On Wednesday, March 31st, 2021 voting began in the 3rd annual “Best Harbor in the U.S.” contest. Participation is open to everyone, including the 8+ million people who use US Harbors for their coastal and marine weather, tides charts, and harbor-local boating and fishing information. The purpose of the contest is to promote the strength and vitality of coastal communities: the winning harbors have been those whose residents have strong communication networks and are passionate about where they live and work. These kinds of networks are vital in supporting the resilience of coastal communities as they face the impacts of climate change and other events.
Voting for this year’s Best Harbor contest is open from March 31st through May 31st, 2021. Participation is limited to one vote per user. People can vote on any of the 1,400 harbors US Harbors provides coastal weather and tides for, from Maine to Hawaii, Florida to Alaska, and the Great Lakes. The winning harbors will be announced on Friday, June 4th, 2021, and the top 4 harbors will receive special plaques commemorating their win. Additionally, US Harbors throws a special event for the overall winner, with gifts for their community.
In past years over 100,000 people from around the country have participated in the annual contest: they’ve voted online, shared photos and stories of their harbors, and most importantly they’ve spread the word in their local communities to get others to join them. Previous “Best Harbor” winners have included Padanaram, Massachusetts (2019) and Depoe Bay, Oregon (2020).