My View
Three captains — Dan Moreland of the barque Picton Castle, executive director Bert Rogers of the American Sail Training Association, and Iain Kerr, CEO of the Ocean Alliance — perched on stools before a crowd of about 75 people on a rare sunny morning this past Monday.
Organized by Sail Gloucester and the 25th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee and moderated by Mayor Carolyn Kirk, the captains shared their thoughts and experiences from the many ports that have sheltered them.
As Mayor Kirk engaged them in discussion, I was struck with how they represent the best of the maritime world: the easy humor and careful speech, a quiet way of holding themselves, and a certain bemused regard for the tightly scheduled hurry of landside activity. As is the way on the waterfront, their advice was both philosophical and practical.
Capt. Rogers took us right back to fundamentals, reminding us that the water's edge is the beginning of things. With no shortage of commonsense, Capt. Moreland added that any development that requires access to the water belongs on the water. "A dentist office can go anywhere," he said. "The waterfront can only be taken away, it cannot be added."
The captains were especially sensitive to protecting ports for the needs of the boats that rely on them. It is only at the water's edge that a boat can be launched or fish landed. According to our panel, diversity and enterprise distinguish flourishing port cities from those in decay or decline.
Moreland reflected on how hard it might be for Gloucester, given its history, to embrace the idea of abundance. The waterfront will flourish when we recognize how much more we can do there.
The captains saw the need to reduce the barriers to enterprise and commerce. I ruefully reflected on the countless hours we spend trying to adapt our Designated Port Area regulations that were written for waterfront industrial parks to sensible guidelines that promote a working, diversified port city.
As an example, it struck me how integral the Gloucester House restaurant has been to the port: hosting countless meetings about waterfront issues (including this one), providing berthing to the schooner Thomas E. Lannon and the Privateer whale watch boat, giving people a place to eat before and after going out on the excursions, and providing the lunch counter for highly informed waterfront debates. Yet, if it were not in existence before the regulations, it would not now be allowed.
All three captains are deeply involved in youth sail training and could not strongly enough emphasize allowing, promoting, and encouraging access to the water for Gloucester's children.
Get the youth of Gloucester to relate to the water, they said. Make it easy for them. They will come to cherish it and protect it in the future. Capt. Rogers added that the National Maritime Association has developed a high school maritime curriculum.
While Capts. Moreland and Rogers challenged the mayor to keep encouraging the collective community voice to speak for its waterfront, Capt. Kerr reminded her that we will have to take chances and risk, and that will take leadership. "Difficult decisions have to be made about Gloucester's harbor, just like we do as captains of our ships. But then again, the crew can't vote us off!" Kerr said.
The captains smiled at that, after all leadership is what they do. When asked by the mayor if they could be keelhauled instead, they laughed - yet came to understand the political aspect of transforming the city into a vibrant maritime port.
You could hear a pin drop in the room as we took in their simple yet profound message of being the stewards of this finite resource called the water's edge that is vital to Gloucester's future.
As Capt. Moreland cautioned in his final remarks, recognize that Gloucester is not Gloucester without its waterfront. It needs our collective vision and we need it to flourish.
Sarah Buck is the city of Gloucester's community development director. She is serving as guest columnist this week for Mayor Carolyn Kirk, who is on vacation. Mayor Kirk's regular column, "The Mayor's Desk," will return next Saturday.
