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Hurricane results in nine rescue callsBy
Micah FloresTue Aug 25, 2009, 01:25 PM EDT The Marshfield harbormaster’s
office responded to nine rescue calls — most at Blackman’s Point — on Sunday, Aug. 23, as Hurricane Bill
caused rip currents along the New England coastline. “The storm was downplayed,”
said Harbormaster Michael DiMeo. “It was over 275 miles wide.” Coupled with the storm surge, DiMeo said
rip currents were moving two to three knots faster than normal. The end result, he said, was that people had a hard time getting
back to shore. The fact that Sunday was hot and the winds were quiet made the waters seem deceptively safe and inviting, DiMeo
said. While one of the harbormaster’s boats was dedicated to the rivers, two responded to calls and patrolled
in and around Green Harbor, DiMeo said, adding that nine assistant harbormasters worked on Sunday. The first of several
rescue calls at Blackman’s Point occurred when two people riding Jet Skis found themselves in trouble after their vehicles
flipped over. They were unable to get back on without assistance, he said. While lifeguards first reported and responded to
the incident, the harbormaster’s boat did arrive in time for a conversation with the men, who DiMeo said were visibly
shaken and surprised by the strength of the currents. Blackman’s Point was also the site where two kayakers flipped
over in the surf later in the day. One of the kayakers was paddling in the rough waters without a skirt for his boat, and
DiMeo said the kayak took on water and simply rolled over. The harbormaster’s office was also alerted to a pair
of surfers, in two separate incidents at Blackman’s Point, who lost their boards and were struggling to back to them. Three
boys at Burke’s Beach also had issues when, while walking on the jetty, DiMeo said they were nearly swept away and onto
the rocks by breaking waves. “The surf was coming in and they had to be removed,” he said. “The tide
was coming in and the waves were breaking.” In addition to the Coast Guard, both the Marshfield and Scituate harbormasters
responded to an incident in which the passenger of a boat jumped into the river near Fourth Cliff and the new inlet in Scituate. “The
guy jumped into the water to be stupid,” DiMeo said. That area, according to DiMeo, is “the third-worst
inlet in the state behind those of the Chatham and the Merrimack rivers.” Marshfield harbormasters employees also
helped remove water from boats that were moored in and around the North River. In addition to the storm surge, “four
or five inches of rain on Saturday night” were responsible for the boats taking on water, DiMeo said. One of the
last calls of the day came when the Marshfield police and harbormaster responded to reports that three children in a raft
were having trouble getting back to shore at Brant Rock Beach. Even though they made it back in to shore on their own, authorities
responded to that call, as they do every call, as if it were a legitimate emergency, said DiMeo. DiMeo said the town
was fortunate that nobody was seriously injured, or even killed, over the weekend. “That thing in Maine, with
the girl dying,” he said. “That could have very easily happened here.” In that incident, according
to reports, the girl was simply swept away by waves and drowned in the surf.
BILL’S DUE: Pay close attention to
hurricane forecastBy Tony CatinellaThu Aug 20, 2009, 12:54 PM EDT MARSHFIELD - With
Hurricane Bill becoming a dangerous Category 4 storm over the ocean, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is advising
residents to follow the weather forecast very closely. Peter Judge, spokesman of MEMA, said residents living near the
water should take precautions if the forecast gets worse. According to Patriot Ledger meteorologist Rob Gilman as of
Wednesday, there is only a 5 percent chance of Bill hitting New England. If it does, it will hit Sunday night. Local
harbormasters are preparing for the possibility of the storm striking the area. Mike Dimeo, harbormaster in Marshfield
for 20 years, has doubled his staff for this weekend and expects a lot of rip-tides in the waters. “We have extra
lines and extra anchors,” Dimeo said. In case of a hurricane, Dimeo said the Marshfield
Yacht Club will open its parking lot area to allow owners to get their boats out of the water. Duxbury Harbormaster
Donald Beers said as of now, the hurricane poses no threat to Massachusetts residents. “Right now, it’s
a watching game,” he said. “We are very progressive when it comes to storm control and we are watching it very
carefully.” Forecasters do not expect Hurricane Bill to be the only storm to threaten to New England
this season. In December, hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University predicted above-average hurricane activity
in the Atlantic for the 2009 season. The university predicted 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes – three major. “It’s
only a matter of time that Massachusetts gets hit with a major hurricane,” Gilman said. Hurricane Bob in 1991
was the last hurricane to hit the area. Judge said that many residents may not remember the impact past hurricanes have
had on the state. Norwell Fire Chief Andrew Reardon remembers dealing with the power outages and destruction of both
Bob and in 1985 with Hurricane Gloria. “We need to recognize that we are along the East Coast and hurricanes do
come in,” Reardon said. “We have made provisions over the years to deal with these things.” Reardon
and his department have reviewed emergency plans and will be prepared if evacuations are necessary. MEMA advises residents
to keep a hurricane kit in their household including a portable radio, flashlight, extra batteries, a supply of non-perishable
foods, along with bottled water, a first-aid kit, extra prescription medication, and extra food and supplies for infants and
pets.
Boaters’
burning issue: ’Green’ fuel can cause problemsBy Christine McConville
Monday,
July 28, 2008 - Updated 4h ago
An earth-friendly effort is wreaking havoc among boaters and creating a booming
business for boat repair shops. Three years ago, Massachusetts joined other states in switching
from gasoline made with methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, fuel to E-10, a gas mixture with 10 percent ethanol. The change was made after MTBE was linked to groundwater contamination. Ethanol was - and still is - seen as a more environmentally friendly fuel because it is made from corn. But, as boaters have discovered, it eats away at fiberglass fuel tanks and leads to clogged fuel filters and frequently
stalled engines. “This is affecting the boating world in a huge way,” said Tommy Dunham, a service technician at Monahan’s Marina in Weymouth. He spent most of Friday repairing corroded fuel tanks and replacing fuel lines - problems caused, he said, by ethanol’s
powerful corrosive qualities. Ethanol is a solvent and an extremely strong cleaning solution,
Dunham said. And people are putting it into their 25-year-old gas tanks that have 25 years of accumulated debris. When that debris gets washed around with the ethanol, the debris ends up inside the engine, the filtering system
gets clogged, and the boat stalls, he said. As the use of ethanol fuel has spread, so too have
reports of its problems. A Los Angeles man has sued Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp. and eight other gasoline producers and distributors, saying that the companies sold gasoline
at marinas without warning boaters of ethanol’s consequences. He said the ethanol-laced
gasoline dissolved his boat’s fiberglass fuel tank, sending bits of resin to clog filters and ultimately eating a hole
all the way through the tank. Even boaters without fiberglass fuel tanks are reporting problems,
Dunham said. Because most boaters use their boats for recreational purposes, they are in the habit
of storing their boat for the winter with fuel still in the tanks. But as the temperature changes,
the ethanol-based fuel attracts water and causes condensation. So when boating season rolls around,
many engines won’t start, Dunham said. |
Marshfield
gets new buggy to patrol beaches
Photo courtesy of Michael DiMeo Marshfield Harbormaster Michael DiMeo shows off the
town’s new beach buggy. By Sydney Schwartz The Patriot
Ledger Posted Jun 07, 2008 @ 02:00 AM
MARSHFIELD — Police and the harbormaster staff will zip around the town’s beaches, woodlands
and harbor this summer in a new red buggy. The 4X4 vehicle, called a “mule,” came free to the town via a public
safety program of the Kowalski company, sponsored locally by Pilgrim Power Sports in Plymouth. The vehicle is worth about
$9,000. Harbormaster Michael DiMeo said the buggy will allow authorities to “control the beaches much easier.” Since
the mule can reach more areas than a car, it could also be used to search for lost children or elderly people along town trails
and the bridle path, he said. Marshfield gets to use the vehicle for one year and then must return it to Pilgrim Power
Sports so that it can be sold. The town can then apply for a new one. “It’s a very nice little vehicle,”
DiMeo said. “Marshfield is a beach community. This is the kind of equipment you should have.” | Two Rescued in Wind Storm |  | | |
| Written by Justin Graeber | | Tue, May 27 2008 20:58 | Two boaters were rescued off Duxbury Harbor Monday after their boat capsized in a wind storm. Although the weather over the Memorial Day weekend was picture perfect, high winds on Monday wreaked havoc in the
bay, keeping harbor personnel busy. “It was awful,” said Harbormaster
Don Beers. Boston area Coast Guard received a 911 call saying a boat was sinking two miles north
of the Duxbury lighthouse, Beers said. Harbormaster boats were scrambled from Duxbury and Plymouth in addition to the Coast
Guard. “We met very, very hazardous conditions,” said Beers. The boaters were eventually located two miles southeast of Farnham Rock in Marshfield. Two people were transported
to Green Harbor, where they were treated by EMS personnel on the dock before being transported to the hospital, Beers said.
Although the rescue was the most dramatic event, Beers said he spent most of the day trying to
prevent people from going out to sea on the dangerous waters. |
|
Boater
sewage rule may tighten
3
more towns seek no-discharge zone
By
John Laidler, Globe Correspondent | March 27, 2008
The harbors
of Cohasset, Marshfield , and Scituate may soon become off-limits to the discharge of boat sewage,
whether treated or not.
Ian Bowles,
state energy and environmental affairs secretary, plans to announce as early as today the designation of the three harbors
- along with tidal portions of the North and South rivers, and adjacent waters - as a 54-square-mile
"no-discharge area," according to his spokeswoman, Lisa Capone.
