Rockmore Restaurant Floats to be Hauled In, Repaired

Local restauranteur Peter Noyes' goal of reopening the Rockmore Floating Restaurant hit a speed bump Tuesday night when Recreation and Parks Commission members agreed to assist the local Harbormaster with ensuring that the restaurant's kitchen, bar and restroom floats be hauled out of the water and repaired before the end of the year.

Harbormaster Webb Russell reportedly told commission members that the three floats "are in serious need of repair" and noted the he expects they "will continue to deteriorate and become a public nuisance if not hauled out and maintained."

Commission members unanimously approved a motion Tuesday to have Town Counsel Lisa Mead draw up a contract between West Shore Marine Inc. and Parks Superintendent Brendan Egan permitting Noyes to haul in, store and repair all three floats at Riverhead Beach in the coming months.

Before the contract can being drawn up, however, commission members will have to determine whether or not there's adequate space at the beach for all three floats.

Prior to the vote, Noyes said he'd be willing to pay the full cost of hauling and storing the three floats for the winter regardless of whether or not they would end up being beached all at once or rotated onto land one at a time for repairs.

Earlier this summer, Noyes announced that he was moving forward with plans to reopen the state's only floating restaurant.

At Tuesday night's commission meeting at the Marblehead Community Center, Noyes said each float would take approximately two weeks to repair.

"Nobody wants you not to be able to have your business, I think what you had out there was a pretty good thing," commission member Bob Jackson said before the vote. "I think what you need to do is make sure that as you go forward that your conversations with (Brendan Egan) are one of your top priorities."

Commission members said they hope to have a better idea about whether or not the floats will fit on Riverhead Beach by their next meeting.