An ambitious plan by a Pennsylvania attorney could result in formation of an extensive series of public anchorages and boat slips that would stretch from Florida to Maine. Citing the widespread loss of public areas where boaters can anchor their yachts, Edward Harvilla sees the plan as the nautical equivalent to the Appalachian Trail, the public footpath running from Georgia to Maine that is used by millions of hikers annually.
"The idea is to incorporate a series of federally protected anchorages that are spaced about 30 miles apart," Harvilla said. "Twenty-five years from now there are not going to be any anchorages left. The increase in private and municipal mooring fields is making the notion of the protected anchorage obsolete."
The project, called Atlantic Intracoastal Marine Slipway, will feature public boatslips spaced every 30 miles. Construction of the berths, which will incorporate patented self-driving piles that are designed not to be environmentally intrusive and are reportedly more durable than ordinary wooden piles, will be funded and installed by Harvilla’s marine construction company, Infinity Piling, Dock & Barge Company in Lattimer, Pa.
And Harvilla will reportedly perform the necessary legal wrangling to make the project federally sanctioned. Readers interested in commenting on the plan should contact Harvilla at PO Box 141, Lattimer, Pa. 18234.