In a no-discharge
area it is illegal under federal law to discharge any vessel sewage, even treated. In other areas, treated sewage can be discharged.
The decision,
which still requires federal approval, was made by Bowles in response to an application developed jointly by Cohasset, Marshfield
, and Scituate over the past year. Portions of the North River also touch Hanover, Pembroke, and Norwell, but those towns were not involved in the
application.
Harbor officials
in Cohasset, Marshfield , and Scituate said they sought the designation as one way to improve the quality of their coastal
waters, which are used by an estimated 3,000 locally based commercial fishermen and recreational boaters and encompass more
than a dozen public beaches.
"It just
seemed like the right thing to do," said Mark Patterson, Scituate harbormaster.
Even treated
sewage can contain bacteria, viruses, nutrients, and chemicals harmful to water quality and aquatic life, according to Capone.
Those contaminants can pollute valuable shellfishing areas and have the potential to spread diseases into the waters at beaches.
"There are
so many more boats than there used to be in the past," Patterson said, "and so many people who now stay on their boats." Establishing
the no-discharge area "is part of the process of educating people and making them realize that even though they may think
the small amount they are contributing to the problem is insignificant, when you take the cumulative effect, it's a real problem."
In their
application, prepared with help from the state Office of Coastal Zone Management, the three towns said the designation would
complement efforts they have made to address pollution, which has degraded the water and contributed to periodic closures
of beaches and shellfish beds.
Those other
efforts include expanding sewer service to coastal neighborhoods, developing storm-water bylaws, and adding sewage pump-out
services. There are 10 - and soon to be 12 - such land- and vessel-based facilities where boaters can discharge sewage.
There are
now eight no-discharge areas in Massachusetts , including the coastal waters of Plympton, Kingston , and Duxbury.
In a statement,
Bowles said the Cohasset-Marshfield -Scituate designation "is another example of strong state, regional, and local commitments
to improving water quality and protecting coastal resources."
"By prohibiting
boat sewage discharges,
[no-discharge areas] reduce the risk of human illness and protect the priceless natural resources of our coasts," he said,
adding that the nomination is a "big step" toward a goal set by Governor Deval Patrick of eventually designating all of the Commonwealth' s coastal
waters as no-discharge areas.
Under federal
rules, boaters with an installed marine toilet must have sanitation devices that treat sewage before it is discharged. But
in a no-discharge area, a holding tank has to be used. Portable toilets are still permitted on boats without built-in heads,
but the sewage cannot be released into the water.
Cohasset's
participation in the no-discharge effort was spearheaded by the town's Harbor Health Committee, which was formed in 2005 in
response to the many beach closures the town had experienced due to high bacteria levels, according to the panel's chairwoman,
Karen Quigley.
"We are trying
to do everything we can to improve and protect the quality of our coastal waters because it really is such a big part of what
Cohasset is," Quigley said. "And we are looking to be more environmentally conscious and protective of our resources."
Michael DiMeo,
Marshfield harbormaster, called the no-discharge area designation "a great idea."
It's part
of a trend that over time will reduce the number of beach closures, he said.
DiMeo said
that by lowering pollution levels, the effort would enhance an ongoing initiative by Marshfield and Scituate harbor officials
to rebuild the clam flats in the North River .
The no-discharge
application has been well received by boaters, according to the local harbor officials, who held public meetings to provide
information and seek feedback on the designation.
Quigley said
one or two boaters expressed concern about the possibility of increased boardings and inspections, and potential fines. But
she said overall there was "overwhelming support from the boating community, and the community, itself."
Violation
of no-discharge area requirements can be enforced through citations issued by the US Coast Guard, state environmental officials,
or local harbormasters. But the primary focus of local officials is to educate boaters about the availability of pump-out
facilities and the importance of using them.
"We don't
have the desire nor the capacity to go around and seek fines," said Bill Schmid, vice chairman of the Scituate Waterways Commission.
"What we are trying to do is to make people aware of what the right thing to do is and to provide them with the tools to do
the right thing."
"We are coastal
communities," he said. "To pay attention to this resource that has given us so much makes a lot of sense."  |
Kits contain vital information for parents
By Katia Opatkiewicz
Tue Oct 23, 2007, 02:46 PM EDT
Marshfield
- At the Marshfield Yacht Club’s Halloween party Saturday, the children were dressed
up in an array of costumes, from ladybugs and Snow White to pirates and Red Sox players.
The party had activities for children
of all ages, including whipped cream-eating contests, bobbing for plastic pumpkins, beanbag toss and cookies, cupcakes and
other Halloween decorated treats.
Yet something serious was also going
on.
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s
Department was hosting one of its many events where parents in the community come and have their children fingerprinted. The
fingerprints are then placed in identification kits and given to the parents to take home and securely store with other important
documents.
These kits, which are available for
people of any age, contain information about a child, such as name, address, date of birth, sex, hair color, height, weight,
eye color, medical conditions, blood type, allergies, medicines, scars, birthmarks, tattoos and broken teeth, along with their
fingerprints and a up-to-date picture. This information is even produced on wallet-size laminated cards so that the parent
or guardian can keep the child’s identification in his or her wallet or purse.
“In a case of emergency, these
kits help the police stations nationally and internationally identify children who may or may not be able to identify themselves,”
said Deputy Sheriff Dan Connolly. “School age is a good time to get them fingerprinted. About the time they are old
enough to get on the bus and leave your sight.”
However, Deputy Sheriff Melissa Leeber
said she believes that the children should be printed at a much younger age.
“We use foot printing for infants,”
she said.
The sheriff’s department on average
does about 15 events a year, and they are all free. However, the number of events fluctuates based on the demand for them
in the community, and Leeber said “the demand for these events have gone up.”
The identification kits and fingerprints
are not kept in police records due to Massachusetts state law that states that no one under the age of 18 can have their fingerprints
on record, and therefore it is the responsibility of the parent to keep track of the kit. The sheriff’s department recommends
that if anything should happen to the kit, family members should bring the child to the next event posted on its Web site,
pcsdma.org, and have the kit remade.
The events are hosted all around the
state — at fairs, schools and private events. The department will be hosting an event at the Holiday Parade in Brockton
on Nov. 24. For information, visit the sheriff department’s Web site. Related Photos
Diver’s body washes ashore
By Ryan Bray
GateHouse News Service
Thu Sep 27, 2007, 01:36 PM EDT
A man who was found washed up to shore in Humarock
early Friday morning was confirmed as a Marshfield man reported missing while scuba diving over Labor Day weekend.
Tim Ericson, 30, was first presumed dead
by Coast Guard officials after an extensive search for the missing diver was called off on Sept. 4.
Scituate Police Chief Brian Stewart said
police received a call from a Central Avenue resident at 7:13 a.m. last Friday. The body, Stewart said, was recovered by the
Scituate Fire Department and transported to the NOAA dock on First Cliff before being sent off for an autopsy.
While Stewart said he could not confirm
the body as being that of Ericson’s, published reports state that the autopsy conducted by the state medical examiner’s
office confirmed his identity.
A report from the United States Coast
Guard earlier this month stated that Ericson was reported missing while scuba diving on the afternoon of Sept. 1. The report
stated that Ericson was diving off of a recreational boat about a quarter-mile south of New Inlet near Scituate when other
passengers lost track of him.
The Coast Guard conducted seven surface
searches over 50 square miles from 3 p.m. until shortly after 8 p.m. that day before suspending the search. The Massachusetts
State Police dive team, Massachusetts Environmental Police, the Marshfield and Scituate harbormaster offices and the Scituate
Fire Department dive team all assisted in the rescue efforts. Ericson had since been presumed dead by the Coast Guard and
other authorities prior to his discovery Friday.
Stewart said while it is uncertain as to what lead up to Ericson’s disappearance, the matter remains under investigation
by Scituate Police and the Plymouth County district attorney’s office.
Body found off Scituate coast believed to be missing Marshfield diver
By JENNIFER MANN
The Patriot Ledger
SCITUATE - Authorities believe they have recovered the body of a Marshfield diver near where he went
missing two weeks ago.
Tim Ericson, 30, disappeared Sept. 1 while scuba diving with his brother and two friends off
Scituate’s Fourth Cliff. He was presumed dead after a two-day Coast Guard search.
At 7:13 a.m. Friday, a homeowner
on the cliff called Scituate police after spotting an object in the water.
A Scituate fire department boat recovered
a body, which they believe to be Ericson’s, about 150 yards off Fourth Cliff’s Humarock beach.
‘‘It
appears to be somebody who was scuba diving,’’ Scituate police Lt. Michael Stewart said.
Authorities are
awaiting an autopsy report from the state medical examiner’s office to confirm the identity.
Maive Ericson, the
missing man’s mother, has been told of the discovery.
The family has already held a memorial service for Ericson.
Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Friday, September 21, 2007
Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Scuba DiverSeptember 2nd, 2007 | Coast Guard, Search and Rescue, AviationBOSTON - The Coast Guard has suspended its search at 8:10 p.m.
for a 29-year old scuba diver missing near Scituate, Mass., since Saturday afternoon.
The Scituate Harbormaster
reported to the Coast Guard that diver Timothy Ericcson was overdue about 1/4 mile south of New Inlet, Mass., around 3 p.m.
Saturday.
The diver had three safety spotters in a 28-foot recreational vessel track his bubbles from the surface.
