 Mattapoisett Harbor
 Making
for Mattapoisett Harbor
Mattapoisett
Boat Yard
Mattapoisett Yacht Club
Mattapoisett
History
Mattapoisett
Harbormaster
Where
to Eat
Things to
See and Do
New Bedford Marine Rescue (TowBOAT/U.S.) -- New Bedford
Marine Rescue (TowBOAT/U.S.) -- Tow Service: (508) 990-3997
(BOAT/US and NBOA Tower); Channel 16 (156.8MHz), or
1-800-391-4869
Brownell Boat Yard -- http://www.brownellboatyard.com/matt.htm
Ned’s Point Light -- http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/neds.htm
or http://www.ultranet.com/~danap/matta.html
Mattapoisett Harbor -- http://www.impulz.net/buzzardsbay/harbors/matt.htm
Town of Mattapoisett -- http://www.mattapoisett.net/
Making for Mattapoisett Harbor
Easy to enter, well-marked and with a minimum of obstacles,
Mattapoisett Harbor provides depth for mooring or anchoring
on either the southwest or the northeast sides of the
channel, and in the southwest corner of the harbor.
The harbor lies wide open to the southeast, but on most
summer nights, you can find shelter at anchor or on
a guest mooring. Contact the Mattapoisett Boat Yard
(VHF Channels 16 and 68) for a guest mooring.
To find Mattapoisett Harbor, use NOAA Charts 13229,
13230, or 13218. The entrance to the harbor is marked
by red nun No. 4, about 11 nautical miles from New Bedford,
about 3.5 nautical miles from Bird Island outside Sippican
Harbor, or about 8 nautical miles from the western end
of Woods Hole.
Approaching from the south, round red bell No. 2 off
West Island and head for the flashing green (4 sec)
bell No. 9A at Nye’s Ledge (course: 047 degrees magnetic).
Leave Cormorant Rock, marked by a green and white daymarker,
at least 30 yards to port to play it safe (Cormorant
Rock is pyramid-shaped - you may strike a rock if you
pass too close to it). After you pass Cormorant Rock,
you can change course for green can No. 1 off Mattapoisett
Ledge, leaving it to port as you turn into the channel
(course: 330 degrees magnetic), then sail or motor well
away from the channel markers - they also mark underwater
obstructions.
You may see local sailors passing inside cans No. 1,
No. 3, or No. 5, but since there are rocks, ledges and
sandbars that leave only a foot or two or three of depth,
it’s a good idea to stay outside can No. 1. At can No.
1, turn to port and follow the well-marked channel into
the harbor.
From the northeast (Buzzards Bay green channel buoy
No. 3), head for red nun No. 2 at Angelica Point (course:
254 degrees magnetic). Round the nun, leaving it to
starboard (course: 285 degrees magnetic) towards red
nun No. 4, passing Ned’s Point Light well to starboard.
From the south (Wood’s Hole green bell No. 13 at the
western end of Wood’s Hole Passage), head for Nye’s
Ledge green bell No. 9A (course: 344 degrees magnetic).
Leave Nye’s Ledge Bell to port, then turn to 330 degrees
magnetic and follow the markers into the harbor.
With the ongoing construction project at the town wharf,
you probably will not find a place to set your anchor
or tie up at the town dock (there is limited access
for dinghies). You may want to try to set the hook in
the southwest corner of the harbor at Molly’s Cove.
Molly’s Cove provides the most protection from the prevailing
southwesterlies, but is a long haul across the mile-wide
harbor to the amenities in town.
Your best bet may be to try to get a guest mooring at
the Mattapoisett Boat Yard, just west of Ned’s Point
. There, you can rent a mooring and get a launch to
take you to shore or tie up to the boatyard’s dingy
dock. The launch can take you ashore from 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. from July 4 through Labor Day (the launch stops
at 4:30 p.m. during other times of the year).
Mattapoisett Boat Yard
Mattapoisett Boat Yard is located at 32 Ned’s Point
Road, P.O. Box 1030, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. Telephone:
(508) 758-3812, Fax: (508) 758-2527.
Monitors VHF Ch. 68.
Located at Lat: 41 degrees 39.5 min. N, Long: 70 degrees
48 min. W
Offers transient moorings, launch service, pumpout,
Texaco gasoline and diesel, 35-ton lift (for boats up
to 50 ft.), full-service boatyard, service for Volvo-Penta,
Westerbeke, Universal, Yanmar , Johnson outboards.
http://www.mattapoisettboatyard.com/
Mattapoisett Yacht Club
The Mattapoisett Yacht Club is 100 years old this year
(2001). Located on the grounds of the Mattapoisett Boat
Yard, MYC holds races on Wednesday evenings beginning
in June for three PHRF classes. The MYC sponsors the
Round-the-Bay boat race early in June, co-sponsors the
Buzzards Bay Regatta in early August, and plays host
to a number of small boat races throughout the summer.
