From 2000 to 2016, the R/V Baykeeper offered free pumpouts to boats in Cuttyhunk Harbor twice a week in summer.

From 2000 to 2016, the Coalition operated a free mobile pumpout service in Cuttyhunk Harbor aboard the R/V Buzzards Baykeeper®. Now, with a permanent pumpout service starting there in June, the town of Marion will put the Baykeeper’s former equipment to good use.

The donation was perfect timing for Marion, whose pumpout system was recently vandalized. “This stuff isn’t cheap, so every little bit helps,” said Marion Harbormaster Isaac Perry. The Baykeeper equipment will also update some of Marion’s older pumpout equipment. Perry estimates the town services 1,000 boats per summer and pumps out 14,000 gallons of waste.

Buzzards Bay is a No Discharge Zone, which means it’s illegal for boats to discharge any waste. Boat sewage can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, nitrogen, and chemicals that, when released into the water, can harm the health of the Bay and people who swim, fish, and shellfish in our local waters.

Marion plans to use the donated equipment to create a trailered mobile pumpout system to supplement its existing pumpout boat service. This will help the harbormaster more easily reach boats that have already been taken out of the water late in the season. “Accessing [boats in the boatyard] with a pumpout boat is difficult,” said Perry. “Having the mobile capability would be perfect.”

Both the Coalition and Marion receive funding through the Clean Vessel Act to operate and maintain pumpout services for recreational boaters.

The new mobile pumpout service will be available to Marion boaters starting next fall. To arrange a pumpout in Marion during the 2018 season, contact the Harbormaster’s office at (508) 748-3515.