Mattapoisett launch service sets sail
After months of review and revisions, the Board of Selectmen approved Mattapoisett Boatyard as the official launch service provider for the town’s 2012 boating season.
The Selectmen and Marine Advisory Board conceived of the idea as a service to boaters and to limit traffic caused by the addition of 55 new moorings in the harbor.
The Selectmen last discussed the issue in March after receiving two applications from private companies.
The Selectmen revised their initial proposal, specifying the hours of operation and Barstow Wharf as the launch point.
The second proposal received only one application.
The Marine Advisory Board and Harbormaster Horace Field reviewed the application with Selectmen on Tuesday, May 8.
“It would have been great to see more proposals,” said Marine Advisory Board member Alan Gillis. “Realistically the Mattapoisett Boatyard is already in the business. They don’t have a startup cost.”
Town Administrator Mike Gagne said the application deviated significantly from the proposal.
“I think there’s some trepidation from the Boatyard as to meeting the commitment and whether it will be successful,” said Gagne.
As such, Boatyard owner David Kaiser requested a one-year contract rather than the three-year contract originally required by the Selectmen. The service will cover a slightly smaller area.
Most significantly, the Boatyard will not maintain a boat constantly at Barstow Wharf during operating hours, but customers can call the service by radio or phone.
“It’s not as critical to be hanging at Barstow as having a reliable boat service to get you back to your boat,” said Gagne.
Gillis agreed. During peak hours, he did not anticipate a problem with getting people to their boats efficiently.
“If David has enough people to keep the business going, our feeling was that he’s going to keep up with it,” he said.
Selectmen voted to approve Mattapoisett Boatyard as the launch service provider with the requirements that they keep data on their operations for future analysis and operate a VHF radio for communication.
