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Mailing Address: Cape & Islands Harbormasters Association Post Office Box 26 West Yarmouth, MA 02673
The next Cape & Islands Harbormasters meeting will be the Burger Burn at Nantucket. Date and time to be announced soon.
Welcome to the Cape & Island chapter of the Massachusetts Harbormasters Association new web location. Please be sure to re-mark us as a favorite and report broken links!
The sea has no sympathy for the unprepared, and little respect for those who take precaution as incidental.
Across the centuries, men have set out in vessels designed for very different purposes - from discovery and war to trade and relaxation. With the burgeoning development ports and harbors came the need to monitor safety and control useage. The Harbormasters story is world-wide and over 3000 years old.
BOURNE - (5/08/08) Meeting at the Trowbridge restaurant with barely a quorum, the CIHA re-elect its entire slate of officers. A brief discussion took place regarding the elected positions and interest. It was decided
to try to get someone to volunteer to take bullet style minutes at each meeting since no
one is interested in the Secretary Position. We may consider adding a Corresponding
Secretary position when the by-laws are reviewed.
Motion by J Gibbs, 2nd D Darmofal to elect the following slate of officers:
President: Gregg Fraser, Falmouth
VP: Stu Smith, Chatham
Treasurer: Joe Gibbs, Barnstable
Member at Large: Rex McKinsey, Provincetown
Unanimously voted
Motion by J Gibbs, 2nd by D Darmofal to elect the following:
Member at Large (2): Steve Mello of Dartmouth
Unanimously voted
Visiting Scalloper capsizes at Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — (4/16/08) An unmanned 40-foot scallop boat that capsized overnight at the town pier was righted yesterday with minimal damage and pollution, according to a pier official and a crew member.
The Northern Approach, owned by Elaine Waldron of Damariscotta, Maine, took on water and rolled over after a leak sprung.
A crew member had inadvertently turned off the bilge pumps earlier, according to Harbor Master Rex McKinsey.
Containment booms were deployed and limited the spread of leaking fuel, he said.
The capsized boat was reported to pier officials at 7:10 a.m. With authorization from the owner, a local diver and crane operator righted the boat by mid-afternoon, McKinsey said.
The boat owner will be cited $50 for leaving the vessel unmanned, McKinsey said. He said the incident violated pier regulations for a vessel considered a transient boat.
The crew of the fiberglass hull vessel had been fishing in the area and was working out of Hyannis, according to crew member William Eldridge of New Bedford. The crew had left the boat unmanned for a few days to get supplies needed to comply with recent Coast Guard warnings, according to Eldridge.
Alan Baker, the boat's captain, declined comment.
Web Site Policy Discussion
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET - (02/27/08) - The CIHA meeting had a brief discussion took place regarding the previously distributed web site policy. Members reiterated the goals of the site being positive and for the benefit of the members. The association pays the bills so members need a formal way to control what gets on the site. Several members again suggested we have a secure blog area where members can post items and discuss issues freely among members only. Troy Lima volunteered to investigate two options: stay with current site and modify it to meet the demands of the members or create a new site similar to the new MHA and South Shore ones. He will report back to the membership at the April meeting.
Nantucket Sound Windfarm Hearings
Many Harbormasters may want to comment pro or con on the wind energy project proposed for Horseshoe Shoal. This information is being provided here at the request of several harbormasters.
You can send written comments to MMS by March 20th! Submit your comments online or mail your comments to:
MMS Cape Wind Energy Project
TRC Environmental Corp.
Wannalancit Mills
650 Suffolk St.
Lowell, MA 01854
THE CAPE WIND HEARINGS ARE COMING!
