National Harbormaster Appreciation Day | Thank your harbormaster!

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

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

Play Pause Unmute Mute

Scroll to Content

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

Edward Finlay – Shark River Municipal Marina, NJ

I have been the Harbor Master here at the Shark River Municipal Marina since 2012. Soon after I took over, Super Storm Sandy showed up and decimated my property. It […]

Wayne Johnson – Milwaukee, WI

I’ve been the harbormaster since 2010. The Port of Milwaukee is a department of the city of Milwaukee municipality. Currently have 40 years in city employment. Port Milwaukee is a […]

Harbor of Escanaba, MI. Submitted by S. Sanville.

Shayne Sanville – Escanaba, MI

I have been the Harbor Master at the beautiful Escanaba Marina tucked away in Little Bay De Noc for four years now. Before becoming Harbor Master I managed the family […]

Scott Grindy – San Francisco Marina and Small Craft Harbor, CA

Over 35 years of professional experience in the Management of Personnel, Capital Projects, Facilities Management, Capital and Operational Budgets, Public Works, Building & Engineering Design, Parks and Recreation, Building-Campus Operations, […]

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 […]

David Borg, Harbormaster in Whittier, Alaska at 4th of July event. Photo submitted by T. Foster.

David Borg – Whittier, AK

Image submitted by T. Foster.

Jordan Glidden – Seattle, WA

My name is Jordan Glidden and I am the Harbormaster at Elliott Bay Marina here in Seattle, WA. We are the largest private marina on the West Coast with just […]

Kristin Forster -- Harbormaster in Port Austin, MI

Kristin Forster – Port Austin, MI

I have worked as the Harbormaster at Port Austin State harbor since June 2020. Before taking over as harbor master I worked as a summer worker at local state park. […]

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 […]

Oliver Curry – Southwest Harbor, ME

I started as Southwest Harbor Harbormaster on August 9th 2021. As a lifelong mariner, I’ve worked in most of the harbors around MDI as a deckhand, aquaculture crew, commercial fisherman, […]

Jeffrey Lowell, Harbormaster in Boothbay, Maine

Jeffrey Lowell – Boothbay Harbor, ME

Jeff is the most versatile and helpful Harbormaster we have encountered in thirty years of cruising from Florida to Maine. On our recent visit, [1] Jeff greeted us with a […]

Paul Blank – Newport Harbor, CA

I have been part of the Newport Harbor community since I completed City of Newport Beach Recreation Department sailing lessons as a child. That early introduction to sailing has led […]