Ask Joe
By Arden Miller, CZM

Since 1980, Joe has been involved in a variety of coastal issues through his work at the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). In addition, he serves as the liaison between the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). To escape these weighty responsibilities, he spends most of his free time sailing, scuba diving, and generally enjoying life in coastal Massachusetts.

Of all the coastal recreation activities you do in and around Massachusetts, which is your favorite? I’d have to say sailing. When I’m on my sailboat, I can fish or scuba dive off the boat, or just relax. One of my favorite things to do on a nice Sunday is pick up the Boston Globe and some Chinese food. My wife and I will sometimes spend the whole day just reading the paper on the boat. I’m very spoiled—I have two moorings, one by Winter Island, and one by Misery Island in Salem, which is better known as “cocktail cove.” Nice place to watch the other boats go by and see the sun set. Very relaxing.

With increased numbers of people taking up ocean-related hobbies, is there enough space for everyone? Yes—it's all a matter of timing. I mean, if you want a prime parking spot at the beach on July 4, or you're trying to dock in a popular port on a busy summer weekend, you may be disappointed. But, if you want to take a beach walk in the middle of December, chances are good that you'll have the whole beach to yourself.

What’s the most extreme weather situation you’ve ever experienced while sailing? Well, I wasn’t sailing exactly. I was relaxing in cocktail cove in the late afternoon of June 27, 2003, with my wife when my MEMA pager went off, warning of a severe storm in Essex County. We started tying everything up when, less than 10 minutes later, we saw lightning strike nearby and felt 50 mile-per-hour winds. There was a power boat that was moored next to us and it was thrashing back and forth, coming dangerously close to hitting our boat. We were hunkered down, helpless, praying as the boat swished back and forth. It was all over in less than 15 minutes. But it was a very scary 15 minutes.

Any advice for people thinking of visiting the Massachusetts coast? Come! No matter what you like to do, you’re likely to find something that interests you. There are plenty of places to go boating, fishing, and swimming. And lots of places to walk along the beach and look for sea glass, or watch the sun set. It sounds like a cliché, but there really is something for everyone here.