Annual Reports for year ending December 31, 2018.
Rockport Harbor Department
2018 Annual Report
The Harbor department has many duties which including, naming a few: managing
the 400 moorings and 450 persons on the Mooring Waiting list, assisting disabled
vessels, medical emergencies, fishery activities, diver emergency’s: Rockport
has 13 miles of coastline and three islands adjacent to the mainland. Rockport
is also becoming more and more a destination for transient boaters who make
reservations far in advance for our popular but limited dock space.
Old Harbor-White Wharf was the recipient of Community Preservation funds to
restore the float system and provide a much needed make over. The safety of that
system was brought back to order and recreational boating activities could
continue with float replacement and upgraded utilities.
Rockport continues to be in the top ten commercial lobster catch, rating 4th
in Massachusetts for catch. There are 51 active commercial lobstermen who in
2017 brought in 1,054.119 pounds of lobsters. These lobsters were caught in
20,332 lobster traps fished by our commercial lobstermen.
The major events of the year are as follows:
February 18 - A dog was successfully rescued from the waters below T Wharf;
the dog had fallen through the boards which were damaged from one of the major
January storms.
April 29 - the harbormasters along with the towns rescue personnel (police,
EMS & fire) worked diligently to assist a diver who was unresponsive near the
shore at Old Garden Beach: the situation turned out to be the first fatality of
the season.
June 21 - a boater passing by Thacher's Island observed an 8' inflatable
kayak floating about a mile off the island. Moments later a person was spotted
in the water. The owners of the passing boat rescued the male individual and
notified the harbormasters to bring the victim ashore for medical attention. The
man had been in the inflatable kayak in and out of the water for over 24 hours.
July 28 - at approximately 4pm FV Honeyybadger II, 29' called in a distress
call - he was off Thacher's Island with engine trouble and stated "one of his
dogs had been missing overboard for over 3 hours". The call went out on Marine
channel 16. We got underway to that area to assist the vessel and search for the
owner's dog, Brodie. As the sun was setting around 8:30pm a local fisherman, who
was familiar with the tides and currents in that area located the dog and
returned Brodie to its grateful owners. We then towed the Honeyybadger II into
Rockport-all parties involved were safe and all had been wearing life jackets
including Brodie!
August: During the month of August there were 2 major kayak events.
August 19 - 3 kayakers were rescued in heavy surf off Marmion Way and brought
back to the town float for medical evaluation.
August 31 - 2 kayakers were rescued also in the heavy surf off Whale Cove Rd.
There was no injuries in either case.
September 5 - 1700 hrs. the harbormasters were notified by a home owner at
Cathedral Rocks, Pigeon Cove, that a diver approached them stating "his partner
was missing". At that time the incident unfolded and a search ensued by local,
State and Federal agencies. The search was suspended at midnight to continue at
day break. The diver was located on the first dive in the morning. This was the
second fatality of the season. Local harbormasters, police, fire USCG Station
Gloucester, State Police dive team, Beverly Fire dive team and Environmental
Police participated in the incident.
September 6 - 1230 shortly after securing from the diver incident the
harbormasters received a call from local police that man was swimming off
Halibut Pt. Upon arrival local police and fire were searching Halibut Pt State
Park and witnessed a man going into the water off the rocks at the park. As the
search on the water began we located the man swimming ½ mile off shore. At that
time the man realized he "might need a ride back to shore". We got the man on
board and transported to Granite Pier where the Rockport Ambulance transported
him to Addison Gilbert for evaluation.
September 15 - at 9am and 4pm MAYDAY calls was heard and the harbormasters
responded, both times an extended search in bad weather was conducted. In the
end it was determined by local harbormasters and USCG both calls were a
hoax-these are serious offences.
September 30 - a 40' sailboat passing by Straightsmouth Island and witnessed
a 25' power vessel roll over in the heavy surf at the tip of the island, they
called on Marine channel 16 for assistance. Immediately responding to the area,
the surf was heavy on the tip of the island. A person was spotted on the rocks
along with the overturned 25' power vessel. The boat had rolled over in the surf
and was damaged on the rocks. Harbormaster Story trekked across the island and
confirmed one man was safe on the rocks and another man was missing.
Harbormaster Lesch returned to the surf line on the island to find the other
person now in the rough water. That man was retrieved and brought onto Alert 2,
resuscitations efforts began and transported to T Wharf for transported to the
Addison Gilbert Hospital by the Rockport Ambulance. This incident was the town's
third fatality of the season. Harbormaster Story and surviving victim were
airlifted off the island and flown to USCG Station Gloucester.
October 11 - a tragedy was diverted off dry Salvages as a 40' sailboat caught
it’s rudder in lobster gear, the seas were heavy and conditions bad.
October 21 - Ship wreck -at approximately 1900 hrs. The 35' sailing vessel "Panniaweh"
sailed across Sandy Bay from the Portland Maine area in heavy seas. The two
persons on board were tired and sea sick which caused them to misjudge the
entrance to Rockport Harbor. The vessel went on the rocks between the mouth of
the harbor and the Headlands. The two persons jumped off the boat and safely got
a shore. An investigation of the incident began at that time by harbormasters,
local police, USCG and Environmental Police.
December 31 - Boat Fire -a local 40' power vessel experienced a fire on
board, the fire was extinguished and towed back to Rockport Harbor.
The coastal cameras awarded by FEMA to the Massachusetts Harbormaster
Association and installed in coastal cities & towns, have greatly contributed to
the investigation of many of the incidents this season and continue to provide
coastal security.
The Rockport Harbormasters continue to be active with federal, state and
local agencies. Local: police, ambulance, fire, forest fire, DPW, State and
Federal agencies: Mass State Police, Environmental Police, USCG Station
Gloucester & Sector Boston, thank you all for the continued support.
Rockport Harbormasters
Rosemary Lesch, Scott Story
Assistant Harbormasters
Ron Petoff, Story Reed
978-546-9589
rockportharbormasters@rockportma.gov
