Richardson Bay harbormaster gets statewide award

Richardson Bay’s chief enforcer has been named harbormaster of the year by the California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains.

Jim Malcolm was recognized for his oversight of the inlet through his work with the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency. Specifically, he earned plaudits for the agency’s vessel buyback program, a collaboration with the Marin Housing Authority, and for his management of regulations regarding marine debris disposal.

“I think throughout the year 2022 we’ve really embodied the compassion and consistency needed to get the job done,” he said.

Malcolm has been harbormaster of Richardson Bay since March 2022 after holding the post in an interim capacity since October 2021. He previously worked as assistant harbormaster under Curtis Havel.

Malcolm is on the water four to six times a week. His boat, a 21-foot Munson with twin outboard engines, can get to just about anywhere in the Richardson Bay at just about any tide stage, he said.

About three days a week he is joined by the assistant harbormaster, Anne Luger.

“Jim has been tremendously generous in sharing his wealth of maritime knowledge,” Luger said. “I get to see firsthand how important it is to him to connect with the community here, as well as to protect this unique natural environment.”

Malcolm received the award at the association’s annual awards ceremony at the end of May in Sacramento.

Andrea Lueker, president of the state association’s board, said Malcolm “has consistently displayed what it means to be a professional, passionate and dedicated mariner.”

“Through his tireless efforts as the harbormaster for Richardson Bay, he’s continued to show why he is so admired among his peers,” Lueker said. “This award reflects that deep and long standing respect.”

Malcolm said he was “extremely surprised” to receive the award.

“I’ve really only been working in this realm for two and a half years now, and to already be recognized by the association was an extreme honor,” he said.

A native of Connecticut, Malcolm joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1992 and served until September 2020. His first assignment out of boot camp was in Alameda, and he has been stationed in New York City, Charleston, Boston, Key West and Miami.

In the later years of his career, he took command of a station in Maine and was chief petty officer at the USCG Training Center in Petaluma. He retired as a master chief boatswain’s mate.

“I didn’t grow up spending a lot of time on the water. My love of being on the water came through my service in the Coast Guard,” Malcolm said. “You grow a deep respect for it. The oceans and seas and bays, it’s a very powerful experience. It has a powerful effect on your personal outlook on everything.”

After his retirement, he saw an advertisement for assistant harbormaster. It seemed like a good fit, he said.

When he started, the situation in Richardson Bay was more dire, he said. There were more unoccupied boats on the water and more boats sinking. Since then, he has seen a shift toward many bay-dwelling mariners, known as “anchor-outs,” expressing a desire to leave the water.

“It’s about going out to connect with people on the water, connect them with services, keep people safe and keep the environment safe,” Malcolm said.

The Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency — a joint authority of Mill Valley, Belvedere, Tiburon and the county — enforces a 72-hour anchorage rule in the bay.

Under a settlement reached last summer with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the agency is working to remove the anchored boats in order to protect sensitive habitat.

The vessel buyback program offers anchor-outs money to relinquish their boats so the agency can clear them from the established eelgrass protection zone and other parts of the bay. The agency also has a related program to provide housing assistance.

“He’s a dedicated professional who is committed to his duties,” said Brad Gross, the agency’s executive director. “He knows how important it is to build lasting, positive relationships in this community and he’s constantly working on ways to make Richardson Bay a welcoming environment for everyone.”

Jeff Jacob Chase, an anchor-out, said that although Malcolm has not been on the job long, it is time for him to “live up” to the award. The relationship between Malcolm and some anchor-outs is still considered fraught for many mariners, Chase said.

“He should be a harbormaster for all,” Chase said. “It’s a mistake to target a specific class of people on boats.”