March 10, 6 p.m. Mattacheese Middle School Auditorium
March 11, 5 p.m. Nantucket High School Auditorium
March 12, 5 p.m. Martha's Vineyard Regional HS Auditorium
March 13, 6 p.m. UMASS Boston Campus Center, 100 Morrissey Blvd., South Boston
Training reigns supreme in winter applies to Harbormasters too
NEW BEDFORD - (12/16/07) Ranked among the most dangerous professions in the country, commercial fishing is a risky endeavor at any time of year. But frigid air and water temperatures and icy conditions make fishing trips even more treacherous during the winter months."I dread these next two to three weeks of the year," said Rodney Avila, a fishing safety instructor who owns the Trident.Historically, most North Atlantic fishing deaths occur in December, January, February and March, mainly because of cold water temperatures, said First District Coast Guard fishing vessel training coordinator Ted HarringtonOver the past three winters, at least 11 local fishermen have died in fishing-related accidents. In the most recent tragedy, the New Bedford fishing vessel Lady of Grace sank in stormy weather on the night of Jan. 25, 2007. Four fishermen died when the 75-foot dragger sank in Nantucket Sound, possibly because of the buildup of heavy sea ice that can alter a vessel's stability.By repeating the drills over and over, crew members learn automatic responses to emergency situations, Avila said. The quick response time can mean the difference between life and death at sea, he said.Although the Coast Guard requires monthly safety training drills on commercial fishing vessels, not everyone follows the rules. When crew members hop from boat to boat, it becomes clear which vessels are not practicing drills. Read more
Provincetown fines owner of sunken boat
PROVINCETOWN - (11/27/07) The town's harbormaster has issuewd three non-criminal citations, totaling $600, to the owner of the sunken fishing vessel CHICO AND JESS for failing to remove it from the Town pier. The citations begin a time clock for potential court action.The town attorney also preparing paperwork to sue the owner Francisco Vicente of Eastham, in Orleans District Court, to potentially place a lien against the state and ferderal fishing permits associated with the boat,town harbormaster Rex McKinsey said. Vincente has appealed the action. He is making some progress gathering airbags and volunteers to float the 87 year old boat which sank October 31st.
Boating crash raises young driver worry
VINEYARD HAVEN - (8/20/07) When a Newton family leased a yacht for a Martha's Vineyard vacation, the personal watercraft that came with the vessel might have seemed a zippy way to cruise the surrounding waters.But on Aug. 12, the family's 11-year-old son was riding the two-person craft with his 6-year-old brother — a violation of state law — and struck a rowboat bearing a family of four in Vineyard Haven Harbor.
The craft in which the boys were riding bounced across the rowboat, overturning it and throwing Anne and Allan Davey and their young two sons into the water, according to safety officials.Anne Davey was knocked unconscious and spent the night at Martha's Vineyard Hospital after being treated for a concussion and muscle spasms. Neither of the boys on the personal watercraft was injured.
State law already requires operators of personal watercraft such as Jet Skis to be at least 16 and to complete a safe-boating course if they are under 18.Public safety officials, parents and physicians' groups are increasingly concerned about children taking the driver's seat — not only on personal watercraft, but also on all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and snowmobiles.Read More
Callahan on a mission to stop Jumpers
WEST DENNIS — (7/14/07) The bare backs of the two young men were all that showed above the bridge's stone rail in the setting sun earlier this week. The duo looked down into the water and then at each other. As they contemplated their next step, traffic on Route 28 whizzed by, leaving them to decide whether to jump or climb back over the barrier. (Fines for jumping off the Bass River Bridge, the Highbank Road Bridge or the Penn. Central Bridge (a.k.a. the railroad bridge): In Yarmouth: $300; In Dennis: $200.) Their choice could have led to disaster, Dennis assistant harbor master Joe Callahan said yesterday. "They're not thinking," the former teacher said while navigating his patrol boat under the bridge — one of three spans across Cape Cod's largest river where summer fun means a leap of faith for many thrill seekers. Only a narrow channel lay below where the pair perched, Callahan said. Less than 3 feet of water covered a nearby sandbar. Read More
Norton Point Breach Notice
EGARTOWN - (5/24/07) The beach at Norton Point was breached on April 5th. The new Cut is deep and is getting wider everyday. Plans are being made so that when the summer season arrives the Town will be in a good position to respond to distress calls from this area.
The current has trebled going from one knot at Memorial Wharf to three. The tide ebbs and floods via the Cut making tide tables inaccurate. Local fishermen have not been able to make a new table, as the current is dependant on surf and wind conditions in the Atlantic.Edgartown Notice
Erosion, Washovers Force Vehicle Closure
Persistent Storm Pounds North Beach
CHATHAM — (4/19/07) An unusual spring storm brought heavy rains, towering seas and hurricane-force gusts to Cape Cod Sunday night, and while damage on the mainland was minimal, North (Nauset) Beach was ravaged by erosion. At high tide Monday and Tuesday, huge waves atop high astronomical tides could be seen crashing over the beach in four locations, with the water spilling into Chatham Harbor. The washovers are largely in the area between the first and second “villages,” or clusters of beach camps. Police closed the beach to all off-road vehicles except camp owners. As of Tuesday, the cut-through remained open at all tides. While officials say they believe the gap in the beach are temporary and will not become new inlets to the Atlantic, they are closely monitoring the situation. If the break does become established as an inlet, it could have significant impacts on Pleasant Bay and Chatham Harbor. On Monday, Chatham Harbormaster Stuart Smith and Town Manager William Hinchey toured the beach with Orleans Parks and Beaches Superintendent Paul Fulcher. “There was no visible damage to the camps, but I did see a lot of sand around the foundations,” Smith said.
