deputy since 1999. Our Deputy is Tom Fahy we patrol 10 miles of the River which runs 150 miles from its source […]

Rick Brass – Washington, NC

I’ve been a sailor since my Grandfather and I built my first boat 56 years ago. After a career in engineering and marketing, I retired early to go cruising. I […]

Layla Jandt-Pedersen – Seldovia, AK

I am the Harbor Master in Seldovia Alaska located on the south side of Kachemak Bay I have been the Harbor Master here for 10 years now. See Weather Forecasts, Marine […]

Abby Leonard – Rockport, ME

Abbie has the world’s best attitude, works her stern off, has vision and makes what Charles Kurault once called “America’s most perfect small harbor” even more perfect. One example: she […]

Mick Dunning - Harbormaster, Sandwich, MA

Mick Dunning – Sandwich, MA

I have been at the Marina for five years. As a graduate from Mass Maritime I sailed as a Merchant Mariner before I came here. I love the location of […]