When bubbles were no longer visible on the surface, they called via radio for help. The diver was at a depth of about 20-feet
looking for lobster.
The Coast Guard conducted seven surface searches in an area measuring over 50 square miles. Coast
Guard assets included helicopters from Air Station Cape Cod, a 25-foot utility boat from Coast Guard Station Scituate, the cutter Flyingfish of Boston and a 25-foot motor life boat from station Point Allerton.The
Coast Guard was aided by a Massachusetts State Police dive team, Scituate Harbormaster, Scituate Fire Department divers, Marshfield
Harbormaster, and Massachusetts Environmental
Police.
“This has truly been a cooperative search effort involving numerous state and local agencies. The local
support was a real asset in this case and we appreciate all the time and effort of all who assisted in the search,”
said Lt.j.g William Houde, Coast Guard Sector Boston duty officer.
By O’Ryan Johnson
Sunday,
September 2, 2007 - Updated
19d 2h ago
The U.S.
Coast Guard and dive teams from the Scituate Fire Department were hunting yesterday for a 29-year-old diver who disappeared
about 400 yards offshore, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said.
Scituate police said searchers found a buoy floating near where the
diver was last spotted in the water, but there has been no sign of him. The missing man dove from a boat, while someone aboard
was following his bubble trail in the water when it suddenly disappeared about 3 p.m., said Petty Officer Etta Smith.
The following
story was recently published in the Patriot Ledger featuring long time MYC Member Laddie Dexter.
OLD SCHOOL SKILLS: LOBSTER TRAPPERS
Lobstermen Laddie Dexter, at the helm, and Rick Topham aboard the
Happy Days, a Green Harbor lobster boat. As Dexter pilots the boat, Topham, the stern man, prepares to send a trap over the
side. (GREG DERR/The Patriot Ledger) |
By SYDNEY SCHWARTZ
The Patriot Ledger
MARSHFIELD - Laddie Dexter glanced at his navigation gear,
then at a coordinate penciled on the dashboard and steered the boat toward his orange, black and white buoy.
Then he
slowed the boat and reached out with a hook to grab the marker. He pulled it aboard, attached its rope to a pulley and reeled
in the first trap.
Dexter, 69, a longtime Marshfield lobsterman, has about
700 traps scattered off Duxbury Beach. Each buoy marks 10 sunken traps. On a good day, he’ll catch a half-pound of lobster
per trap.
‘‘We’re starting in the hole today,’’ he said, referring to the $280 worth
of fuel needed to power the boat. ‘‘We’ll see if we can overcome that deficit.’’
Dexter
opened each trap and took out a mesh bag, which he stuffed full of pungent fish skins before putting it back. His stern man,
Rick Topham, inspected the lobsters, throwing back ones that were too big, too small or breeders. He put the others in a tank
filled with ocean water. Then he threw the trap to the back of the boat.
Dexter and Topham repeated this process for
hours. When Topham lined up nine traps from a buoy, Dexter pushed one overboard. The others slid off, one by one. Dexter scribbled
the coordinates on his dashboard and steered to the next buoy. He usually hits about 30 spots before heading back to Green
Harbor. He’s been doing it for 46 years.
Each year, Dexter follows the lobsters, moving traps closer to shore
in the summer and farther out in the fall.
‘‘You always put some traps where you’ve had some luck
in the past,’’ he said. ‘‘The same traps we’re hauling right now, about a week ago, I was getting
twice as many lobsters.’’
But it’s all a gamble. On days when there are fewer lobsters, he gets more money for each. On
days when there are lots of lobsters, he gets less. On this particular day in July, he brought in nearly 200 pounds and got
$5.50 a pound. Earlier this year, he got $7. He hopes the price won’t fall below $4.
Even though he has to contend
with storms and cold weather and doesn’t get paid vacations or have a 401(k), Dexter likes the life - being out on the
water and being his own boss.
‘‘You know how much better this is than having a real job?’’
he said. ‘‘It’s pretty much a healthy life.’’
Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Delahunt helps clear way for harbor dredging
By Kathryn Koch
GateHouse News Service
Thu Aug 02, 2007, 08:13 PM EDT
Marshfield -
Federal approval of $2 million for inner harbor dredging could put the coastal navigation project on track for this winter.
The U.S. Senate still needs to approve federal funding for the Green Harbor improvement project, with a decision expected
later this summer.
“We’re at the halfway point,” Selectman Michael Maresco said, crediting Congressman William Delaunt for
his efforts “bird-dogging” the town through the federal maze of funding.
“We’re very appreciative of everything Congressman Delahunt has done,” he said.
If all the funding for the dredging projects is approved in good order, Maresco said inner harbor dredging could start
this winter. The Army Corps of Engineers would be the lead agency in charge of coordinating the project that is expected to
cause some disruption but overall help Marshfield’s fishing industry.
In a press release announcing the funding for the Green Harbor project and other coastal navigation projects along the
South Shore and Cape Cod, Delahunt called the maintenance of coastal harbors and waterways essential to the economic livelihood
of the region.
“Maintaining our ports and harbors is important for our economy and marine environment,” Delahunt said. ”It’s
a matter of life or death for the commercial fishing fleet, tourist economy, or mariners waiting for Coast Guard search and
rescue.”
Maresco said the next step after securing federal funding will be to turn to the state for financial support. He said he
anticipates that Marshfield officials will attend the next meeting of the governor’s Seaport Advisory Council this fall
for state assistance.
At the fall Town Meeting scheduled for Oct. 15, voters would be asked to reauthorize the remainder of the $735,000 appropriated
for the dredging of the Narrows for purposes of providing matching funds for inner harbor dredging.
Maresco said it has been at least 22 years since the inner harbor was last dredged, and that has created a severe hardship
for the fishermen who operate out of Green Harbor.
“The fishermen have really suffered financially, not only from damage to their vessels, but delays in getting in
and out of the harbor,” he said, explaining that delays can add a couple hours to a day.
Dredging of the channel leading into the harbor was completed in June, and anyone who experienced before and after can
see the difference.
Mike Duane, president of the Marshfield Commercial Fishermen’s Association, said the required bidding process could
delay the project a year, but he would love for the dredging to start this winter.
“Hopefully it will get done now and be good for another 25 or 30 years,” he said.
Duane said it’s great that the U.S. House has given its approval and hopes for more good news for Marshfield.
“The channel was dredged, and it’s critical we get the inner harbor dredged to get both on the same page,”
he said.
Reporter Kathryn Koch can be reached at kkoch@cnc.com
Lobster Pound provides food for thought
By Kezia Bacon-Bernstein
GateHouse News Service
Thu Aug 02, 2007, 11:47 AM EDT
Marshfield -
I’m sure I’m not the only lifelong Marshfield resident to have a dunce-cap moment like this. My mother, son
and I had just left the Green Harbor Beach and were taking a walk up Bay Avenue to see the boats at the Town Pier. As we crossed
Beach Street, we could smell fried seafood — quite strongly. Neither of us could think of a restaurant close by. So
where was the delicious scent coming from?
“Maybe the Lobster Pound now has a take-out window,” I posited. So we walked up Beach Street to check it out.
Sure enough, the Green Harbor Lobster Pound does offer hot food — your typical clam shack fare of
fried seafood plates, rolls and sandwiches, along with lobster, hot dogs, burgers, chicken nuggets, french fries and cole
slaw. They’re open seven days a week, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. But here’s the dunce-cap moment: they’ve been doing
this for 50 years now! Check out the picnic tables and umbrellas they have set up right along the Cut River. Or bring your
food over to the beach.
|
August 1, 2007 |
| News From The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association |
|
|
|
MASSACHUSETTS BOATER INFORMATION PIPELINE ALERT
|
|
|
Dear Friends of Boating,
Your Action
Is Urgently Needed To Pass The Recreational Boating Act
As a recreational boater you have always
been exempted from the normal, miminal operational discharges that your vessel deposits into the waterways. Regretfully, a recent federal court ruling cancelled this Clean Water
Act exemption that recreational boaters have long enjoyed.
While the ruling derived from a lawsuit filed to prevent large ocean-going ships from introducing damaging aquatic invasive
species into U.S. waters, the decision requires the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to implement a national discharge permit system for ALL vessels in US waters, including recreational
boaters. The EPA is working under a September
30, 2008 deadline for full implementation.
What
Does This Mean For Recreational Boaters?
If the permit system becomes a reality, every recreational
boater will be required to pay for a state permit for each boat AND for each state the boat enters.
What Can Be Done To Stop The Madness? You can take several steps!
1) Alert your boating friends in Massachusetts
and any other state by sharing this message and urging them to take action.
2) Write to the EPA before August 6th.
Tell
them as respectfully as possible (remember, EPA is operating under a court mandate)
that while keeping our waterways clean and preventing the spread of invasive species is of utmost importance to all boaters,
imposing a complex permitting system designed for industrial dischargers and
applying it to recreational boats will not yield significant environmental benefits and it will come at a very high cost.
First, most boaters only use their vessels
on weekends and in the Northeast, just for several months per year. Second, boating
is an affordable, family-friendly form of recreation that is most attractive to people who do not have the means to live on
the water but are passionate about enjoying the water. A complex and potentially
costly permitting system would deny many boaters access to the water for lack of extra funds to pay for permits
and lack of time to interpret the system. Finally, full implementation of a permitting system would be economically
devastating to small marine businesses, particularly in the Northeast where the
recreational boating industry depends on a small window of success each boating season to survive year-round.
