Edgartown considers Cape Poge anchorage regulations

The number of motorboats anchoring in Cape Poge has increased over the past several years, particularly at the Gut, where the water is shallow and sailboats frequently enter and exit.

At a special meeting of the Edgartown board of selectmen, a number of abutters, stakeholders, and lovers of Cape Poge voiced their concerns over the growing use of the ecologically sensitive marine environment.

In November, the Edgartown planning board approved a one-year moratorium on anchoring in the area, but the ban has to come from selectmen. The marine advisory committee recommended a moratorium as well.

A number of people wholly supported the one-year ban, including Islands director of The Trustees of Reservations Sam Hart, who spoke for the organization. The concerning area of barrier beach land going into Cape Poge is owned and managed by The Trustees. 

This barrier beach system, Hart said, is home to state and federally listed bird species that The Trustees are mandated to protect. 

He added that although the Trustees support the moratorium, they are open to working on a responsible management plan that includes the perspective of the boating public.

“We understand how this will affect the local boating community,” Hart said, and added that the Trustees would support whatever decision selectmen make, whether it’s a full ban, or a partial ban on weekends or certain peak usage times.

Cape Poge was designated as a district of critical planning concern by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, which mandates meaningful management and protection for critical resources or areas. 

Marine advisory committee member Bruce McIntosh said five years ago, there might be 10 or 15 boats up at the beach and landing area near the Gut. But over the past couple of years, he has seen up to 150 boats anchored there on a nice weekend with low wind.

McIntosh said Cape Poge needs to be regulated, in order to protect it from ecological harm, and to protect its character, which has traditionally been tranquil and family-oriented.

He suggested a one-year moratorium on anchoring inside the pond while the new, to-be-formed Cape Poge advisory committee is established.

Additionally, he said, the town needs to find a balance between maintaining access for traditional recreation, while also mitigating the impact that overuse might have on ecological resources and character.

But placing a moratorium on anchoring comes with significant challenges surrounding enforcement. McIntosh said it would be up to The Trustees to limit use of the traditional landing area, which may see increased use if anchoring is disallowed.

Martin Tomassian said that, in the past few years, Cape Poge has been “inundated” with boats from Cape Cod. Although some of those individuals are respectful and conscious of the ecological sensitivity of the area, Tomassian said others anchor in the eelgrass, and highlighted the detrimental effects that hundreds of boats making these mistakes can have.

“It hurts the Island, it hurts Edgartown residents, it hurts the shellfisherman. That’s why we should stop this for at least a year to really look at this issue,” Tomassian said.

Edgartown harbormaster Charlie Blair said Cape Poge has always been public, as have Edgartown beaches. “It sure would be nice to have the pond the same way,” he said.

Ever since people have discovered Cape Poge as “the place to go,” Blair, said there has been a “vast armada” that recreates there during the busy season.

He pointed out that the shellfish habitat in the pond is one of the “last bastions” of the bay scallop on the East Coast. 

Despite the ecological importance of the area, Blair said he doesn’t think a blanket statement saying “no anchoring” will be effective.

“It is very difficult just to come in and say no anchoring,” he said, adding that it would take a significant amount of manpower to enforce any restrictions.

He suggested a potential solution where there is a designated place for people to anchor that would have the least impact on shellfish and the marine environment.

Although the area is still used frequently by families, Blair said there are some crowds that get a little rowdy.

“I can’t send my crew to adult drinking altercations in Cape Poge, I can only send myself and a few of my older people,” he said. He thanked the Edgartown Police for their support in responding to incidents at Cape Poge. “We can respond in about six minutes, if we have to,” he said. 

In order to responsibly and effectively maintain the area, Blair suggested making a thorough plan that educates members of the boating public through signage and handouts, while restricting boaters from anchoring in the eelgrass, or in the most sensitive areas.

With next year’s shellfishing season looking more promising than the last, shellfish constable Paul Bagnall said now would be a good time to start “putting the brakes on it,” referring to the number of boats anchoring in the pond.

He said he thinks signage listing any regulations would take care of a large part of the issue.

Cape Poge resident Terry Dangel said the beach in front of his house is open to the public, and normally he enjoys seeing people enjoying their time on the water.

But last summer, Dangel said, was an “extraordinarily painful experience,” with people blaring radios, defecating on the beach, and other issues that he said could be related to drinking.

Dangel said he supports the one-year moratorium, but stressed that a permitting system should be established in order to not only limit use, but create a funding stream to pay for enforcement of regulations.

Several abutters and concerned members of the public suggested using the one-year moratorium to collect data and generate information on the eelgrass, shellfish, and other marine life in Cape Poge.

Resident Bonnie Weiss said motorboats coming in and out of the area at high rates of speed have been a cause of concern for her family, who frequently use kayaks to cross the Gut to the other side of the beach. Wakes can also cause erosion, which Weiss said she has witnessed over the years, as people have brought larger vessels into Cape Poge. 

She said collecting data on erosion rates and other elements of protection should be considered.

David Slater, captain of the Herreshoff fleet at the Edgartown Yacht Club, said his fleet cruises into Cape Poge to show young sailors the ropes, and learning to anchor is an essential part of that training. 

“That whole project is an incredible learning experience for those sailors,” Slater said. “I can see we would be challenged to sail past all these motorboats.”

Additionally, he said his fleet and many other sailors use the area of Cape Poge that is much further beyond the Gut itself, and asked whether there could be a way for sailors to continue using that location.

Edgartown selectmen chair Art Smadbeck said the marine advisory committee will come back to selectmen in three or four weeks with a final recommendation, based on input from abutters, the shellfish warden, and the planning board.