Herring Runs Remain Closed
NORTH HARWICH - (4/12/07) Harbormaster Tom Leach asked selectmen to close the Herring River Run in 2004, two years earlier than the state. “It was so obvious the numbers were down.” Leach remembers when the river ran black with herring. “Even 15 years ago, in 10 seconds I could count 100 herring moving past. By 2004 the numbers were so low our volunteer counters were getting bored waiting for a fish to come by.” Leach and the Harwich selectmen got complaints about the closure. Herring is used for bait, sometimes referred to as “striper candy.” And herring run managers from other towns thought the Harwich closure would put more pressure on their runs. “No one’s complaining now,” Leach says. “They understand there is a serious problem with the herring.” Read More
Boat Fire takes 35' tubtrawler
HARWICH PORT - (03/2/07) An early morning fire, reportedly started by an electric heater, engulfed the 35' Duffy fishing vessel MISS MORGAN on the east dock at Saquatucket Harbor. One fire fighter was injured by slipping on ice caused by freezing docks while extinguishing the blaze.
Where is New Bedfords Harbormaster?
NEW BEDFORD - (02/18/07) Massachusetts is home to the number one fishing port in the Country. The catch from New Bedford brings in more money than any port in the United States. That's why it's no surprise that the city's harbor is one of the busiest. But FOX Undercover has learned the person who's suppose to be overseeing the harbor is unable to do his job. FOX25's Mike Beaudet investigates. With the Coast Guard presence gone from New Bedford where is the homeland security? Kristen Decas of the Port Development Council talks about how the importance of having a responsible harbormaster for New Bedford.
HYANNIS ROTARY - Our next CIHA meeting date has been changed to Thursday, March 8th at Pizzeria UNO at the Hyannis rotary at noon. Vice President Stu Smith has invited Barnstable County Retirement Board chairman MarK Foley to answer Harbormaster questions about the retirement process. Moses Calouro will talk about Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a system used by ships and vessel traffic systems (VTS) principally for identification of vessels at sea. Please contact Tom Leach with any items you want put on the agenda.
Harbormasters point out issues with legislation
HYANNIS - (2/1/07) At the monthly meeting of the Cape and Islands Chapter of the Massachusetts Harbormaster Association, the membership voted to not support the proposed amendment to M.G.L. Ch. 91 section 10a filed by Senator Morrissey (D) Quincy, as it is currently written. (Docket # SD01340).
Concern of the membership generally centered around abdicating any public lands/waterways to any private entity that is not publicly managed or controlled. There was further discussion on this issue and use of the public mooring waiting lists by private boat yards. The Cape and Islands Chapter of the MA Harbormaster Association looks forward to working with our State Legislators and other maritime organizations to resolving this issue and other marine related issues, through the MA Harbormaster Association Executive board.
This issue, moorings and M.G.L. Chapter 91 section 10a in general will be discussed at the February executive board meeting of the Massachusetts Harbormaster Association.
Ed Tierney departs Dennis Harbormaster Office for Yarmouth NRO job
DENNIS - (1/18/07) Friends and family gathered at the Sons of Erin Club in West Yarmouth to thank Edward Tierney who has stepped down as Dennis Harbormaster after three good years on the Job. Tierney, who also worked four years as assistant harbormaster under the late Ray Lecke, made his decision to pull the plug on his duties with the Town of Dennis in favor of a position as Natural Resources Officer with Yarmouth on the other side of the River. CIHA president Tom Leach appeared on hand to present Ed as the first recipient of the Raymond Lecke Harbormaster Service Award given by the Association for Service as a harbormaster or assistant harbormaster.
Tim Mullen says the Narrows are Shallow
BOURNE - (5/08/08) For years, sand and silt have been rising in the channel, which splits Bourne and Wareham near the Cohasset Narrows Bridge. But they are now reaching emergency levels, causing damage to passing boats that strike the sand and posing even greater threats to the channel as a whole.
