Sustained freezing temperatures and harsh winter weather have locked up several Cape Cod harbors, keeping fishing vessels tied to the docks, stalling dredge operations, and limiting emergency response access.
According to The Cape Cod Chronicle, Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich, Massachusetts, has been among the hardest hit. Harbormaster John Harker said that roughly 20 commercial vessels on the east side of the harbor have been frozen in for weeks, as ice as thick as six inches has constricted the docks and slips.
To prevent costly infrastructure damage, Harker and his crew have been running 48 de-icing pumps for more than a month. The harbor includes more than 200 slips, and one transient dock on the east side of the harbor was already destroyed by ice.
“We’ve been proactive and staying on top of it,” Harker told the Chronicle. “The cost trade of running the pumps versus repair of the docks is a good trade.”
Water temperatures in the harbor have dipped to 28 degrees, with freshwater flowing in from the Andrews River and Cold Brook accelerating ice formation. Harker said harbormasters across the Cape have been unable to get emergency vessels out, raising safety concerns in addition to economic impacts.
The icing has also immobilized the Barnstable County dredge in Sesuit Harbor in Dennis, delaying projects that must be completed before seasonal fish swapping closures take effect.
Cape harbormasters met with the Cape Cod Fishermen’s Alliance to assess what would be needed to get boats moving again. They also reached out to Cape and Islands Senator Julian Cyr and state representatives seeking financial assistance to hire a private tugboat service to break up the ice. While state funding has not yet been secured, Barnstable County stepped in.
On Feb. 11, country commissioners approved $50,000 to hire a private tug to clear priority harbors. The Assembly of Delegates approved the ordinance in an emergency meeting the following day. Reimbursement discussions are ongoing at the state level.
The tugboat is expected to focus on the north side of the Cape, while the Coast Guard’s smaller ice-breaking vessel has been working the south side, including Saquatucket and Wychmere harbors. A larger Coast Guard icebreaker has been concentrating on ferry routes in Nantucket Sound.
Priority harbors for ice clearing include Chatham, Harwich, Dennis, Barnstable, Mashpee, and Wellfleet.
