Chatham Harbormasters Office

Hi Robert, We have that dinghy dock in the Little Mill Pond, puts you right downtown.

Glenn, I'm sorry to hear about your recent experience with our transient mooring in Chatham on July 19th. We take pride in offering our visiting boaters the highest level of service, and I appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. Following your feedback, I reviewed the events of that day with our team to better understand what occurred and to ensure we continue improving our service. Chatham utilizes DockWa to manage our transient mooring reservations. When your reservation was submitted the day prior, you should have received a confirmation email from DockWa, followed by a pre-arrival email that includes your mooring assignment, location details, and other relevant information. At the time of your reservation, we had no standard transient moorings available for July 19. In an effort to accommodate your request, we offered a mooring typically reserved for vessels over 50 feet. These moorings differ from standard transient ones in that they do not include hawsers. Due to the limited maneuvering space for larger vessels and the need to deploy stern anchors or dual moorings, hawsers often create more challenges than benefits in that area. On the day of your arrival, our team was actively responding to a potential marine search and rescue emergency in the southern portion of Chatham Harbor. On weekends, our staffing is limited to one office-based team member who also serves as the primary coordinator for such emergencies. At the time of your hail, that individual was in radio communication with our patrol vessel and the U.S. Coast Guard to manage the response, which unfortunately led to delays and confusion in responding to your radio calls. For that, we sincerely apologize. Our Harbor Patrol unit based in Stage Harbor (a division of the Harbormaster Department) became aware of your request via radio and promptly diverted from their patrol duties to provide assistance as soon as possible. We regret that your visit did not meet expectations and appreciate your patience under the circumstances. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. Sincerely, Skip Woods Mooring Manager/Asst. Harbormaster Town of Chatham