Sand measured as little as five feet below the water's surface at high tide this week — even less at low tide. If the trend continues, the Army Corps of Engineers, which controls the channel, could classify the clearance as "critical," forcing the channel closed to traffic, said Timothy Mullen, Harbormaster.
"We're definitely hitting that crucial point," Mullen said. "If you get the right storm ... I don't know what would happen then."
The channel hosts hundreds of private and commercial boaters, many of whom have complained about the sand and silt levels, especially along the channel's southern corridors, Mullen said.
The Army Corps, which last dredged the channel in 1984, recognizes the problem, said Ed O'Donnell, chief of the navigation section for the corps. Inspectors last reviewed the channel in 2005, concluding that "There's some shoring there that should be removed," O'Donnell said.
But with minimal federal money available, and other, more commercial ports in greater need, Cohasset Narrows is not on the Army Corps' list of priorities, O'Donnell said.
This year, the Army Corps had only $11 million to spend on dredging projects in Massachusetts, including $7 million for Boston Harbor.
Shufelt predicts heavy rain costly
BARNSTABLE - (3/9/08) A retaining wall collapsed into Barnstable Harbor, tree branches snapped causing scattered power outages and cars looked like they were making the final plunge on Splash Mountain.Yesterday was a rain-soaked, miserable experience on Cape and Islands roads. A storm dumped around 3 inches of rain across the region, according to a spokesman for the National Weather Service.
A 25-foot section of it collapsed during the height of the storm yesterday afternoon. A chunk of the access road, which connects Millway and Freezer roads, forced the timbers toward the water. It looked like a giant excavator had taken a bite out of the asphalt.
Police and fire officials blocked the road, which leads to Barnstable Marine Service. Employees of the company will now have to get there using Freezer Road until the street and bulkhead can be repaired. Meanwhile, harbormasters began to take measures securing their domains.
No one was injured when the retaining wall gave way. A barge with oyster traps onboard was inches away from being crushed.
Eric Shufelt, assistant harbor master, said the town just did a survey of the wooden structure in January. "We know it needs to be replaced," he said, standing with a group of about a dozen onlookers.
There was no official estimate of the damage, but Shufelt said replacing the wood with a steel bulkhead will cost millions. (CCT 03/10/08)
Chatham Selectmen
Propose hearing Mooring Appeals
CHATHAM — (02/28/08 Chronicle) The board of selectmen Tuesday reviewed a draft bylaw designed to ensure that the town’s boat moorings are assigned in a fair, transparent fashion. But in a surprise move, the board rejected a provision to allow members of the waterways committee to hear appeals from aggrieved mooring applicants, opting to wield that authority themselves.
The six-page draft bylaw will be the subject of a public discussion on March 10 at 4 p.m. at town hall, after which time selectmen will decide whether to lend their support to the matter when it goes before town meeting in May.
The article is the outgrowth of a December 2006 letter from the state inspector general which criticized the town for allowing private boatyards to assign and manage moorings under their control, without regard to the town’s mooring waiting list. Selectmen decided to continue that long-standing practice, but to draft a new mooring bylaw that ensures that moorings are assigned in a “fair and equitable” manner and with transparency.
The bylaw offers protection for aggrieved people or entities who have had their mooring permits revoked or not renewed, people whose mooring leases are cancelled or not renewed by boatyards, and those whose who were passed over for a mooring though they were on the town waiting list. Aggrieved people can continue to appeal to the state, or can choose the new local appeals process.
Barnstable Assistant David B. Brewer Passes
David B. Brewer, 58, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, at the Chelsea Soldier's Home after a six-year struggle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
David regarded his last job as his best job. After retiring from the Coast Guard, he worked for nine years as an assistant harbor master in the three-bay Osterville/Cotuit/Centerville area for the town of Barnstable. He was on the water every day, operating a pump-out boat, patrolling the waters, serving as a maritime ambassador and loving every minute of it until illness forced his retirement. He had a ready wave, smile and salute for every vessel and every operator along the way.