Massachusetts alone has 1,200 small marine businesses, most of which are family owned and operated, that contribute nearly
$2 billion to the Commonwealth.
Please know that if you choose to send your comments to EPA, they
will become public record. Send your correspondence via email to ow-docket@epa.gov and enter
Docket ID No. OW-2007-0483 in the subject line.
3) Call and write to the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation!
Many local and national boating organizations have been working to secure an exemption
for recreational boats. Tell your elected officials that you want them to support and make the Recreational Boating
Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) a top priority. HR2550
is a non-partisan bill that would protect recreational boats from being swept into this unnecessary and expensive permitting
system. It is critically important that
H.R. 2550 be passed and the support of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation is essential.
Remember, BOATERS ARE VOTERS!
For more information, please feel free to contact nathalie.grady@boatma.com or click on the links below. Thank you for taking action to protect your freedom to boat! Click here to easily send an email to your Members of Congress: http://www.boatus.com/gov/contact.asp
Click here for BoatUS' Frequently Asked Questions
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Mark Your Calendar
August 3 - 5, 2007 - Buzzards
Bay Regatta
http://www.buzzardsbayregatta.com/
August 11, 2007 - National Marina Day
www.marinaassociation.org/nmd
August 25-26, 2007 - Antique & Classic Boat Show
http://www.by-the-sea.com/bacbfestival/
September 15, 2007 -
Massachusetts CoastSweep Kickoff Event
http://www.coastsweep.umb.edu/index.html
September 27 - 30, 2007 - 9th
Boston International In Water Boat Show
http://www.bostoninwaterboatshow.com/home.html
January 12 - 20, 2008 - 52nd New England Boat Show
http://www.newenglandboatshow.com
Complete Statewide Boater's Calendar of Events, Click
Here |
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Click Here For Local Massachusetts Predicted Tide
Tables | |
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Preamble To Massachusetts Marine
Trades Association By Laws c. 1964
The Purpose For The Formulation
Of The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association Is To Establish An Organization Of Dedicated Men And Women Who Are Employed
In The Marine Industry With The Concept That This Organization Will Provide The Framework For Furthering The Interests Of
The Marine Trades And The Boating Public Through The Promotion Of Boating, Participation In Legislation And Professional Improvement
Programs. It Is Further Hoped That The Association Will Be The Focal Point For Exchange Of Ideas Concerning
Marine Matters And That A High Standard Of Professional And Ethical Conduct Will Be Adhered To By The Membership.
Massachusetts Marine Trades Association
T/F: 617.296.8336 E: info@BoatMA.com W: www.BoatMA.com | |
 Massachusetts Marine Trades Association · P.O. Box 272 · Milton
· MA · 02186
BEACH ON SHARK
ALERT - 15-footer is seen within 20 feet of Rexhame Beach in Marshfield
By The Patriot Ledger
http://ledger.southofboston.com/article ... news01.txtThe beach is open for swimming, but lifeguards and the harbormaster are keeping a close
watch on the waters at Rexhame Beach after the sighting of a 15-foot shark forced swimmers from the water for about an hour.
‘‘I’ve
seen sharks at Rexhame Beach before, but this was more dramatic,’’ said Sara Coyne, 21, of Marshfield. ‘‘Everyone
was lined up on the edge of the water watching.’’
Erin Baber, 21, a student at the College of the Holy
Cross who was at the beach with friends, was one of the people watching.
‘‘You could see the dark shape
come out of the water. You could see the fins come up,’’ she said.
The shark was first seen shortly before
1 p.m. Saturday as it swam within 20 feet of the shore. Spectators lined the beach for several hours trying to get a look
at it.
No more sightings have occurred since Saturday, but lifeguards and the harbormaster are keeping watch, beach
administrator Cindy Castro said Sunday evening.
Public safety officials are taking no extra precautions regarding swimming
at the beach, Castro said.
‘‘We are just doing the same thing we normally do unless (the shark) keeps coming
back day after day, she said.
People had mixed reactions to the shark, Castro said. Some people were curious and others
were afraid.
The shark was likely a basking shark, said Harbormaster Michael DiMeo, a generally harmless species that
feeds on plankton.
‘‘They’re always around,’’ he said. ‘‘They don’t
eat fish anyway - or people.’’
Only four shark attacks have been recorded in Massachusetts, according to
the International Shark Attack File. The only reported fatality from a shark attack on the Massachusetts coast occurred in
Buzzards Bay in 1936.
Officials in Humarock in Scituate have seen sharks a few times this year and called to warn people
at Rexhame, Castro said.
‘‘The last time we saw a fin was two summers ago,’’ she said. ‘‘The
water is still only in the 60s. ...It’s really unusual to see one this early.’’
Sharks are more plentiful
in local waters in late August when water temperatures reach the 70s, Castro said.
Leanne Goffredo, 21, of Mansfield
was sitting on the shore watching friends wade into the water when she first saw what looked like a fin.
‘‘At
first, we second-guessed ourselves. Are there dolphins around there?’’ she wondered.
Goffredo told people
swimming nearby that she thought she had seen a shark and then notified lifeguards.
Lifeguards followed protocol after
seeing the shark and called the harbormaster before clearing swimmers from the water, Castro said.
Assistant Harbormaster
Edward Vacha maneuvered his boat between the shark and the shore and slowly steered it out toward deeper water.
Vacha
said seeing sharks is ‘‘nothing out of the ordinary’’ and that they are often seen by fishermen farther
out in the ocean.
‘‘They are harmless and they are out there, but when people on the beach see it they
get all freaked out,’’ Vacha said.
The shark came close to the shore because knee-depth water is where
they usually feed, he added.
Swimmers were allowed back into the water once the shark was in the deep water and had
not been seen by lifeguards for at least 25 minutes, Castro said.
Marshfield has never had to close a beach because
of a shark sighting, Castro said.
In August 2005, a shark sighting off Egypt Beach in Scituate also forced bathers
from the water. A 10-foot shark swimming as close as 15 feet from shore sent lifeguards scrambling to warn people to get out
of the water on nearby beaches.
In August 1997, two reports of a 10- to 12-foot shark in the waters off Duxbury Beach
prompted authorities to warn beach-goers to watch where they swim.
Stephanie Chaisson,
Jessica Torrez-Riley, Diana Schoberg and Adva Saldinger of The Patriot Ledger staff contributed to this report.
Copyright
2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Monday, July 16, 2007
JUNE 9TH, 2007
BUOY SHOT OUT IN GREEN HARBOR,
TWO MEN ARRESTED
The light of this navigational buoy is destroyed from what are thought to have been gunshots fired
before sunrise, June 9, 2007.
BOSTON - The sound of pre-dawn gun fire and damage to a harbor
buoy prompted a Coast Guard and local police response and the arrest of two men in Marshfield, Mass today.
The Marshfield
Police Department requested Coast Guard assistance at about 3 a.m. upon suspicion that someone was shooting
at a navigational buoy from a boat in Green Harbor.
A boarding
team from Coast Guard Station Scituate swiftly launched, 3:20 a.m., located the suspected vessel tied to a floating pier and
the team swiftly embarked.
Once aboard, the team discovered empty beer bottles and believed the suspects were hiding
below deck. After the team issued repeated verbal commands and drew their weapons, three unarmed, but uncooperative men emerged;
21-year-old
Kevin Mooney , 23-year-old Jason McCormack, and 26-year-old Michael McCormack, all from Marshfield.
While inspecting
the vessel, the team found shot-gun shells, but no weapon. Correspondingly on land, Marshfield Police found and arrested a
fourth Marshfield man, John Martell, 23, who, just prior to pursuit had been dropped off with two guns.
The Coast Guard
completed the boarding and issued three violations: improper documentation on board, hindering a Coast Guard boarding operation,
and defacing federal property/aid to navigation.
The three men were brought to shore, 5:15 a.m. and turned over to
Marshfield Police who arrested Mooney for illegal use of a firearm, disorderly conduct and other charges.
The Coast
Guard determined the light in the number-three buoy was shot out and extinguished. Mariners in Green
Harbor are urged to take note of the damaged navigational aid and exercise caution pending its
repair.
The investigation is ongoing.
Officials view the fruits of dredging
 Photo by Chris Bernstein
Town Manager John Clifford chats with Lt. Gov. Tim
Murray (center).
By Kathryn Koch
GateHouse News Service
Tue May 29, 2007, 02:38 PM EDT
Story Tools:  Email This |  Print This Marshfield -
Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray looked through the
scrapbook of photographs of boats listing to the side, stuck in the mud at the bottom of the harbor at low tide.
Minutes
later, as he stood on the town pier late in the afternoon May 24, he said he was excited to see for himself the progress of
the entrance channel dredging project, designed to improve the safety and navigability for commercial and recreational fishing
and pleasure boats.
Murray has a special connection to Green Harbor. His Worchester neighbors, the Lyons family, summered
in Green Harbor, and he spoke briefly about how much Jay Lyons loved the waterfront. Lyons was one of six Worcester firefighters
killed in the line of duty at the Cold Storage and Warehouse fire Dec. 3, 1999.
As lieutenant governor, Murray heads
the governor’s Seaport Advisory Council. Four-and-a-half months into the job, Murray said he’s committed to protecting
the state’s harbors and ensuring that ocean-related industries thrive. He said he can do this by acting as a delegate
on behalf of Massachusetts communities with the federal government, and that Green Harbor is a prime example.
