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.

Steve Melo - Harbormaster in Dartmouth, MA

Steve Melo – Padanaram, MA

I’ve served as the Padanaram / Dartmouth Harbormaster since 2004, and also as the Town’s Shellfish Officer since 2012. Prior to this calling, I was a seasonal Assistant Harbormaster for […]

CT-Harbor-Master-Training-2019

Kim Czapla – Hartford, CT

Hi! I’m the Harbor Master Program Administrator for the State of Connecticut, Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. We provide regulatory oversight, support and technical training to our Harbor Masters. […]

Katie Traub – Wilmette, IL

I am the Harbor Master at the Wilmette Harbor Club located in the Chicago land area. I have been a dinghy driver for 10 years and I have been the […]

Kate McConville – New Shoreham, RI

I was hired as Block Island’s first female Harbormaster in 2020. The Great Salt Pond is a super popular destination along the New England coast. We have 90 transient rental […]

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 […]

Samantha Parker - Harbormaster, Sandwich, MA

Samantha Parker – Sandwich, MA

I am still relatively new to this department but love the staff and slip holders that I have the pleasure of working with. Coming from being a cadet at Mass […]

Belmar, NJ

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 […]

Port of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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 […]

Dana B. Rice, Sr. -- Gouldsboro ME Harbormaster

Dana B. Rice Sr. – Gouldsboro, ME

I’ve been Gouldsboro’s Harbormaster for more than 40 years. Gouldsboro has six harbors and several anchorage areas. We have approximately 175 moorings for mostly commercial boats, but also pleasure boats. […]

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 […]

Southport, CT Harbormaster Brian LeClerc. Photo by K. Taylor

Bryan LeClerc – Southport, CT

In our small harbor of mostly pleasure boats our Harbor Master, Brian LeClerc, is responsible for a lot of things including: safety drills and safety training; harbor and shoreline inspection; debris […]

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 […]

Are You a Harbormaster?

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

We want to know about you and your harbor! Let people know about what you do.

National Harbormaster Appreciation Day is brought to you annually by US Harbors.

2024 HARBORMASTER DAY SPONSORS

US Harbors is grateful to our Partner Sponsors for supporting this year's Harbormaster Appreciation Day activities. 

The premier marine and coastal lifestyle marketing agency.