David also had a wave and smile for everyone in his community, from his neighbors to the clerks he knew by name at the local stores. His motto was carpe diem, or seize the day. He would often say it didn't cost him anything to be nice to other people and he always got back more than he gave. (CCT)
Bob Morgan, former Edgartown Harbormaster is Omega
EDGARTOWN - (1/6/08) Robert T. (Bob) Morgan, the former Vineyard legislative liaison who was a familiar, ubiquitous presence from Island main streets and waterfronts to the political beach heads of Beacon Hill, died peacefully at home in Edgartown on Jan. 5. He was 84.During the course of his life Bob Morgan pursued many vocations, including farmer, swordfisherman, sea scalloper, harbor master, charter boat captain and pilot — but he eventually became best known in his role as a local politician and civic leader. (Vineyard Gazette)
Waterfront Bill needs Support
WASHINGTON - (12/15/07) H.R. 3223, the “Keep our Waterfronts Working” Act- Increasingly, recreational boat marinas and launch ramps, repair yards, commercial fish docks, bait shops and other water-dependent businesses are being pushed off the waterfront as a result of residential development pressures, skyrocketing tax burdens and shortsighted planning. But a bill now in Congress, H.R. 3223, would provide federal funding to coastal and Great Lakes states to help preserve and expand water access and protect working waterfronts. Introduced in June by Rep. Thomas Allen (D-ME) and co-sponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) H.R. 3223, the “Keep our Waterfronts Working Act” would provide matching grants through state coastal zone management programs to support “water-dependent commercial activities.” Local governments could use grant funds to purchase a threatened marina outright, or a non-profit entity could obtain a grant to buy development rights in order to keep a working boatyard, public marina, fish wharf or crab wholesaler in business, rather than sell out to a residential developer. More Info
New Tug Rules for Buzzards Bay
BUZZARDS BAY - (11/26/07) New navigation safety regulations for Buzzards Bay have been developed. Those regulations are effective next Wednesday, November 28, 2007. In addition to the navigation safety measures currently required by the Regulated Navigation Area for navigable waters within the First Coast Guard District (33 CFR 165.100), beginning on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 there will additional special regulations for Buzzards Bay that require:
A tug escort for single hull barges carrying 5,000 or more barrels of oil or other hazardous material.
A Federally licensed pilot for single hull barges carrying 5,000 or more barrels of oil or other hazardous material.
Participation in the Buzzards Bay Vessel Movement Reporting System (VMRS) by all vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act.
There apparently is a VMRS Buzzards Bay User Manual on the Homeport website. Attached as appendices to the User Manual are excerpts from the applicable Federal Regulations that discuss the Regulated Navigation Area for navigable waters within the First Coast Guard District (including the special regulations for Buzzards Bay), and the Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act.
For questions regarding the regulations that go into effect in Buzzards Bay on Wednesday, November 28, 2007, or questions regarding the VMRS User Manual, contact Mr. Edward G. LeBlanc of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England at 401-435-2351, or Edward.G.LeBlanc@uscg.mil.
Car plunges into Plymouth Harbor
PLYMOUTH, Mass. - (9/27/07) A young Plymouth couple was fighting for life in a Boston hospital Thursday after their SUV plunged off a dock into Plymouth Harbor, trapping them inside.They were reported in critical condition at Boston Medical Center, police said.Witnesses said Hisha Nagarkoti, 27, and Sunil Gurung, 25, both of Plymouth, got into the car about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday night and then the Jeep Grand Cherokee suddenly plunged into the water."I saw two teenagers, a male and a female, come out from the dock, get into the car. The male put it in drive, probably went back, at the most, 5 feet. Put it in drive and at the same time floored the gas and then it just went over and lunged into the water," Justin Lane said. More Story
Great White hit cofirmed
CHATHAM - (810/07) Last Saturday, beachgoers saw a shark shred a seal in the waters off Chatham's North Beach. After examining the seal's remains, Skomal said earlier this week that the shark was likely a great white. Was this the beginning of a great white migration to the Cape?Chatham harbor master Stuart Smith said that while his office has fielded plenty of reports over the last two or three years about great white sightings, there has been no photo or video documentation."The seals come here and the sharks follow them," said Smith. "Seals will eat anything and sharks will eat them. The long and short of it is, it's the ocean, there's bound to be sharks."That's why Smith encourages people "not to swim" with seals, even if they are cute. You can't expect a shark to know the difference."There's some worry about that," Smith said
USCG ATON needs our help
Steven Pothier has recently taken over the duties as manager of private aids to navigation for the 1st Coast Guard District. He is slowly branching out and meeting with local harbormasters to better address their needs/concerns and to ensure what they have in the field for Private ATON matches the database. Harbormasters should contact:
Steven PothierFirst Coast Guard DistrictWaterways ManagementPrivate Aids to Navigation (PATON)408 Atlantic AvenueBoston, MA 02110(617) 223-8347(617) 223-8073 FaxSteven.R.Pothier@uscg.mil
Harbormaster rescues two Dartmouth boaters
DARTMOUTH — (7/16/07) The harbormaster's office assisted two boaters from this town in separate rescues Saturday.The first call was received at 6:30 p.m. and came from a 27-foot Rinker powerboat, which was taking on water about a half-mile south of Fort Taber.Two adults and their three children were onboard.Steve Melo, harbormaster, and Julian Race, assistant harbormaster, responded and found the boat had suffered a mechanical failure in the cooling system and was taking on water.The operator stabilized the leak by stuffing a rag into the water pump area.TowBoat US New Bedford, a rescue vessel, towed the boat into harbor.