“We
want to continue to make sure it’s vibrant and growing,” he said.
Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association Executive Director Bill Adler knows Green Harbor well from many years lobster fishing out of the harbor. Of 52 ports
in the state, Green Harbor is the fifth largest, he said, and it has been at least 40 years since the harbor was properly
dredged.
“When this isn’t dredged properly, there are safety problems and economic problems,” he
said.
Adler said it’s good to have Green Harbor on the radar screen at the national level, and he hopes the state
will continue to be a partner to help the state’s harbor industries.
Mike Duane, president of the Marshfield Commercial Fishermen’s Association, praised the Seaport Advisory Council, town officials
and the Army Corps of Engineers for funding the dredging project, but wasn’t shy about saying that the job is only half
done. He said money to dredge the inner harbor is still needed.
Director of Port Development Richard Armstrong, the
council’s executive secretary, praised Town Administrator John Clifford for ensuring the project would go through. Armstrong
said what makes this project special is that a memorandum of understanding was reached between the town and the Army Corps,
putting the project in the hands of the federal government.
“This is the first time that’s been done in
Massachusetts,” he said.
According to Armstrong,
the Seaport Advisory Council plans to put together a statewide memorandum of understanding using Marshfield’s as an
example.
Clifford had said at a selectmen’s meeting in January that if the Army Corps did not contribute financially
to the project, the town would have had to pick up more of the cost and was prepared to go forward without a memorandum of
understanding. The town contributed $150,000 toward the project; the Seaport Advisory Council contributed $450,000; and the
Army Corps contributed $315,000.
At the town pier last Thursday, Selectmen chairman Patti Epstein said part of the
urgency behind making the dredging project a priority for the town and its tourism and fishing industries was getting the
project done before the busy summer season.
“We’re here today to showcase the results of a total team effort,”
she said.
Local fisherman Laddie Dexter welcomed Murray and others on board his fishing boat for a ride to the dredge
site. For commercial fishermen like Dexter, the end result will be worth any difficulty the dredge project has caused exiting
the channel and getting back into the harbor.
Murray was unable to see the dredging in progress because the drop scow
that the dredge material is piled into for deposit in the ocean was returning from its dumping mission. Friday morning, Harbormaster
Michael DiMeo took a small group to the dredge site for a closer look at the process, called mechanical bucket dredging.
As
of Friday morning, about 31,000 cubic yards of the total 35,697 cubic yards had been dredged, but the work continued throughout
the day Friday, Saturday morning and again on Monday and Tuesday.
The Army Corps of Engineers contracted with a private
company, Burnham Associates Inc. of Salem. John Harvey, the project manager, superintendent and dredge captain on site, showed
visitors how mechanical bucket dredging works.
The position of the dredge vessel Samson changes constantly under Harvey’s
watchful eye, as he tracks the digging in real time, using three Global Positioning System units and a tide gauge. The GPS
units show the exact location of the digging. A tide gauge near Taylor Marine shows workers how deep to dig down. The crane
operator has the same flat screen as Harvey positioned at his feet.
Harvey watched as a boater approached the work
site, first appearing ready to pass on the wrong side, and then sliding through the channel past the drop scow as the bucket
dropped the dredge material into it.
“This is our biggest risk,” he said. “That bucket is not forgiving.”
Harvey
said they expect to complete the job by the original May 31 deadline, but an extension has been granted through June 10 if
needed. The work started April 25, but had been delayed at the start by a major storm, DiMeo said. Twelve-hour days, seven
days a week have been the norm.
When the project is done, DiMeo said the floor of the channel would be level. The sides
of the channel will have a 5-1 slope to stabilize the sides and prevent material from sliding in. The dredge material at the
dumpsite will spread out and wash up onto Duxbury Beach.
Once a year, the Army Corps’ dredge vessel Currituck
removes silt from the narrow channel, but that work isn’t sufficient to move the rocks needed to clear the channel,
DiMeo said.
DiMeo, who was named harbormaster two months ago, will be the answer to a Marshfield trivia question. The channel hasn’t been anywhere near 100 feet wide for quite some
time.
DiMeo gets harbormaster job
By Kathryn Koch
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 - Updated: 02:32
PM EDT
Marshfield Police Officer Michael DiMeo was appointed
as Marshfield’s new arbormaster Monday night, despite concerns from one selectman about the process used to appoint
him.
Selectman Katie O’Donnell abstained from voting for DiMeo as the replacement for retired Harbormaster
Sgt. Leonard LaForest, saying she had too many questions about the selection process and needed more time to formulate an
opinion.
“I wish we’d had the discussion of the process earlier,” she said.
Police Chief William Sullivan officially recommended DiMeo, a Scituate resident, to the position Monday night,
a week after O’Donnell questioned whether the harbormaster should be a police officer or a civilian. Sullivan said DiMeo’s
experience with the Coast Guard and as holder of a maritime license as a ship’s captain are just two of his many qualifications
for the position.
After DiMeo was appointed by a 2-0 vote, he thanked the board for the opportunity.
“I’ve waited a long time for this job,” he said.
DiMeo said he would be forthcoming and fair to everyone at the town pier and put a strong emphasis on communication,
maritime awareness and preserving the waterfront.
Sullivan said he received a number of calls in the week following the March 5 meeting asking about the condition
of the town pier and read from a 1980 Marshfield Mariner article that he said demonstrated the days when vandalism, drinking
and joy rides on boats made people afraid to use the town pier.
Sullivan said those were the days before there were laws to back the harbormaster, but those days are long
gone, and that efforts to make the pier a safe place have proven successful with more people using the pier, even if it’s
just to watch the boats on the water.
“I’d suggest in the past 20 years that has been the lay of the land,” he said.
O’Donnell said it’s clear that improvements have been made at the town pier, but questioned if
that was due to the harbormaster being a police officer or because the neighborhood near the pier has grown. She said she
agrees that there needs to be a police presence in the harbor, but isn’t sure a police officer should bear the administrative
burden of being a harbormaster instead of being out on patrol.
“I worry that’s not the best use of a police officer’s time,” she said.
In a letter to the board, town Waterways Committee member Nathaniel “Laddie” Dexter recommended
that the harbormaster continue to be a police officer based on results, or lack thereof, from the two civilians who were harbormasters
before LaForest was appointed to the position.
O’Donnell had also asked if other communities fill the position of harbormaster with a police officer
or a civilian. Sullivan submitted a list of coastal towns with information about how each harbormaster is appointed. The results
were varied. In a few of the towns, the harbormasters are police officers; in others, the harbormasters are special police
officers.
In other towns, the harbormaster is a civilian, but the police department runs the harbor or the harbormaster
carries a gun, and in other towns the harbormasters are civilians and the police have no involvement in running the harbor.
Selectmen chairman Michael Maresco said he has reviewed DiMeo’s résumé and recommended him for the position.
Maresco said a determining factor for him was the training DiMeo has received for the handling of emergency situations in
the post-Sept. 11 era.
“You can see from his résumé that he’s highly qualified,” he said.
Selectman Patti Epstein also voted to appoint DiMeo based on the chief’s recommendation and the recommendation
of the Waterways Committee.
“We couldn’t ask for a more qualified applicant for this position,” she said.
Saginaw Road resident Jim Kelley, who submitted his resume for the harbormaster’s position to selectmen,
argued that he wasn’t even given the opportunity to prove that he’s qualified to be harbormaster. He said one
job always suffers if the same person is the harbormaster and a police officer, and recommended against appointing a police
officer to the position.
According to Sullivan, DiMeo worked with LaForest for six months before the harbormaster’s retirement
at the end of February so that the transition could be completed seamlessly and was able to handle police calls during that
time with no problem.
Branch Street resident Irvine Nash, a lifelong fisherman, sang DiMeo’s praises in support of his choice
as harbormaster. He said DiMeo could be the best harbormaster the town has ever had.
“There’s no way we could get anyone better, no way,” Nash said.
TURNING THE TIDE FOR WATER RESCUES
Divers
recover a submerged mannequin while practicing rescue drills yesterday on the North River off of Scituate. (GARY HIGGINS/The
Patriot Ledger)
By DIANA SCHOBERG
The Patriot Ledger
SCITUATE
- Scituate harbormasters lowered a flag into the North River where witnesses thought the body had gone down.
Acting
Harbormaster Mark Patterson radioed the fire department’s dive team from his boat: ‘‘Be advised. The hot
spot is marked.’’
The call - this time just a drill involving a mannequin - initiated a search-and-rescue
operation, the precisely choreographed culmination of hundreds of hours of practice in the water by dive teams.
‘‘To
actually go into the water and rescue someone ... takes a lot of teamwork, a lot of training and a lot of training together,’’
Fire Chief Edward Hurley said.
Yesterday’s drill certainly showed that. Fire, police, harbormasters, Environmental
Police, the Coast Guard and Boston MedFlight were all involved, practicing exactly where they’d be and exactly what
they’d do if someone is lost in the river.
The North River is the perfect place to practice, Hurley said. The
place where the North and South rivers meet is known as one of the most dangerous areas on the East Coast.
‘‘It’s
treacherous water. That’s why we like to practice out here,’’ he said as he rode the river with Patterson.
‘‘If we’re going to have any sort of water rescue, for the fire department especially, it’s more likely
we’ll have it out here than on the open ocean.’’
