Report Review
Stayed at the dock this time so I got to use the restrooms and showers which were functional - that is the best I can say. Also even in middle October they have a 50 foot minimum - not exactly boater friendly. But as always the staff were very cordial in implementing the town policies.
Update: Stayed on a mooring a couple times in Jul-19. As usual the staff were extremely accommodating and professional. This is a sure sign of excellent leadership there too. Still not a boater friendly town though. There is an entire bay (Katama) that would be (and was previously) awesome for day anchoring that is now off limits for no good reason. Hats off to the Harbormaster leadership and staff though.
Another update Aug-20:
Stayed on a mooring for multiple day trips this summer. Water is great for swimming. Edgartown harbormaster staff are the most professional around - they are efficient and courteous to the many boaters that come in looking for a day mooring. Despite a lot of crowding, I never heard of anyone getting turned away and they handle the dockwa reservations in real time amazingly well. Hat's off to the staff.
As an update: I notice the harbor master has replied:
Marina Response: The reason why Katama Bay is closed is due to the Army Corp of Engineers they deemed it closed. Also we have many oyster and shellfish farms in that area.
That response is certainly incorrect and some form of revisionist history. It was Edgartown who closed Katama. Here are some quotes by Charles Blair, the Edgartown Harbormaster and from the Vineyard Gazette at the time (2004):
- Citing a deterioration in water quality in Katama Bay over the last several years, Edgartown officials have banned boaters from anchoring overnight in the area.
"The town made a decision. Do we want two months of boating or a year-round shellfishing industry? The answer was easy," said Charles Blair, Edgartown harbor master, who is fielding calls from frustrated sailors just learning of the new ban.
The closure was a long time coming, Mr. Blair admits. Every year for the last decade, more vessels - from 30-foot sailboats to 100-foot yachts - have been finding a place to camp overnight within these protected waters.
End quotes.
And of course many further believe the reason for the closing had nothing to do with shellfish and everything to do with banishing transient boaters out of site. But let's get the facts and history correct at least.