About 8 p.m., the harbormaster's office responded to a second call concerning a 22-foot sail boat that was sinking off of Butler Flat Lighthouse.Mr. Melo activated the de-watering pump and managed to keep up with the flow of water, which was coming in through a motor well in the vessel's stern.Charles Howland, an assistant harbormaster, towed the sail boat towards New Bedford.The vessel was brought into the hurricane barrier and TowBoat US took over the tow.
Cape beaches disappearing fast
HARWICH PORT - (5/20/07) The Cape's beaches are disappearing faster than ever. And as ocean waves carry away more and more sand, Cape towns have been forced to spend ever-increasing amounts of money to protect and restore their greatest asset. "The way we all remember Cape Cod is disappearing. Soon, it could look like Nahant, all pebbles and no sand," Harwich harbor master Tom Leach said of the beaches lining Nantucket Sound as sand is moved away leave the more stable stones.Read More
Police and Fire Chiefs think they can do better
BOSTON - (4/22/07) A Homeland Security drill is making waves and causing problems on Cape Cod. Right now the Coast Guard is working to make sure the Cape is prepared for a terror attack but you may be surprised to find out who they are relying on to help keep us safe."It's really about having the best plans and the best preparedness we can get," says Peter Popko, of the U.S. Coast Guard.It's a plan to prepare the Cape for a terror attack on board a high speed ferry off the coast of Hyannis. But the I-Team has learned the Coast Guard's Homeland Security drill stalled because of miscommunication and mistrust. "I'm holding back a lot of frustration because this is a serious issue," says Mashpee Fire Chief George Baker.The problem say local responders is that the Coast guard is relying on these two men, Alan Driscoll and Steve Grant. They're both volunteers in charge of organizing the drill and pulling it off. Together they chair the Coast Guard's Cape and islands port security sub-committee. Both have maritime experience but little or no experience when it comes to safety and security.Driscoll is a volunteer for Bristol county's Homeland Defense task force and former senior master for Boston Harbor cruises. Grant works in bio-technology, he's a part-time asst. Harbormaster in Chatham who lives in Rockland. "Being a law enforcement professional, I'd look for the best possible people being involved. I'd look for credibility with people, highly trained people to come in to do drills," says Yarmouth Police Chief Peter Carnes."If you don't have a strong foundation you're building won't stand," says Chief Baker. Video news storyLetter to editor
Harbormaster Fires Back
CHATHAM - (4/19/07) Harbormaster Stuart Smith fired back at local boatyard owners this week, charging that a recent letter accusing him of attempting to take control over all of the town’s moorings was a “misguided personal attack” on himself and his staff and an attempt to distract the public from the real issue, the state Inspector General’s report critical of the way boatyards assign moorings.
The eight-page memo dated April 15, sent to Town Manager William Hinchey, offers a point-by-point rebuttal of the charges made in the March 19 letter signed by the owners of six local boatyards. The charges stem from a December report by the Inspector General calling into question the way moorings are assigned to boatyards. The report found problems with the current process, and recommended that written regulations be developed to make distribution of moorings to boatyard “fair and equitable.”
In his memo, Smith states that the boatyards should be directing their concerns at the Inspector General, which conducted an undercover investigation that found some boatyards willing to make moorings available in exchange for business in response to complaints by private boat owners.
Good Samaritan saves drowning 5-year-old
HYANNIS - (3/25/07) Fire officials credit a stranger for saving the life of a 5-year-old girl who fell off the Ocean Street docks yesterday.Gary Richard, 39, of West Yarmouth and his girlfriend were eating lunch at 12:30 yesterday afternoon in their car, staring out at the sea at Ocean Street docks, and watching a young girl throw rocks in the water. Then he saw the girl lost her balance and fell over the bulkhead.''I dropped my sandwich and ran,” said Richard. When he got to the edge of the dock, the good Samaritan saw a girl looking up at him from beneath the water.''I saw her face and I just jumped.”
