Cape & Islands Harbormasters Association Town of Orleans Harbormaster Dawson L. Farber IV Office Manager tba Orleans Waterfront Crime Watch Closest Scaled Nautical Chart 13248 VHF Hailing Channel 16 VHF Working Channel 66 Assistant Harbormasters Gardner Jamieson Kurt Wissman Greg Normandy Deputies Thomas Leach Stuart Smith Phone 508-240-3755 Fax 508-240-3388 Email toharbor@town.orleans.ma.us Location Orleans Harbormaster Rte 28, Eldredge Parkway (rear) Orleans, MA 02633 Website www.town.orleans.ma.us/ departments/harbor Mailing Address Orleans Harbormaster c/o Orleans Town Hall Orleans, MA 02633 Primary Patrol Boat Privateer 21 Emergency Phone 911 Town Report 2004 Community Information Town of Orleans Commonwealth Communities - Orleans, Massachusetts DHCD - Community Profiles - Orleans Orleans Massachusetts Chamber Commerce - www.chathamcapecod.org Chatham Fish Pier Cam U.S. Gazetteer Census Data - Orleans, Massachusetts Yahoo! Get Local - Orleans, Massachusetts Maps Yahoo! Maps and Driving Directions - Orleans, Massachusetts Marine Info Cape Cod Hook Fishermen's Association - Marine Education Center Lower Cape Boating Safety Classes - You are never too old or too experienced to review this stuff! Chatham Fishermen's Wives Association Orleans Waterfront Crime Watch Mariner's Guide - Orleans, MA Weather The Weather Channel - Orleans, MA (02653) Weather Underground - Orleans, Massachusetts Forecast Yacht Clubs & Marinas Nauset Marine East - Orleans, MA Orleans Yacht Club - Orleans, Massachusetts Rock Harbor Town Marina - Orleans, MA   home  |  email  |  links  |  Montage

Orleans' mooring crunch is all about parking - for cars

Orleans Harbormaster Dawson Farber gestures toward a map of town hanging on the wall of his office.

"Look at all of that water. People say, 'You could put in another 2000 boats. There's plenty of room for everybody.'"

But, really there isn't. It's not the length of shoreline, but the number and type of access points that determine how many people can get out onto the deep blue sea. Moorings are useless without corresponding ways to water, such as town landings, launch ramps, and even footpaths.

Like many neighboring communities, the crush of new residents in Orleans has made moorings a precious commodity and the typical waiting period to get a boat in the water is at least a decade.

Farber has fielded angry calls, had people storm out of his office, and all the while tried to be accommodating but firm without becoming hopelessly tangled in the issue. He is using an unusual new version of the town map to show people that while there may not be a lot of vacant moorings, there are still plenty of ways to get to the water. The real problem is where to park. . . .