Best Information Sources About Harbors And Marinas

by Peter J. Wihtol

Best Information Sources About Harbors And Marinas

The Embassy Guides are the Triple A directories for the boating crowd. There are four guides that cover the East Coast of the US. The harbors are presented by chapters and detail marina information along with sections of harbor charts. The books are spiral-bound for easy page turning and the cover is designed for easy bookmarking. You can check out: individual marina services available, the types of fuel available, laundry and showers available, water depth on approach and at slips. Included are the hailing channels that they monitor and their phone numbers. There are also aerial photos of the harbors and their entrances and tourist information about what is available in and near each harbor. You can plan your trip as you go along, and in case of low fuel or engine problems or bad weather you can decide which nearest ports and which marinas would best fit your needs. You then can radio or cell phone them and make a reservation. It’s much more comfortable boating this way -- not being uncomfortably constrained by a rigid time table.

 

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The other best source of information is called "local knowledge".

Visit The Harbormaster's Office.

And if there is no one in the office try reaching someone by phone. Tell the people that you have or are in the process of getting a boat and be specific about what you will have for nav and communication gear. Also tell them that you are now taking (or have taken) the USPS boating safety course. Ask them whether there are things in particular that you need to know about the harbor and safety in the area, also ask him what in particular upsets/concerns local law enforcement.

 

Other Sources

  • Local Police. Ask them if there has been a problem with thefts or malicious destruction of property in the area where you plan to keep your boat.
  • Talk with someone at the marina. Talk with customers and employees.
  • Local boating hardware store. Ask if there is anything that you should be aware of.
  • Fishing tackle store. Ditto.
  • If there is a launch service in town, talk with the fellow who is the launch operator. Ask who has the cleanest gas in the area and who has the best prices. Ask about the best place for mechanical work to be done on your boat.
  • Find out which USPS squadron is in your boating area of interest. Get the name and phone number of members who boat in that area.
  • If you are a trailer boater, talk with people who are using the local boat ramps. You can tell the more experienced boaters, because it will take them only a couple of minutes to launch their boats.

 

When Approaching A Harbor You Do Not Know

You are actually allowed to radio either a local marina there or the harbormaster and ask them for local information. Only twice in ten years of boating in Hingham and Scituate did I hear a boat operator do this. And both times the advice they got saved them from running aground or damaging their prop.