Richard estimated the water was 7 to 10 feet deep. The cold plunge hit him like a body blow.''It was so cold, it was painful,” Richard said.But the girl was reaching toward him, and Richard said he grabbed the child under one of her arms.''I just hauled her up,” he said. ''And I couldn't even stand myself. I don't know how I did it. That's the biggest miracle.”
Woman drives F350 off Town Pier and lives
HARWICH PORT - (3/17/07) An empty Wychmere Harbor Town Pier was the scene of an early morning episode that could only match a James Bond movie. Wendy Stebbins, 36, departed the 400 Club at 1 AM, presumably driving home at Meadowbrook Lane, somehow got down to Harbor Road at Wychmere Harbor, turned right and drove her F350 pick-up truck straight off the end of the Town Pier, wiping out a batter piling and damaging the pier. The truck quickly sank in 12' of water about 35' out into the harbor as Stebbins manged to get out the driver-side window, then swam 300' to shoreline in 37F water. Eventually she broke into a nearby inhabited home when police arrived. She was immediately taken to Cape Cod Hospital suffering from severe hypothermia.
Shellfish warden Dwayne Dougan was honored by Harbormaster
NANTUCKET - (2/24/07) Shellfish warden Dwayne Dougan was honored by Harbormaster Dave Fronzuto and the Board of Selectmen last week for his rescue of a scalloper from the frigid waters of Nantucket Harbor. On Jan. 15, Dougan noticed a truck owned by scalloper Ted Connors was empty when it should have been loaded with shellfish. After proceeding to where Connors’ boat was moored, he discovered him in the water underneath a finger pier. Already exhibiting signs of hypothermia, Connors was pulled from the water by Dougan, who secured him on a ladder next to the scallop boat.
Former fire chief Bruce Watts, along with several police officers and Fronzuto, arrived on the scene and assisted Dougan in transporting Connors onto the dock. He was later taken to Nantucket Cottage Hospital by ambulance, treated for hypothermia and released.
Nantucket Soundkeepers@ say they're ready to help
HYANNIS - (2/1/07) At the request of several Vineyard harbormasters, Dean Bragonier and Susan Nickerson were on hand to explain the roll of Nantucket SoundKeeper at the February meeting. Nantucket Sound’s unique ecology makes it a national treasure. Here the cold Labrador Current and warm Gulf Stream meet, bringing together northern and southern species of marine life and creating an extreme richness of biological diversity and productivity. Unfortunately, popularity has a price. Overuse, pollution and habitat loss are stressing natural systems beyond their capacity to cope. Our degraded inshore waters now host algae blooms and fish kills.
Bragonier stressed that while conservation efforts to date have largely been land-based, and driven by a need to protect fresh water resources, there has been growing awareness and concern about the impact of pollutants on the quality of water in the large number of bays and estuaries that characterize the coastline of Cape Cod and the Islands. Bragonier will soon be expanding his role to include ports and harbors on Cape Cod and the Islands.
During the Q&A, CIHA president Tom Leach asked the NantucketSoundkeepers for support, owing to the severe siltation problems that is common to various harbors, getting a central dredging disposal site somewhere in Nantucket Sound that would be of benefit to the needs of all the Towns. Siltation driven by nitrogen loading and accelerated eutrophication is choking shallow harbors and the cost of remediation exceeds the budget contraints of most towns. This material is routinely resuspended by prop wash and rains back down onto the shellfish beds. Leach said he would like to see NantucketSoundkeepers take a proactive role by encouraging governmental entities to find suitable closeby disposal sites. There website is www.nantucketsoundkeeper.org
SSA says schooner moored too close for comfort, Jay Wilbur says no way.
VINEYARD HAVEN - (1/25/07) Steamship Authority has fretted from time to time about the proximity of the schooners' moorings to the path SSA vessels take approaching and leaving the Vineyard Haven wharf. SSA general manager Wayne Lamson said that when the wind blows hard from the southeast or south the sailing vessels swing on their moorings and extend toward the ferry channel. When that occurs, SSA captains have limited room to maneuver when approaching the Vineyard Haven terminal, Mr. Lamson said.
