The U.S. Coast Guard told Rockland officials on Thursday that it would not seek to establish a federal anchorage in the outer harbor to accommodate large cruise ships.
Coast Guard Cmdr. Andy Meyers wrote in an email Thursday to the city that larger cruise ships could still anchor in the Broad Cove area, the Courier Gazette reported Friday.
The Penobscot Bay and River Pilots Association, whose member captains pilot large foreign-flagged vessels into port, has said the requested anchorage in Broad Cove, located in Owls Head, would provide more safety for cruise ships entering the harbor.
But some worried that establishing the anchorage would attract more cruise ships to the city
Meyers said in the email that the Coast Guard would not initiate a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish the federal anchorage.
Rockland City Manager Tom Luttrell did not immediately return a phone call on Monday.
Staff writer Lauren Abbate contributed to this report.
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