In the boating world, understanding navigational rules and regulations is paramount to safe enjoyment on the water. Boaters should fully understand best practices and – this is where it gets tricky –common courtesy. It seems that one issue that is currently troubling boats moored in Mattapoisett’s harbor: dangerous wakes thrown out by boats exceeding the speed limit.
When the Marine Advisory Board met on July 25, Harbormaster Jill Simmons acknowledged that it is well known that boaters are responsible for their wakes. “But you won’t find any rule,” she said. She added that because the harbor channel is so wide, some boaters plow through the water creating wakes that can cause people on their moored boats to be thrown around or even injured. Furthermore, she said that an area near Shining Tides Beach, which the town had designated as a recreational area, was actually an area that the United States Coast Guard claims as anchorage.
There is case law on the matter of boaters who don’t take responsibility for their wakes, but Simmons said proving a case in court can be difficult to impossible.
Simmons said that she is currently in the process of narrowing the channel with the placement of new PTONS to replace the U.S.C.G. ATONS that were decommissioned. She expressed hope that by narrowing the opening, boaters would slow down.
In other matters, Simmons reported that a new rule would be implemented for pump-out services. She said that a recent mishap had caused the spewing of black water onto the pump-out boat operators and a discharge into the harbor. This could have been prevented, she explained, if the boat owners had removed the cap on the black water tank, eliminating the chance for the suction hose to become over pressurized. She characterized it as a hazardous situation.
Chairman Carlos DeSousa asked if boaters were calling for pump-out services including those at the Brandt Cove Marina, the site of the former Leisure Shores Marina. She said there had been about 35 calls over the two weeks the service had begun being offered by the town.
Simmons said she was also building a website so that in the future boaters can schedule pump-outs electronically. DeSousa asked about the condition of the pump-out equipment located at the end of Long Wharf. She replied she was awaiting new parts but with some coaxing the older equipment was operable, but extremely inefficient.
Regarding the selection of the new full-time harbormaster, Jamie McIntosh, DeSousa said, “The selection went back and forth,” but that ultimately McIntosh had been chosen. He said the next step was an employment agreement, which the selectmen will negotiate. “The future looks bright,” he said.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board is scheduled for August 29 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board
By Marilou Newell