He says harbor masters are laborers, managers, boating safety consultants, emergency planners and sympathetic ears for disgruntled boaters and water-based businesspeople. Because harbors tend to be established, and few are built, there isn't much growth in the industry. Most job openings come from people retiring or moving to other fields. Kathy Messier is a harbor master. She says harbor masters are also politicians, whether they like it or not.
Most harbor masters work for small to mid-sized ports.
Some are employed by municipalities or other government bodies. Some work for private businesses. Rarely do harbor masters have any regulatory power, although Warburton says he often writes port regulations for the Santa Cruz Port District Commission to approve. Warburton says some heavy lifting is part of his work and physical dexterity is a must. You need to pull things out of the water, plus there's pushing and pulling things along the docks.