With the onset of the summer boating season, Wiscasset is developing a Volunteer Dock Master Program to assist the town’s harbormaster and police chief, Larry Hesseltine. Approved by the waterfront committee and the selectboard, the volunteers will man the Harbor Master’s Office at the Recreation Pier to assist visiting boaters seven days a week from 9 a.m.  to 5 p.m. They will assist in landings, dockage, mooring rentals and be ambassadors for the local merchants and restaurants.

Plans are underway for the installation of a pump-out system for boat holding tanks they will assist with. Through the help of the Chamber of Commerce and the business community, “Ditty Bags” will be offered with marketing materials and samples as well as a chart of the town showing the merchants’ locations. Applications for mooring permits and rentals are now available online. Launch permits, as well as copies of their rules and regulations for waterfront use, would also be available. The crew will also keep a detailed log of visiting vessels for a better database of the waterfront usage when planning future services. 

An initial meeting of the group will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at the picnic tables on the Recreation Pier, across from the harbor master building, to discuss scheduling, review of duties, tour of the waterfront and a general Q&A session. I have had several residents sign up for the program and am appealing for more. So, if you have an interest in spending a few hours a week at the waterfront, please email dedavis1950@gmail.com or drop me a note, with contact information, to P.O. Box 45, Wiscasset, ME 04578. Look forward to seeing you at the docks.