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."

Delahunt helps clear way for harbor dredging

By Kathryn Koch

GateHouse News Service

Thu Aug 02, 2007, 08:13 PM EDT

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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

In This Issue:

MASSACHUSETTS BOATER INFORMATION PIPELINE ALERT

Dear Friends of Boating,

Mark Your Calendar

.

Contact Info

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

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

.

Click Here For Local Massachusetts Predicted Tide Tables

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.txt

The 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

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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

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By Katia Opatkiewicz

Tue Oct 23, 2007, 02:46 PM EDT

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