Padanaram Harbor
 Making
for Padanaram Harbor
New Bedford
Yacht Club
Dartmouth
and South Dartmouth History
Dartmouth
Harbormaster
Where to Eat
Things to
See and Do
History of the New Bedford
Yacht Club 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
Making for Padanaram Harbor
The charts say Apponagansett Bay in the town of South Dartmouth,
but everyone knows it as Padanaram. Padanaram is one of
the original names for Mesopotamia and lay between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers in what was Assyria.
Use NOAA Charts No. 13230 and 13229 to navigate to Padanaram
Harbor. Tide is high approximately 25 minutes after Newport
and low tide is 33 minutes after Newport.
The entrance to Apponagansett Bay and Padanaram Harbor is
located 4.2 mi. south of the hurricane barrier at New Bedford
Harbor, 10.2 mi. north of Cuttyhunk Island, and 14.5 mi.
north and east of Westport Harbor.
Heading towards Padanaram from north or south, make for
the radome, a large radar installation off Round Hill Point.
Jutting out from Round Hill are Dumpling Rocks. Keep between
green can No. 5 off Dumpling Rocks and the flashing red
4 second bell No. 4. The sand spit directly east of the
bell is at least 10 feet below the surface but, to sail
on the safe side, keep inside the buoy. You can leave green
gong No. 7DR to either side, but leave a good amount of
room between your boat and the rocks, marked by a green
tower flashing 6 second No. 5A.
As you head for Ricketson’s point and the flashing red 5
second tower, keep red nun No. 4LR well to starboard (it
marks the two-foot shallows of Lone Rock) and green can
No. 3 well to port (Keel Rock). Stay at least 600 yards
from shore.
Follow the red markers into the harbor from the breakwater
at Ricketson’s point.
To anchor in a quiet spot (away from the hustle and bustle
near the yacht club farther up the harbor), swerve in towards
shore immediately after passing the breakwater. It is quiet
and calm – you can anchor and swim in clean water up to
about 20 to 30 yards from shore.
At the New Bedford Yacht Club , you
can pull up to the dock in about seven to ten feet of water
to gas up (regular or diesel) and get ice. Visiting members
of yacht clubs are asked to register at the club for reciprocal
privileges. A short walk takes you into the village of South
Dartmouth where you can buy groceries, sundries, or get
supplies or replacement parts for your boat or engine at
Concordia Co. (508-999-1381).
The Marshall Cat Marine Co. , Davis & Tripp, and the Beetle (cat boat) Co. are located
nearby.
New Bedford Yacht Club
You can land at the New Bedford Yacht Club dock to gas up,
get ice or water, and arrange for an overnight mooring or,
possibly, a slip. The club operates a launch service from
8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, monitoring VHF Ch. 68. Register
at the clubhouse for reciprocal yacht club privileges. You
can take a shower at the NBYC and get lunch (Monday through
Friday) or dinner (Wednesday through Sunday) at the club.
Incorporated in 1878, the first clubhouse for the New Bedford
Yacht Club was located on Fish Island in New Bedford Harbor.
In 1879, the club moved to larger quarters on Pope’s Island.
By the end of the 19th century, NBYC members were mooring
their boats in Padanaram Harbor in South Dartmouth – a non-industrial
harbor six miles southwest of New Bedford where the yacht
club constructed a second sub-station in 1901. Today, the
NBYC occupies the same location on Elm Street in South Dartmouth.
In alternating years, the NBYC shares responsibility for
hosting the Buzzards Bay Regatta
with the Beverly
Yacht Club in Marion.
For 2001, it is the NBYC’s turn to host the BBR, one of
the largest gatherings of racing yachts on the East Coast.
Dates are Aug. 3, 4, and 5.
For more information on the NBYC calendar, sailing classes,
moorings and other marina services, programs for junior
and regular members, cruises, membership, activities, and
other events, see the New Bedford Yacht Club. Also be sure to visit www.southwharf.com.
Dartmouth and South Dartmouth History
With its fine recreational harbor, beautiful beaches, and
miles of scenic coastline, you might conclude Dartmouth
is just a resort town. In fact, it's much more.
The town's public school system draws high marks from residents,
and private schools such as Friends Academy and Bishop Stang
High School attract students from across the SouthCoast.
More than 5,000 students attend the University of Massachusetts
Dartmouth, which also offers extension courses for adults.
Located between New Bedford and Fall River, and within commuting
distance of Boston and Providence, the town serves as a
bedroom community for many residents eager for more space
than a city can offer.
