Wednesday, May 29, 2019

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Manchester-by-the-Sea Purchases New Safety Patrol Boat

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA– Town Administrator Gregory T. Federspiel, Interim Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald and Harbormaster Bion Pike are pleased to announce that Manchester-by-the-Sea has purchased a new public safety patrol boat.

The vessel, a 25-foot 2006 Defender model Safe Boat, will be used to patrol the waterways of Manchester-by-the-Sea this summer. The boat was previously owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, and was taken out of service recently as the organization transitions to using new 27-foot versions of the vessel.

“In recent years, there has been an increase in boating traffic as our harbor has become more popular to resident and transient boaters,” Harbormaster Pike said. “This boat will allow us to have 24/7 access to our waterways to respond safely to incidents in our jurisdiction, in all types of weather.”

The town currently has another patrol boat that is used by the Harbormaster as well as a pump-out boat. The new boat will allow the town’s public safety departments to patrol town waterways without interfering with the operations of the Harbormaster.

Harbormaster Pike has trained members of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department to prepare officers to use the boat as a vessel for community policing on the water.

“This boat will offer our department an opportunity to respond to calls for service and emergencies on the water, educate the boating public and fulfill our responsibility as a public safety department within the borders of our community,” Chief Fitzgerald said.

The boat is currently being serviced and new electronic equipment is being installed. Once the boat is ready to be in the water, the police department and Harbormaster will jointly host an open boat day, where the public will be invited to Masconomo Park to meet members of the police department and the harbormaster.

“The purchase of this public safety patrol boat is a great step forward for waterway safety in Manchester-by-the-Sea,” Town Administrator Federspiel said. “Voters approved funding for additional patrol hours and for this new asset. Our waterways are an incredible resource, and this boat will allow our residents and visitors to enjoy what our town has to offer in a safe environment.”

Anyone with further questions about the boat can contact Chief Fitzgerald at the police department at 978-526-1212 or Harbormaster Pike at 978-526-7832. The date and time of the Open Boat Day will be announced on the Police Department and Harbormaster’s social media accounts in the coming weeks.

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