April
What’s happening around the Northeast boating community in April
Spring may have officially arrived, but across the Northeast, many boating fans are still shaking off their winer cobwebs. Stop by the water though, and you can sense that boating season is really only weeks away. Marinas are starting to unwrap boats of all makes and sizes from their winter protection, sprucing up their grounds, and even splashing a few vessels for those itching to get an early start.
Indeed, despite its reputation as a wet, cool, and still windy month, April is when things actually get moving along the Northeast Coast. As proof, consider that the season’s first northeast in-water boat show kicks off April 25-27 at Safe Harbor Essex Island Marina in Connecticut. The ninth edition of the CT Spring Boat Show will feature boats of all styles and brands. Last year, this event raised nearly $29,000 for the Sails Up 4 Cancer nonprofit organization. This year’s goal is to break the $30,000 mark through a wide range of activities, fundraising opportunities, and a percentage of ticket sales.
This show, held on a 13-acre private island and accessed by complimentary ferry service, draws experienced and beginning boaters from across New England. Its host marina is family-friendly, features 125 boating slips accommodating vessels to 200 feet in length, and will offer food, beverages, and music throughout the weekend. Advance three-day tickets are available now at $20 per adult and are free for children ages 13 and younger. Tickets at the gate are $22 per adult. For details and ticket purchases, visit ctspringboatshow.com.
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Almost directly across Long Island Sound, the New York boating community will be welcoming Officer Kelly Tuthill as the newest member of the Southold Town Police Department’s Marine Division this spring. The 33-year-old is a North Fork native, has been on patrol since late last year, and has been an active boater and occasional angler her entire lift. She joins fellow officers John Kirincic and Christopher Dimon as the third member of the Southold Town Police Harbor Masters unit—and she is the first female in the town to be assigned a harbor master post.
Southold Town Police Harbor Masters are full-time peace officers tasked with patrolling the town’s shoreline, Long Island Sound, and Peconic Estuary waters, including the area’s many bays, harbors, and creeks—a considerable task in which Tuthill’s local knowledge and experience is sure to help. The unit, active year-round, is equipped with three 26- to 27-foot patrol vessels and several smaller vessels for work within smaller creeks and inlets. Among its responsibilities are enforcement of navigational law, environmental conservation law, and Southold Town codes, including those regarding shellfish, wetlands, boats, and beaches. This unit also provides marine search and rescue, beach patrol, and Homeland Security patrols.
“This is a great job where you are on or around the water most of the time, and you do a little bit of everything,” says Tuthill. “We cover all saltwater and freshwater environments in Southold Town, including those on Shelter Island and Fishers Island. I really like the mix in that we do a little bit of police enforcement, conservation enforcement, and Coast Guard activity.”
Farther up the coast, New Hampshire boaters should take note that state parking and launch ramp fee increases may be coming in May for Hampton and Rye harbors. Pending Pease Development Authority (PDA) approval, the increases, which would be the first in 20 years at these facilities, are necessary due to rising operating costs, maintenance, and repair costs in recent years.
If instituted, the new fee schedule would be $10 for daily parking, $20 for daily launch/parking, $50 for bus parking, and $300 for an annual launch/park permit for vehicles/trailers. PDA notes that these fees would be comparable to fees for similar facilities in Massachusetts, Maine, and other areas along the Northeast Coast.
-by Tom Schlichter
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