Although the issue has simmered for years, a cancellation last winter and another last month, both blamed on the position of the Shenandoah, attracted Mr. Lamson's attention. This month, Mr. Lamson sent a letter to the New England district office of the Army Corps of Engineers to ask about the status of the mooring permits issued to Captain Robert Douglas Sr., owner of the companies that own the schooners.Mr. Lamson's inquiry may be the first step toward invoking a special condition in the Corps's mooring permit that would allow the SSA to request that the moorings be relocated.He said that according to harbormaster Jay Wilbur, the moorings are in the correct locations and meet town requirements regarding length of chain and scope. "If that is the case, and I have to take the Harbormaster at his word, then we have to pursue it with the Army Corps of Engineers," said Mr. Lamson.
Patrick sworn in as 71st governor of Massachusetts
BOSTON - (1/4/07) Using a Bible once owned by John Quincy Adams, Deval Patrick was sworn in today as Massachusetts' governor and became only the second black elected governor in U.S. history.The ceremony on the Statehouse steps was the culmination of a longshot political campaign by the Democrat to replace Republican Mitt Romney, who is now considering a run for president in 2008."We meet today on a singular occasion, more than the passing of title and honor, more than the ritual transfer of the power of government," Patrick, 50, told a crowd of thousands that stretched into Boston Common."This is the occasion when the people charge new leadership to steward the public trust. It is a profound responsibility and I accept it humbly," Patrick said.Most importantly the Cape & Islands Harbormasters Association is looking forward to building a positive and supportive relationship with the corner office and all members of the State House on both side of the aisle.
This website in memory of Harbormaster Peter Ford
1st President of the Association
The Northern Approach, owned by Elaine Waldron of Damariscotta, Maine, took on water and rolled over after a leak sprung.
A crew member had inadvertently turned off the bilge pumps earlier, according to Harbor Master Rex McKinsey.
Containment booms were deployed and limited the spread of leaking fuel, he said.
NORTH HARWICH - (4/12/07) Harbormaster Tom Leach asked selectmen to close the Herring River Run in 2004, two years earlier than the state. “It was so obvious the numbers were down.” Leach remembers when the river ran black with herring. “Even 15 years ago, in 10 seconds I could count 100 herring moving past. By 2004 the numbers were so low our volunteer counters were getting bored waiting for a fish to come by.” Leach and the Harwich selectmen got complaints about the closure. Herring is used for bait, sometimes referred to as “striper candy.” And herring run managers from other towns thought the Harwich closure would put more pressure on their runs. “No one’s complaining now,” Leach says. “They understand there is a serious problem with the herring.” 
David B. Brewer, 58, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, at the Chelsea Soldier's Home after a six-year struggle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
David regarded his last job as his best job. After retiring from the Coast Guard, he worked for nine years as an assistant harbor master in the three-bay Osterville/Cotuit/Centerville area for the town of Barnstable. He was on the water every day, operating a pump-out boat, patrolling the waters, serving as a maritime ambassador and loving every minute of it until illness forced his retirement. He had a ready wave, smile and salute for every vessel and every operator along the way.
David also had a wave and smile for everyone in his community, from his neighbors to the clerks he knew by name at the local stores. His motto was carpe diem, or seize the day. He would often say it didn't cost him anything to be nice to other people and he always got back more than he gave. (CCT)
CHATHAM - (810/07) Last Saturday, beachgoers saw a shark shred a seal in the waters off Chatham's North Beach. After examining the seal's remains, Skomal said earlier this week that the shark was likely a great white. Was this the beginning of a great white migration to the Cape?Chatham harbor master Stuart Smith said that while his office has fielded plenty of reports over the last two or three years about great white sightings, there has been no photo or video documentation."The seals come here and the sharks follow them," said Smith. "Seals will eat anything and sharks will eat them. The long and short of it is, it's the ocean, there's bound to be sharks."That's why Smith encourages people "not to swim" with seals, even if they are cute. You can't expect a shark to know the difference."There's some worry about that," Smith said
BOSTON - (1/4/07) Using a Bible once owned by John Quincy Adams, Deval Patrick was sworn in today as Massachusetts' governor and became only the second black elected governor in U.S. history.The ceremony on the Statehouse steps was the culmination of a longshot political campaign by the Democrat to replace Republican Mitt Romney, who is now considering a run for president in 2008."We meet today on a singular occasion, more than the passing of title and honor, more than the ritual transfer of the power of government," Patrick, 50, told a crowd of thousands that stretched into Boston Common."This is the occasion when the people charge new leadership to steward the public trust. It is a profound responsibility and I accept it humbly," Patrick said.Most importantly the Cape & Islands Harbormasters Association is looking forward to building a positive and supportive relationship with the corner office and all members of the State House on both side of the aisle.