After someone goes overboard - in the drill they
used a plastic mannequin filled with water that weighed about the same as a human would under water - harbormaster personnel
interview witnesses to pinpoint where in the water the body might be.
Divers rely on the accuracy of those witnesses,
because if they start in the right spot, it can make the difference between minutes and hours of searching.
Only one
diver goes in the water at a time. They crawl sideways o across the bottom of the river as they search, covering about 1½
feet per second. A ‘‘handler’’ on the boat guides the diver sending signals with a rope.
The
first diver comes up when two-thirds of his air supply is used.
That way, if an emergency arises as others search,
the diver would still have part of a tank and an emergency back-up supply to use.
A second diver then goes in the water,
and on and on until the body is found.
A back-up diver is always available on another boat so that someone is available
if one of the divers needs to be rescued.
During yesterday’s drill, the witness was a photographer on a boat,
who said the body was located in a spot off The Spit in Scituate.
Within 4 minutes of getting the call from Patterson,
the dive team had dropped its first anchor at the site.
By 10 minutes and 15 seconds, the first diver was in the water.
The
search area was about 9 feet deep because of low tide. Most of their practices had been at depths of 18 to 22 feet, Hendrick
said.
The current was moving at about 2 knots - a force of about 300 pounds per square foot on the diver under water.
As
the fire rescue divers searched, the other departments helped keep other boaters out of the area. Families on the beach watched
as the MedFlight helicopter landed on The Spit.
After 42 minutes, the second diver pulled up the mannequin.
The
rescue divers are in the midst of their third year of training by Butch Hendrick, an instructor from New York who travels
the world teaching fire, police and military personnel how to find things under water.
Initial training focused on
how to work from boats. Divers also have been trained on searches under ice. The next sessions will likely be ocean rescues
and rescues when vehicles are under water.
Yesterday’s drill was the second day of practice with a fast-water
rescue.
So far, the rescue dive team has not had to respond to a real-life situation. But regardless, they’ll
stay prepared.
Diana Schoberg may be reached at dschoberg@ledger.com .
Copyright 2006 The Patriot
Ledger
Transmitted Friday, June 23, 2006
Town holds line on ramp closure
By Jillian Fennimore/ jfennimo@cnc.com
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Advocates
for keeping the Driftway boat ramp open say it can be done with "smart" conservation ideas.
But members of the Conservation Commission maintain that plans are
still in place to close the Driftway Conservation Park for rehabilitation, safety and environmental reasons.
A number of proposed alternatives to closing the ramp were brought
to the table during an informational Waterways Commission meeting Monday night in hopes by some that this decision would be
reversed.
Brad White, founder of the grassroots campaign called "Save Our
Ramp," offered suggestions such as metering the ramp's usage to allow only smaller boats - single-axle trailers and boats
20-feet-long or less, enacting a first-come-first-serve policy, and exploring other parking site at nearby lots like Widow's
Walk or the MBTA layover station.
In defining the park as a public landing, White, a Marshfield resident
that boats in Scituate, said the Conservation Commission does not have the right to restrict access.
"I am absolutely convinced that any attempt to close the ramp is
against our constitutional rights and we will fight it," he said about hiring an environmental lawyer to move forward with
his case.
Local boaters learned of the proposed last month, and those who
use the park area were distressed in hearing that cars, trailers and all powerboats would be prohibited from either parking
or launching near the shore for fear of further damage to the First Herring Brook riverbank. Some say losing park access will
cut off the only outlet to the North River.
As of now the gate will be locked up this summer, and open only
for emergency situations with immediate access to the river. While power boats are prohibited, those who wish to canoe, kayak,
or launch other hand-carried vessels will be able to use the ramp.
Over the last year, the Conservation Commission has been looking
into a feasibility study for better management of the public park and reconstruction of the boat ramp itself. Commission Chairman
Michael Clark said there is already substantial erosion at the water's edge, and low tide presents hazardous conditions for
boaters.
"We have not changed of position on our stance in correcting this
situation," he said. "We want to get the residents of Scituate the multi-purpose park they can enjoy."
Temporary closure of the park is part of a public access plan that
was approved at the March 4 Town Meeting, setting aside $600,000 in Community Preservation funds to kick off a five-year plan
to create bicycle and pedestrian paths in town, construction of a boardwalk from Moorland Road to the Spit, and looking into
the design a new park and boat ramp.
To help with the design work, the Conservation Commission have sent
out a "Request for Proposal" to hire an engineer to start work in modernizing the park.
A number of public hearings will be held in the coming month to
welcome input and recommendations as plans move forward.
"We are open to alternate solutions that can help us," said Clark.
"We don't have the resources now."
Clark said the commission works with $5,000 annually to manage the
park, and lack of future funding may make it harder to open the park.
Newly elected Waterways Chairman Howie Kreutzberg called Monday's
meeting a progressive way to get local thoughts heard and to find reasonable solutions.
From the commission's point of view, Kreutzberg said they want to
make sure all members of the boating community are involved in the process.
"We want to make sure the boaters are taken care of," he said about
working with conservation members as plans move forward. "There seems to be a lot of different things that can be done."
Acting Harbormaster Mark Patterson said from a public safety perspective,
he is in support of any decision by the Commission to prevent potential boating dangers in the future. Although he said he
worries the closure could cause boaters to try to access the North River by launching its mouth -a more dangerous portion
of the waterway known as the "New Inlet."
"Everybody needs to und that is a Conservation Commission issue,"
he said. "I think its clear to everyone that something has to be done."
White said he is trying now to get the boat ramp issue on the meeting
agendas of both the Conservation Commission and Selectmen. Now that his campaign is gaining support, White said he has no
plans to back down.
"We are going to work our best with as many people as can," he said.
"We are looking forward to be formally heard."
For more information on Brad White's campaign, visit www.saveourramp.com.
Playground planners fired up
By Jillian
Fennimore/ jfennimo@cnc.com
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Humarock is gearing up its young firefighters with a brand new truck, fire house and slide.
And
it's all kid-sized.
The
new equipment is part of the plans for a new park proposed for the area adjacent to the fire house on River Street.
Bart Curran a firefighter at the Humarock station, hopes to see children occupy
the new playground by the springtime.
For
Curran, and others planning the playground project, the fire house theme was a natural.
"All
the children come into the station to see the truck," he said. "It seems to be a magnet to them."
Recent
approval from the Conservation Commission and support from the Town Administrator, has given the project plans the spark and
momentum needed.
Playground
planners are working in conjunction with the Humarock Beach Improvement Association (HBIA), and Curran said the project will
cost about $35,000.So far, close to $30,000 has been raised.
Kathy
Bryan, HBIA treasurer, said to help boost the park's funding, the association is raffling off a photograph by local photographer
Mike Sleeper called "Autumn Afternoon."
"It's
a really big hit," she said about the popularity of the piece. Raffle tickets are being sold for $10 each or three for $25
at the Humming Rock Gift Shop on Marshfield Avenue and the nearby Humarock post office.
The
post office is also helping Curran sell bricks as part of the park's fundraiser. The bricks can be engraved and will be used
for a walkway into the playground area. A small brick can be purchased for $50, and the larger ones are going for $100.
"The
bricks will be laid after park is finished," said Bryan. "This is a nice memento for the people who live here."
Details
are being pieced together now to get the project's final plans underway, including approval from the town's commission on
disabilities, getting volunteers to do the site work and finding a company to construct the park's equipment.
Scituate
Fire Chief Edward Hurley said he thinks the project is a great idea, but wanted to make sure all safety precautions were being
taken. A fence has been included in the plans and will be placed around the park's perimeter in order to separate it from
the Humarock Fire Station.
Hurley
said there has always been an attraction those red fire trucks at the station.
"They're big and shiny, the lights are flashing," he said. "It seems pretty exciting."
Bryan
agreed.
"All
kids love fire trucks," she said. "(The park) is really going to appeal to them."
MISSING KAYAK LOCATED
MYC has been informed that shortly after
this alert was posted, Dianne & Larry received a call that their kayak has mysteriously reappeared and
is now secured to their boat at the South River Marina. They thank all MYC Members for keeping watch on the
River.
HELP WANTED - MISSING KAYAK
It was tied to a cleat at South River Yacht Yard (the old Simms Marina) but just wasn't there
on Sunday morning. We reported it to the Scituate Police, Scituate Harbormaster and Marshfield Police. It's
a 10'6" blue, Wilderness/Bandit kayak, has a black seat with cover and foot pedals inside, the paddle is black with yellow
paddles.
Appreciate any infomation! Thanks.
MYC Members
Batten down the hatches: Experts say area is due for storm
By Elizabeth
Malloy/ emalloy@cnc.com
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
The
South Shore hasn't been hit with a hurricane since Bob blew in back in 1991, but emergency management experts say that's no
reason not to be prepared.
"People
should expect anything or nothing, it all depends on whatever [God] has in store for us," said Dan Welch, Marshfield's Director
of Emergency Management. "We've been very fortune the last few years, I suspect we're due. Of course every year we say that,
we say 'We're going to get hit this year.'"
The
most important way people in vulnerable areas like Marshfield and other coastal towns can prepare for a hurricane is to make
a kit with flashlights, batteries, a radio or battery operated television, bottled water, canned goods and other non-perishable,
low salt foods, Welch said. Some emergency management experts recommend candles as well, but Welch said he prefers people
use flashlights since candles can be so easily knocked over and start fires.
Welch
stressed that anyone with prescription medications should keep them close at hand a hurricane in case they need to be evacuated.
