The Westbrook Harbor Management Commission has been attempting to get resident mooring owners to register their moorings on a voluntary basis over the past three boating seasons. Of the possible 150 moorings, only 11 are registered, at this point prompting the commission to make registration mandatory. In spring 2018, the commission will tag all non-permitted moorings, instructing the owner how to go about registering his or her mooring. All moorings tagged will require registration on or before July 15, 2018. After that date, any unregistered mooring will be considered abandoned and therefore subject to removal by the harbor master or his designated agent or official.

The purpose of this action is to ascertain the location of each mooring, understand the size and holding strength of each mooring to ensure the stability of the moored vessel, to identify abandoned moorings for removal, and to assure the proper installation and location for the safety of boaters and swimmers alike. All monies collected from the registration process will be held in a separate account and used expressly to fund this action.

To accelerate this process, any resident mooring owner can find the proper registration documents on the Town of Westbrook website under Town Departments and then Harbor Management. Other helpful information is there on the site.

With more beach communities beginning the process of creating swim lines, the commission asks for and will support a collaborative working relationship with the communities and mooring owners. Swim lines are a great way to protect especially young swimmers from boat traffic. The commission does want to warn any community to contact the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection before beginning any plans for a swim line and definitely before purchasing any of the gear because there are very specific specifications for all of the components.

Andy Calderoni

Chairman John Rie

Westbrook Harbor Management Commission