Since the Marion Harbormaster Department’s pump-out service started in early June, 290 boats have been serviced and approximately 6,100 gallons of waste pumped into the town’s sewer system.
That adds up to a busy summer so far in Marion harbor, according to Shellfish Officer and Deputy Harbormaster Adam Murphy, who reported to the Marine Resources Commission during Monday night’s public meeting at the Music Hall.
Between Murphy, Harbormaster Isaac Perry and Assistant Harbormaster Dave Wilson, the department’s hands are full.
“With three full-timers and one part-time guy (Andrew Miller), it’s been a burden on the department to keep that (pump-out) program … that’s why the Island Wharf pump-out station’s not up and running yet,” said Murphy, noting that the station at Old Landing is functioning. The department is performing the service with the pump-out boat on requests.
MRC member Scott Cowell asked about progress with the Island Wharf pump-out station. Murphy indicated trying to get it up and running now would make more trouble than it’s worth.
“With all that traffic, it’s going to be more of a burden on the boating public,” he said, projecting the project to the fall. “Old Landing has been working.”
Murphy shared the Call to Service log from the police station with the MRC membership, noting there had already been 80 calls for service, including emergencies such as boats taking on water.
“I think we’re doing a much better job recording the call volumes than we’ve had in the past,” said Murphy, noting “a few serious situations,” including an early May incident in which the captain of a fishing boat overdosed at 3:00 am off Angelica Point. Narcan was successfully administered, and the patient was transported with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard to Woods Hole.
In another scare last week, the seat on the flybridge of a 40-foot power vessel broke, sending its occupant to the deck. Wilson and Miller exported the patient to Bourne.
There have also been several minor incidents in which boats sinking in the harbor were rescued before overturning. Murphy also mentioned a 14 foot, 4-inch-diameter log floating off Aucoot Cove.
In a planned success, a yacht club event “went off without a hitch” thanks to having an officer on detail. Murphy suggests that will be a trend in managing such events.
Murphy credited Wilson with a great job on harbor management leading up to and during Marion’s July 1 fireworks. “Dave did a ton of work on that,” he said.
Because weather was slightly off during the July 4 weekend, the boat crowd was below expectations and without incident.
In other activities, Perry and Miller finished the work needed to get 1,200 feet of new swim lines and floats into the water.
Marion’s shellfish growing season is in full swing, as Murphy reported 150,000 oysters in the “up well” and 150,000 quahogs on the way after being ordered. He expressed optimism based on Tabor Academy’s assistance.
“We have so many oysters in the harbor right now you can walk across them,” said Murphy. “I would like to try another species.” Given the great amount of recreational quahog fishing. He said he wants to “stay on top” of that trend.
Scallops, Murphy suggested, could be grown at Planting Island because of the seagrass in that area.
The MRC budgeted an annual $6,000 for aquaculture but took in $11,000 more, prompting the question as to whether those funds must go to the town’s general fund.
Noting that those funds are not earmarked for the Waterways Account, MRC Chairman Vin Malkoski said any other destination would have to be a reserve fund. Murphy argued that, since the town is charging people for recreational services, the resulting funds should go back into marine-related accounts.
A tricky licensing question could be coming before the commission after Murphy told MRC members about “an outsider” who asked about starting an aquaculture site. The interested person, who is neither a Marion nor Rochester resident, cited the word “domicile” in the regulations and asked if a land purchase would qualify him to hold a site. Murphy interprets the regulation as requiring residency, “meaning you live here. I’m assuming he will have a meeting in a future with the commission,” he said. The MRC will not issue an official reply until the question is formally asked of the commission.
All of Marion’s aquaculture sites are in compliance. There are no availabilities; everything has been assigned according to Murphy.
Marion’s patrol boat recently lost a lower-unit seal, leaked and ran out of oil. He thanked Barden’s Boat Yard for its assistance but noted that the boat operator cannot tell when the boat is leaking oil. Moreover, Murphy said he much prefers to be operating the town’s workboat as opposed to its patrol boat.
“I call it the wheelbarrow. It’s the most usable boat,” said Murphy of the workboat. “When we go to Hog Island Channel, it’s the worst weather. I would much rather be in that boat.”
Murphy cited several cracks in the patrol boat from water freezing in its hull and hopes Marion can consider replacing it come FY25 or FY26.
Several complaints indicating lack of compliance with the usage of floats have come into the Harbormaster Office, and people are asking for kayak spots. One solution, Murphy and Perry hope for is to add on the commercial side by building more of the same floats, the end game to move the commercial boats and create another 20 or 30 additional private spots. Such a plan will wait on the construction of the new Marine Center and then build any new infrastructure.
Kayak racks are a hot subject in Wing’s Cove and elsewhere, and new MRC member Michael Moore said adding kayak racks there would get some of the boat traffic out of the main harbor.
Citing moorings for visitors to Marion harbor is a time-consuming exercise, and Murphy recommends the town institute a color-coded system to shorten up recognition time, especially on weekends.
“It’s already in our regulations,” said Murphy, who finds the Harbormaster Department doing most of the work helping navigate boats to moorings. “We ask people their position and they tell us their job title.”
One thing Murphy would like to see is participation amongst the community-based boatyards. He considers color coordination a “good winter project, good topic to not let go by the wayside.” By inviting the boatyards such as Burr and Barden and representatives from Tabor Academy and the Beverly Yacht Club to a January meeting, all stakeholders could benefit in 2023.
The MRC set its next meeting for Monday, August 15 at 7:00 pm at the Music Hall.
Marion Marine Resources Commission
By Mick Colageo