Florida,
and islands in the Caribbean have already been battered by several hurricanes and tropical storms this season. Hurricane season
runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but this year saw an unprecedented number of early storm in July. Tropical storms that often
turn into hurricanes are all given names and so far this year the storms have been Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Dennis, Emily and
Franklin. Emily was the last to reach hurricane status. The latest tropical storm, Gert, was last seen moving out to sea near
the Gulf of Mexico. The next names to be given tropical storms and hurricanes are Harvey, Irene, Jose, Katrina, Lee, Maria,
Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rita, Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma.
Hurricanes
are notoriously unpredictable storms, but Welch said his agency will have two or three days notice if there is a strong chance
of a hurricane hitting this area.. He will have about 24 hours notice if the storm is definitely going to strike the South
Shore. If a hurricane is imminent, Marshfield will set up an emergency shelter in one of the schools and anyone who lives
near the water is encouraged to evacuate and either go stay with family or friends inland or stay in a hotel, Welch said.
This is not just for their own safety, but others as well; Welch recalled that during a bad storm in the 1980s, a man in Scituate
refused to leave the beach area, DPW crews were sent to make him leave, and while the man was rescued, a DPW worker died when
he was swept out to sea.
"If
you live right by the water, you're going to have to move" during a hurricane, Welch said.
Welch
recommended filling bathtubs with water for use for drinking, and if you have to be evacuated to a shelter, bring your own
pillows and blankets.
South
Shore residents generally don't have to worry about hurricanes unless they reach the New Jersey coast, then there is a strong
chance they will make their way up to New England, Welch said. There is a chance a storm could come north once it hits Cape
Hatteras in North Carolina if it bounces a bit out to sea and continues north, but if it keeps going straight north it will
hit land and lose strength, Welch said.
Water
temperature plays a role in where hurricanes hit as well.
"Warm
ocean water is bad news," Welch said.
Hurricanes
can vary in size and strength. A Category 1 hurricane causes seas about 4-feet high, while a Category 5 causes seas to rise
over 18-feet, Welch said.
The
most recent hurricanes to hit southeastern Massachusetts were Bob in 1991 and Gloria in 1984, but the worst storms the region
has seen hit more than 50 years ago. In 1954, Massachusetts was hit with two Category 3 hurricanes, Carol and Edna, killing
21 people, according to information on Massachusetts' state Web site.
The
worst hurricane of the last century, the state Web site said, was the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. Blue Hills Observatory
clocked wind gusts up to 184 miles per hour, and 564 people were killed during the storm, which struck in late September.
MEMA's suggested hurricane supply list:
Canned
goods and non-perishable foods that don't require cooking
Manual
can opener
Prescription
medications
Pet
food
Water
purification tablets
Disposable
plates, cups and utensils
Infant
care items such as diapers, baby wipes and formula
First
aid supplies
Masking
and duct tape
Flashlight
or lantern with extra batteries
Watch
or battery operated clock
Ice
chest
Matches,
sterno heater, portable camping stove or grill with fuel supply
Plastic
trash bags or plastic sheeting drop cloth
Clorinated
bleach
Personal
hygiene items
Work
gloves
Insect
repellant
Tools
Sunscreen
Health agent explains decision
By Elizabeth Malloy/ emalloy@cnc.com
Wednesday,
August 3, 2005
Marshfield beach
goers say they think the town should have erred on the side of caution and closed the beaches or at least posted signs when
bacteria counts were found to be high at Brant Rock two weeks ago.
"If
it tested positive, they should have closed it, or at least just warned people" said Rosemary Montgomery, who came to the
beach last Friday from Whitman. "At least until they re-tested."
Montgomery's
friend Susan Alley, visiting from New Mexico, agreed.
"They
should have closed it instead of just keeping it hush, hush," she said. "People are just going to get sicker if you don't
tell them."
In
the future, Marshfield Health Agent Peter Falabella said he will close the beaches if he receives results showing another
high bacteria count.
On
Wednesday, July 20, the Marshfield Department of Public Health received water test results showing a count of 144 colonies
per 100 milliliters of enterococci bacteria, which is typically found in sewage. State regulations say beaches should be closed
if test results show more than 104 colonies per 100 milliliters. The results were from a test taken Tuesday.
Falabella
said the counts from all the other beaches in Marshfield tested were far below 104 colonies per 100 milliliters, and the morning
after the results came in high for Brant Rock, he went to the beach and got in the water to examine it himself. Falabella
said based on his review and the other results he was confident the test had either been an anomaly or the water was no longer
affected by a high bacteria count.
On
Thursday, the Department of Public Health re-tested the beaches and on Friday the results showed all the beaches, including
Brant Rock, were much lower than 104 colonies per 100 milliliters. Brant Rock's count was 2 colonies, Falabella said.
"We
didn't close the beaches because we felt very strongly that they were safe," Falabella said. "We were operating in real time.
There is a lag time with the tests, where you test Tuesday and don't get the results until Wednesday, and we were operating
in real time meaning by Wednesday we thought the problem was gone."Donna Rheaume, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department
of Public Health said closing beaches is up to local boards of health and the state cannot force them to do so. Falabella
said someone from the state called his office last week and said they would prefer if he would not use his "real time" tests
and just close the beaches whenever he gets a high bacteria count.
Two
people contacted the Marshfield Department of Public health, one woman saying her three grandchildren got sick on either Tuesday
or Wednesday, and another woman saying she got sick Friday after swimming at Brant Rock beach. Symptoms from swimming in water
with high counts of enterococci bacteria can include stomach cramps and vomiting.
Falabella
said by Friday the water had been re-tested and counts were low. But enterococci is an indicator bacteria, he said, meaning
that if it is found in the water, it means other bacteria that can cause sickness are in the water as well. Not knowing exactly
what those bacteria are, he said there is a chance a person could have a 24 to 48 hour delay on getting sick.
Marshfield
routinely tests the water once a week and the state pays for the testing. Tests are usually conducted about 9 a.m., picked
up between 11 a.m. and noon and brought to a lab in Quincy. The test takes 24 hours to conduct, and results are usually sent
back to Marshfield between 2 and 4 p.m. the day after samples were taken, Falabella explained.
Not
all beach-goers criticized the town's decision to keep the beach open.
Linda
Vassalli, of Quincy, was spending last week in Brant Rock with her family in a rented house right on the beach and she said
while she was concerned for her kids and relatives, she was glad they didn't close the beach during her vacation.
"We
would have been bummed if it was closed," she said.
Beach not closed despite bacteria: Brant Rock kept open while officials retested
for toxin levels; several residents say they got sick
By DAN DeLEO
The Patriot Ledger
Marshfield officials last week failed to close a popular beach despite bacteria levels that exceeded
state regulations, and at least one resident says she got violently ill after spending a day in the water.
Brant Rock beach was never closed despite test results that showed high levels of enterococci bacteria,
which is typically found in sewage.
According to state regulations, a beach must be closed when tests show more than 104 colonies of the
bacteria per 100 milliliters of water. Results from tests conducted at the Marshfield beach last Tuesday indicated a bacteria
level of 144 colonies per 100 milliliters.
Although they reported the test results to the state, it is not clear why town officials allowed the
beach to remain open while they retested the water.
Peter J. Falabella, Marshfield's public health director, was out of the office yesterday. His assistant,
Laurel Thorne, did not return a phone call.
An official in that department, though, confirmed that the bacteria level was high last week and that
the beach remained open. They said a second test, conducted Thursday and returned on Friday, showed the bacteria count had
fallen to an acceptable level.
The bacteria level is scheduled to be tested again today, a town official said.
But Michael Celona, senior environmental analyst with the state Department of Public Health, said officials
strayed from regulations by failing to close the beach at least one day after the first test showed high levels of bacteria.
‘‘They should have closed the day the tests came back,'' he said.
Celona said that the state has no way to punish municipalities that fail to follow regulations. There
are no fines, he said.
Dr. Gerald Maher, chairman of the Marshfield Board of Health, said he learned of the bacteria issue
yesterday.
He said last week's high count was not statistically significant enough to close the beach. That decision,
he said, rests with the town's health agent, who has been monitoring the town's beaches for 20 years.
‘‘Closing the beach is a radical step,'' Maher said. ‘‘If (Falabella) felt
there was a health problem, he would have closed the beach. He's conservative on this stuff.''
Maher said that he can only remember Marshfield's beaches being forced to close once, when a sewage
overflow from Boston contaminated the water.
A town employee confirmed that there were several calls from local residents who say they got sick
after swimming at Brant Rock beach, one of five local beaches that is tested every week during the summer months.
Rhonda Patriquin spent Friday at Brant Rock beach, frolicking in the water with dozens of other people.
That night, she said she was awakened from a sound sleep by stomach cramps.
She said it felt like ‘‘someone had a pair of pliers on my intestines and was squeezing
and pulling.''
The symptoms, which included vomiting, lasted until 8:30 Saturday morning, Patriquin, 43, said.
Now she is sure contaminated water was the culprit.
‘‘You don't want to think the water you're swimming in is toxic,'' she said. ‘‘But
I won't go back until I know it's safe. I do not want to go through that again. That's how bad it was.''
Dan DeLeo may be reached at ddeleo@ledger.com.
Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Boater charged in friend's drowning: Kingston man dies in Duxbury Bay in accident
By ELENI HIMARAS and DON CONKEY
The Patriot Ledger
DUXBURY - Scott Kirby, of Kingston had just moored his motor boat at Howlands Landing in Duxbury Bay when he and a friend
climbed into a rowboat to go ashore.
