Manchaug Pond Foundation Safe Boating

Free Vessel Safety Check: Make Your Boating Safe and Legal!

Phyllis Charpentier, Corresponding Secretary Leave a Comment

Attention All Boat Owners! Time for the annual Vessel Safety Check to get you on the water safe and sound! Examiner Jim Arpin of the Greenwich Bay Power Squadron will check your boat to make sure you are legal and safe. Did you know that a kayak, canoe, or paddle boat needs a whistle or horn? Or that any boat with a motor, big or small, must be registered with the numbers displayed on the hull? Do you have life jackets for all on board? Let Jim walk you through the rules and regulations for your vessel! Stop in on Saturday, June 8th between 9:00 AM and noon at the State Boat Ramp, Torrey Road in Sutton with your boat(s) either by land or from the lake.  Volunteers will be available to hold your boat at the dock during the check.  In addition to one-on-one advice, all participating will receive a copy of a written checklist/evaluation sheet with which you can follow up with the suggestions where you see fit. Boats that pass will receive the 2019 decal to proudly display on the hull of their vessel. You will NOT be boarded by a law enforcement official and no citations …

Storm Preparedness

Manchaug Pond Foundation participates in town workshop Posted February 21, 2019 “If you don’t like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.” Mark Twain The weather is always a topic of conversation, especially in New England! Looking just at 2018, eight states including Massachusetts realized historic rainfall setting records for the wettest 11 months since 1895* and, if that wasn’t enough, Manchaug Pond also saw a tornado touch down on the Waters Road conservation property tearing across the lake and up Lackey Road bringing down trees, dragging anchored boats, and cracking walls. The unpredictably of the weather – with trends of warming in the early decades of the 1900’s flipping to lows in the 1940’s through the 70’s significant enough to cause scientists to warn of a pending ice age to today’s talk of renewed warming patterns – calls for a new initiative, municipal preparedness. Earlier this month the Town of Sutton did just that, looking beyond the forecasts and climate buzzwords to a preparedness workshop – and Manchaug Pond Foundation was there! Two members of our Board of Directors joined other community leaders for the two-day session with Sutton Department Heads and various commission members …

Ice Safety

Phyllis Charpentier, Corresponding Secretary Leave a Comment

We love out winter sports!  So how can you tell if ice is safe? There are no guarantees. Always consider ice to be potentially dangerous. You can’t judge ice conditions by appearance or thickness alone; many other factors like water depth, size of waterbody, water chemistry, currents, snow cover, age of ice, and local weather conditions impact ice strength.Ice tips to remember: New ice is stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not. Ice doesn’t freeze uniformly. Continue to check ice conditions frequently as you venture out onto the ice. Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often more dangerous. Avoid traveling onto ice-bound rivers and streams, as the currents make ice thickness unpredictable. Many lakes and ponds may contain spring holes and other areas of currents that can create deceptively dangerous thin spots. Before heading out onto the ice Tell someone your plans, including where you are going and when you expect to return. Come prepared. Carry a cell phone in case of emergency. Always carry ice picks and rope with you on the ice. In case of emergency, drive the nails into the ice and …

Manchaug Pond Foundation Events

Cleanup Rescheduled to Sunday

With a fall Nor’easter hitting the area today bringing heavy rain and strong winds, the fall cleanup event has been rescheduled to Sunday, October 28th from 9:00 a.m. to noon […]

Manchaug Pond Foundation

Kayaking? Life Jackets Required

Phyllis Charpentier, Corresponding Secretary Leave a Comment

Did you know life jackets are required for cold weather kayaking in five states including Massachusetts? From September 15th through May 15th life jackets are required, yes mandatory, for all person’s kayaking and canoeing on Manchaug Pond and all other Massachusetts waterways. It is not enough to have the life jacket in the boat,  all persons on board a canoe or kayak must wear a life jacket/PFD at all times. People enjoy boating and fishing in the fall and spring, but a nice sunny spring or fall day can quickly become hazardous if you end up in cold water. According to the Massachusetts Environmental Police, most boating fatalities in the Commonwealth result when boaters fail to wear life jackets while in small craft in cold water or weather. Paddlers in canoes and kayaks are required to wear life jackets from September 15 – May 15. The Wear It! Campaign unites the efforts of a wide variety of boating safety advocates and is produced under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Wear It! Campaign reminds boaters to: Make sure everyone – even experienced swimmers – wears a properly fitting …