Author: Deputy Harbormaster

Dartmouth, MA – It protected your boat all winter, now it’s time to protect the environment.

Clean white boat wrap is accepted through this drop-off program at the Dartmouth Transfer Station.  Zippers and straps must be removed and discarded.  Spray painted wrap cannot be accepted.

“This boat wrap drop-off program enables this material to be collected in a designated container so that it can be recycled. Boat wrap cannot be placed in a curbside recycling cart. It would take up valuable space at the Crapo Hill landfill if discarded as garbage. We are working with the Waterways Commission and the Harbormaster to alert individual boaters of this win-win solution to the annual shrink wrap disposal problem and doing our best to keep it out of the waste stream,” said Tim Barber, Director of Public Works in the Town of Dartmouth.

Dartmouth residents may take boat wrap to the Dartmouth Transfer Station. A transfer station permit is required.  There is a container for boat wrap only. The Dartmouth Transfer Station is open Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Dartmouth residents who would like to obtain a transfer station permit, or a day pass, may call the Dartmouth DPW at (508) 999-0740.

Remember, boat wrap is only recyclable through drop-off programs. Plastic bags and plastic wraps do not belong in recycling carts. That type of material wraps around equipment at sorting facilities causing sorting to grind to a halt while people work through the challenging task of removing plastic bags and wrap.

Boat wrap can also be reused several times if it is installed and removed with reuse in mind. Look for reuse information online or ask your boat shrink wrap installer about it. For more information, contact the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District by phone at (508) 979-1493 or by email at Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org. For additional tips, visit Dartmouth Recycling on Facebook.

New Bedford Harbor – Dartmouth Waterways: EPA Superfund update regarding Fish, Shellfish and lobsters attached below.

Mooring, vessel, waitlist and reserved dinghy/kayak rack registration ends on March 31, 2023.  This is the same renewal deadline specified in local regulations/by-laws since 2003.  

Reminder invoices were mailed out on February 24, 2023 to each permit holder at the last known address in our database.

Renewal of each mooring, boat permit, waiting list position or reserved dinghy/kayak rack assignment remains the responsibility of each individual permit holder.

Inquiries and requests for electronic invoice reminders may be made prior to the 3/31 deadline by emailing harbormaster@dartmouthharbormaster.com

Starting this week, the 2023 Arthur F. Dias Town Landing Launch/Parking permits are available for sale at the Town Collector’s Office, Dartmouth Town Hall.  Season permits to this facility remain the same price as last year, $60 per decal.  Each vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination requires an individual permit.  No duplicate or “second vehicle” permit exemptions apply.  Annual permits are available only at the Town Collector’s Office, Dartmouth Town Hall.  The Dartmouth Harbormaster Office does not have season landing permits to sell.

The weekly pump out list has concluded as of today, 9/23/2022. Pump outs will continue to occur on an as needed and as available basis. We will continue to pump out vessels until we are projected to receive below freezing temperatures. Please plan accordingly and request remaining pump outs well in advance when possible.

Please see the attached letter from the Board of Health.

The Arthur F. Dias Landing is one of the most popular access points for the public to Padanaram Harbor.  Managed by the Town of Dartmouth Harbormaster’s Department with support from the Waterways Management Commission, each year thousands of boats are launched at the boat ramp and hundreds visit the site for the view of the northern end of the Harbor.

In the recent past, there have been a number of improvements made to the site.  Security lighting and cameras have been installed, new dinghy and kayak racks are in place, and parking lines have been repainted. 

Now the Waterways Management Commission is considering a sizable increase in floating dockage—primarily to support dinghies and other small craft.  A recent Feasibility Study highlights the need for additional small craft dockage in the harbor and, with competitive pricing, can be self-supporting. 

The Dias Landing Feasibility Study is available for download at the bottom of this page.  If the Waterways Management Commission moves forward with the project, funding will be sought through grants for design and construction costs.  A final design is expected to be prepared in 2022 and construction could be completed in time for the 2023 boating season.

The 2021 mooring permit renewal period has ended.  Late registration remains open until May 1, 2021 with the required additional late mooring registration fee of $170 per permit. 

Mooring permits cannot be renewed after May 1st of any year.  Please email if you have misplaced the renewal reminders that were mailed to the last known address on file  in February.

Waiting list renewal is also required by March 31st of each year to maintain active positions on the waiting list. 

All dock floats associated with the Town Pier and launch ramps at the Dias Landing located at 75 Gulf Road have been installed for normal seasonal use.

Season launch/parking permits are available for $60 each at only the Town Collector’s Office at Dartmouth Town Hall.  Daily use permits are available at the orange box at the launch ramps for $7.00 per day.  A permit is required to launch and/or to park in that facility.