Harbor-dwelling boat owners were caught off-guard this past weekend by the surprising strength and lengthy duration of a Nor’easter. The storm that swept through the Island damaged a number of boats in Vineyard waters, and caused a few dinghies to break free of their moorings.
And there was a lot of rain. The National Weather Service reported 4½ inches in Edgartown from Thursday into Sunday.
Two incidents down-Island required help from local harbormaster offices and a hired hand.
In one incident, Tisbury harbormaster staff — in coordination with TowBoatUS — recovered a vessel that was stuck on the rocks by the causeway on Beach Road after it broke free from its mooring. The vessel owner notified both the Tisbury harbormaster and TowBoatUS, who successfully helped him off the rocks. The owner was able to board his vessel as it was pinned to the land. After the recovery, staff deemed the boat seaworthy, and the vessel was once again secured to a mooring.
Another vessel, in the outer Tisbury harbor, attempted to move to an inner harbor mooring during the storm. An older couple on board underestimated the wind’s strength, and after multiple failed attempts, required the harbormaster staff and TowBoatUS to help secure a mooring.
Tisbury Harbormaster Gary Kovack said that his staff performed well during the two incidents.
Other issues caused by the weekend storm included floataway dinghies, which Kovack emphasized can be an issue when the boats aren’t labeled properly. Dinghies that come loose may require U.S. Coast Guard intervention, because there is no way of knowing if anyone was onboard at the time.
“Something I would like to ask people is, If you do have any assets down here in the harbor — whether it’s a boat, a dingy, or a kayak — that you do prior-, during-, and poststorm checks, because it’s your responsibility to take care of your own equipment,” said Kovack. “It’s a privilege to have people come help you off the water, not a right — safety is paramount.”
Despite the storm, some devoted boaters continued fishing for the annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.
“I saw a couple boats out there because it’s the Derby, and the Derby is gonna Derby. Those anglers who fish the Derby are very responsible fishermen,” said Kovack.
