"By the time you know what the hurricane is going to do, it's too late to do anything with your boat, so they start early," said Harbormaster Stu Smith.
CHATHAM Chatham has one of the most treacherous harbor entrances on the East Coast. The challenge is not just how to get over the shifting sandbars in breaking surf, but how to rescue those who get mauled in the attempt.
“For most of us, that’s the most dangerous part of the day that hundred yards getting yourself over the bar,” said Nick Muto, a commercial fisherman.
Town officials are concerned about U.S. Coast Guard plans to retire three 42-foot near shore rescue vessels that were built in 2010 specifically to handle the town’s shallow sandbars and breaking waves.