About 300 hundreds yards out, the boat began taking in water and Kirby's friend, Todd Carruthers, 41, of Kingston fell
into the water and drowned, according to Duxbury Police Chief Mark DeLuca.
Kirby was both the owner and operator of both the motor and row boats, according to Joe O'Keefe, spokesman for the State
Office of Environmental Affairs.
State environmental police have charged Kirby, 42, of 6 Cross St., with operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol;
operating a vessel under the influence of drugs; possession of marijuana; and not having life jackets on board a vessel, the
rowboat, according to Duxbury Police Sgt. Chris Mori.
Kirby was held in lieu of $100,000 bail, and was scheduled to be arraigned today in Plymouth District Court.
Mori said the call for help came in at 5:50 p.m. Saturday. The Plymouth County dive team pulled Carruthers' body from the
water at 7:25 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘‘It does not appear to be anything suspicious,'' DeLuca said. ‘‘It appears to be an unfortunate,
alcohol-related boating accident.''
Edwin Carruthers of Kingston, the victim's father, declined to comment today but said the family would release a statement
later.
Kirby was held over the weekend at the Plymouth County jail.
Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Monday, June 13, 2005
Many see red over tide
By Ann E. Donlan
Saturday,
June 11, 2005 - Updated: 08:58 AM EST
As the most stubborn
red tide in 33 years gripped the Bay State coastline and paralyzed the livelihoods of 1,700 commercial fisherman, politicians
yesterday begged for disaster relief, clam diggers left the flats in search of odd jobs and worried restaurateurs reassured
customers their shellfish was safe.
``In the winter, you've got to deal with the cold, and the spring and fall, it's rain closures,
and the summer is our season to make money,'' said idle Ipswich clam digger Paul Damon, 44. ``So when we're denied that for
red tide, it hurts. I live paycheck to paycheck.''
Gov. Mitt Romney asked President Bush to declare an emergency yesterday. Also, the state's congressional delegation sought a ``commercial fishery failure'' from
the U.S. Department of Commerce to help deliver relief for fishermen, businesses and communities suffering from the shellfish-bed
closures. Officials put the weekly economic damage at $2.7 million, and the red invasion is not expected to retreat for a
month. ``To alleviate the economic hardship on communities and shell fishermen, I am requesting
that you declare the counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Suffolk and Plymouth a major disaster
area,'' Romney wrote to Bush.
But the promise of low-interest loans and other federal relief has not trickled down to
the people in the clam flats and over the vats of grease for fried clams. ``We're not people to sit back and wait for others
to give you money,'' said John Grundstrom, 50, of Rowley.
``What's that mean to us?'' asked clammer Brenda Turner, 50, of Ipswich. ``I can get a
loan off a credit card. That's not going to do me any good.''
Chickie Aggelakis, owner of the Clam Box restaurant famous for its sweet Ipswich and Essex
clams, shrugged when asked about the potential of loans or other aid.
``We'll never make it back,'' Aggelakis said of the battering her seasonal business has
suffered with a 15 to 20 percent drop-off in sales over the past three weeks. ``I haven't really heard anything about help.
I don't think it's going to come to me here.''
The annual shell fishing salary is $62,330, according to state figures - with no bosses standing over shoulders. If the
menacing algae bloom that has closed shellfish beds along the Massachusetts coast from the New Hampshire state line to Martha's
Vineyard, including Nantucket and Nantucket Sound, endures for 10 weeks, the economic impact would be $27 million, according
to Romney.
Grundstrom
suggested state leaders focus on reassuring a skittish public, especially tourists. ``They should tell people it is bad, but
what they're eating in the restaurants is all state-checked and fine,'' Grundstrom said.
The economic
impact of the red tide could be even worse because of misperceptions about it.
``We're starting
to get phone calls from people who are worried about swimming,'' said Wendy Northcross, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce director.
``They have the impression that beaches are closed.'' Red tide doesn't pose a problem for swimmers. But there have been reports
of cancelled reservations because people think they won't be able to go into the water, Northcross said.
3 rescued from boat sinking off Marshfield coast
By The Patriot Ledger
MARSHFIELD - Three people escaped injury and were rescued after their boat struck a rock
outside Green Harbor.
Marshfield Harbormaster Leonard LaForest said the 42-foot powerboat was traveling at a speed
of about 17 mph when it hit Bartlett's Rock at about 5 p.m. Sunday.
The boat had severe damage to its underside, lost power and was taking on water, LaForest
said.
A Mayday signal was put out, and two Marshfield assistant harbormasters, Robert Coakley
and Steve Howard, responded with a 25-foot boat, LaForest said.
Howard and Coakley towed the stricken boat to the Green Harbor ramp area, where the three
people got out. The boat later sank, and was removed from the water yesterday by a crane.
Information about the rescued people's names and where they live was not available.
The rescue took about an hour to complete, LaForest said.
LaForest said that the boat had more than 300 gallons of fuel, but there was no leakage.
Bartlett's Rock is about a half mile outside Green Harbor, is marked with a green marker
can, and is on charts, he said.
Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Go to the "Recent Pictures" for more pictures.
State seawall funding sought
By Elizabeth Malloy/ emalloy@cnc.com
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
The power of
the ocean severely damaged a Green Harbor seawall last week and now town officials are hoping the power of the state legislature
can get the wall repaired.
A portion of the seawall between 50 and 80
Bay Avenue was weakened when last week's late spring nor'easter tore away the large rocks, or "rip rap," supporting it, made
existing sink holes bigger and formed new holes. Town Meeting had already appropriated $75,000 for repairs to that seawall
last month, which the state would match, but those funds had to be used for the emergency repairs last week, DPW Supt. Jeb
DeLoach said. Now the town is looking for $500,000 in state dollars for permanent, lasting repairs to the wall.
"The price tag has gone up," DeLoach said.
"[The temporary repairs] will last for quite a while. We know it may be a year before we get money from the state and it will
last that long. The biggest thing now is to look at the sink holes in the wall and make sure we fill those in and stabilize
those."
DeLoach said state Rep. Frank Hynes, D-Marshfield,
has taken a "leadership role" in trying to get the necessary funds from the state to repair the wall. Hynes said he plans
to apply for the money through the state's supplemental budget.
"We're going to try and get as much as we can
to help the town deal with this emergency situation and make that area of the town much more safe and secure for people to
continue to live there," Hynes said. "It's not simply private homes, it's the whole public infrastructure, it's the gas mains,
the electricity, the street itself that would be effected, as well as the sewer system."
Historically, Hynes said it's hard for coastal
communities to get seawall funding for several reasons.
"Not only do you have that problem where people
who don't live on the coast don't appreciate the ferociousness and the violence of coastal storms, but we are still in a very
difficult financial situation [in the state], we still have a structural deficit," Hynes said. "But we're going to try."
The Green
Harbor seawall, already in disrepair, began severely crumbling during last week's storm and DPW crews, as well as some private
contractors worked all night May 25 to secure the area. Town Administrator John Clifford said everyone in town worked together,
from DPW crews who did the work to Conservation Administrator Jay Wennemer who worked to get the permits through quickly.
"Everybody pitched in," Clifford said.
DeLoach agreed, saying: "If not for that, I
don't think that we would have made it."
Christine McCormack, who owns the house right
in front of the damaged seawall, said she was grateful to the town and how quickly they got the work done. She said that happens
every time there's a major storm.
"Everyone pulls together as a community and
because of that we have our homes," McCormack said.
Residents of Bay Avenue in Green Harbor said
water came up over the wall and reached the second floor of many waterfront homes during the storm. Sarah Sullivan of Milton,
whose summer home is located right near where the seawall breached, said overall her house held up well. While much of the
vinyl siding was torn off the front and water got inside, she said it could have been much worse.
"We had some debris blowing around but overall
not too bad," Sullivan said of the storm. "This [nor' easter] was rare though. It was eerie to have one this late."
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The new fuel hasn’t caused similar problems in automobiles because - unlike boats - cars and trucks have fuel systems that are completely enclosed and not exposed to air. Also, most motorists replace their gas once a week, so there’s less chance of fuel-tank buildup over the years.
The ethanol-related repair work is happening amid an overall slowdown in the boating community.
With fuel costs up about 38 percent from last year, there are simply fewer people out on the water.
Scott Dayton, Hyannis Marina’s service manager, said he’s noticed that there are fewer big yachts cruising the Eastern Seaboard this summer.
And Donna Hill, Hyannis Marina’s warranty administrator, said even die-hard boaters are changing their ways.
“People are getting on their boats, but instead of going out, they are sitting around and partying at the marina instead,” she said.
Dunham said that the people who are still using their boats are looking for ways to cut operating costs.
“Instead of paying a marina crew to wash, paint and winterize their boats, many people are learning how to do it themselves,” he said.
They aren’t the only boaters making do with less, said captain Ethan Maass of Sea Tow in Marshfield. The company helps boaters in distress, and for the past two years he’s responded to countless boaters with fuel-pump and fuel-line failures.
Maass isn’t a mechanic, and didn’t always find out what the problem really was.
“But people definitely think their problems are linked to ethanol,” he said.
This summer, however, he’s noticed a new trend.
“There’s been an increased number of people who are running out of fuel.
“I think people are cutting it close because of the price of gas,” he said.