Despite its smaller size, Dartmouth has the amenities of
a much larger town, including a major retail shopping district
along Route 6, several country clubs, and a growing number
of clinics and health care centers.
South and west of town turns rural, and you might be surprised
to see deer jumping fences or wild turkeys ambling near
the historic Quaker meeting house.
Resort homes are located from Round Hill to Mishaum Point
in the southern portion of town on the water. The Lloyd
Center for Environmental Studies offers nature programs
and scenic walks.
Dartmouth is also the home of the “Witch of Wall Street,”
Hetty Green’s son’s mansion on Smith Neck Road. Hetty Green
shrewdly invested her New Bedford family’s whaling money.
But she was miserly and refused pay a doctor when her son
broke his leg. He got revenge by spending the family fortune
on a huge stone mansion overlooking the beach (locally known
as “Colonel Green’s Beach”) on South Dartmouth’s southern
shore. It is now condominiums.
Dartmouth Harbormaster
Steve Melo is the harbormaster and you can reach his office on VHF Ch. 09 or try their website at www.dartmouthharbormaster.com. Also, it might be worth mentioning that the speed limit in the harbor is 5 MPH NO WAKE and is strictly enforced.
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 and ambulance service: Emergency: 911; non-emergency,
999-0733; tip line, 997-9900.
Fire: Emergency: 911; current system is divided into districts.
District 1: 10 Bridge St.; business, 996-1596. District
2: 1100 Russells Mills Road; business, 636-2441. District
3: business, 994-6761 (140 Cross Road); 998-2589 (1140 Hixville
Road); 993-9749 (254 State Road).
Radio Telephone: VHF 24, 26, 87 (New Bedford Marine Operator)
Airport: New Bedford Regional Airport: (508) 991-6160.
Taxis: Town Taxi, 508-999-0003; Yellow Cab, 508-999-5213;
Checker-Standard Cab, 508-999-4545.
Where to Eat
Check at the New Bedford Yacht Club for dinner times and
for recommendations for local restaurants. During the summer,
the NBYC serves dinner every night except Monday. Here are
a few restaurants within a short walk of the NBYC.
Riverhouse Grille, 3 Water St., So. Dartmouth, 508-999-6975
The Tattoo Turtle Café, 302 Water St., So. Dartmouth, 508-993-5000
Cecily’s Café, 6 Bridge St., So. Dartmouth, 508-994-1162
Dockside Ice Cream, 1 Bridge St., So. Dartmouth, 508-996-8799
Within a short taxi ride, you can find:
Dairy Chief, 532 Russells Mills Rd., Dartmouth, 508-997-6418
Sunrise Bakery and Coffee Shop, 571 Dartmouth St., Dartmouth,
508-984-7706 or 240 Russells Mills Rd., So. Dartmouth, 508-992-3475
Friendly Pizza, 216 Russells Mills Rd., So. Dartmouth, 508-996-5511
And, a little farther afield:
Not Your Average Joe’s, 61 State Rd., Dartmouth, 508-992-5637
Buttonwood Grille, 88 State Rd., Dartmouth, 508-992-8652
McDonald’s, 205 State Rd., Dartmouth, 508-993-3772 or 506
State Rd., Dartmouth, 508-984-5774
Burger King, 247 State Rd., Dartmouth, 508-990-2970
New York Bagel, 239 State Rd., Dartmouth, 508-990-3350
Friendly Ice Cream Shop, 631 Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth,
508-992-9807 or 307 State Rd., No. Dartmouth, 508-994-9657
Things to See and Do
Unlike its Biblical namesake, most people do not come to
Padanaram Harbor to marry and multiply. However, you can
spend time meandering the streets of the picturesque village
of South Dartmouth. Contact the NBYC about a place to keep
your dinghy while ashore, or you can use their launch service
if on a yacht club mooring (508-997-0762).
Coming off the pier at the NBYC, you are on Elm Street next
to the Concordia Yacht Co. There are shops to explore in
the direction of Bridge Street, where you will find the
Village Marketplace, the Packet, the Navigator Shop and
the Padanaram Post Office within a five-minute walk of the
yacht club. You may want to explore the preserved streets
of Padanaram Village – don’t miss the federal style house
at 25 Fremont St. and the Congregational Church on Middle
Street.
By boat, you can also explore Little Island, northwest of
the village and the eel grass marshes nearby. You can try
to catch freshwater bass in the inlet west of Bayview (north
of the Padanaram Bridge), or get a permit for shellfishing
from Town Hall (508-999-0719) and hunt for clams on the
shores around Little Island. |