Many MYC boats moor at the Mattapoisett Boat Yard.
http://www.mattapoisettboatyard.com/
Mattapoisett History
Mattapoisett is a pleasant New England coastal town
with a large harbor on Buzzards Bay whose name is said
to come from an old Indian word meaning “resting place.”
Settled in 1750, Mattapoisett was part of Rochester
until 1857, when it was incorporated into a separate
town.
Drawing both the native Americans and the colonials
were the rich fish, shellfish, waterfowl and game within
the town’s borders, as well as seasonal eel and fish
runs on the Mattapoisett River and nearby eel ponds.
Historians believe that European explorers may have
used Mattapoisett Harbor for shelter long before anyone
settled in town. In addition, there are some known Indian
burial sites in Mattapoisett.
The earliest settlers came to Mattapoisett after the
King Philip wars around 1680. The early residents dealt
in lumber, tar, and turpentine production. About 1740,
shipbuilding began. Before the outbreak of the Civil
War, the principal businesses in town were shipbuilding
and whaling, with four shipyards in operation before
1800. In the 1800s, Mattapoisett became one of the most
important shipbuilding towns on the East Coast - 400
ships were constructed in Mattapoisett shipyards over
a period of 100 years.
Many whaling ships that sailed from New England ports
were built in Mattapoisett. A shipping complex was developed
at the head of Mattapoisett Harbor in the first half
of the 18th century. The town traded with Nantucket,
Newport, New York and Savannah. By 1855 there were 16
whaling ships sailing from Mattapoisett. Those residents
not involved in maritime trades farmed and raised sheep.
Following the decline of the whaling and shipbuilding
industries, an influx of well-to-do summer residents
built summer homes on big estates, not in densely packed
groupings as in other shore communities. The town became
a summering place for residents of New York and Boston,
among them Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Mattapoisett’s old village offers a glimpse into the
past with many historic homes. Ship Yard Park is the
site of Jonathan Holmes’s shipyard, where in 1878, the
last whaler of Mattapoisett, the Wanderer, was built.
Mattapoisett Harbormaster
The harbormaster is Stephen T. Mach, assisted by several
others. They can be reached at (508) 758-4191 or (508)
758-4775, or on VHF Ch. 16 or 68. The Mattapoisett town
dock offers dinghy tie-up only.
Emergency shoreside and marine services:
Tow services: New Bedford Marine Rescue (TowBOAT U.S.):
(508) 990-3997, VHF Ch. 16 (156.8 MHz), or 1-800-391-4869.
Police: 911/ (508) 758-4141 (business)
Fire: 911/ (508) 758-4150 (business)
Radio Telephone: VHF 24, 26, 87 (New Bedford Marine
Operator)
Airport: New Bedford Regional Airport: (508) 991-6160
Taxi services: Cranberry Taxi (Wareham) (508) 295-8577
Yellow Cab (New Bedford) (508) 999-5213
Where to Eat
A short walk from the town dock is the Mattapoisett
Inn, the country’s oldest seaside inn, serving French
and American cuisine. Friday and Saturdays there is
often live music. Telephone: (508) 758-4922.
The Shipyard Galley offers fresh-baked croissants, soups,
sandwiches, and pies. Telephone: (508) 758-9408.
On Rte. 6 (a little less than a mile from the town dock),
you can dine at the Mattapoisett Chowder House (508)
758-2333, Cerulli’s (508) 758-6111, or at Nick’s Homemade
Pizza (508) 758-2277. There is a convenience store,
doughnut shop, and post office, all on Rte. 6 in the
town of Mattapoisett. There is also an ice cream stand
on the east side of the parking lot at Town Wharf, serving
not only cool treats, but hot dogs and hot coffee early
in the morning!
Things to See and Do
You can wander over to Shipyard Park to watch square
dancing or listen to a band concert many summer evenings
or wander along Water Street across from the Mattapoisett
Inn to visit art galleries and gift shops. Along the
side streets are many historic homes, or travel east
about an eighth of a mile to the sandy town beach.
If you brought a windsurfing board and conditions are
right, head for Ned’s Point where many windsurfers gather
on blustery days.
|
