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On a typical summer afternoon in Red Brook Harbor on Cape Cod, you’ll find thousands of people outside enjoying the water. Hundreds of boats dot the harbor’s surface, tied up to docks and mooring balls or cruising past Bassetts Island into Buzzards Bay. The popular island shelters the harbor from the Bay’s open waters and offers families a mile-long strip of sandy beach where they can swim, picnic, and play.

Only steps from the Coalition’s first office in a dorm room at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, President Mark Rasmussen called to order the 25th Annual Meeting of the Buzzards Bay Coalition on the lawn of the Beachmoor in Bourne. The meeting highlighted the tremendous work and achievements of the Coalition in 2012 while acknowledging how far the organization has come in its first quarter-century and outlining the challenges that still lie ahead.

As the sun set on a cold fall day, an outdoor public art installation came to life as the Buzzards Bay Coalition unveiled Habitat, a celebration of clean water in the heart of downtown New Bedford. Designed by local artist John Magnan and sponsored by the Coalition, Habitat is composed of seven steel and masonry representations of eelgrass, standing 12 feet tall and creating the illusion of an underwater meadow.

Building on the momentum of an epic spring, which included more than 400 New Bedford Public School (NBPS) students exploring Buzzards Bay on the Schooner Ernestina Morrissey and 595 young people from the NBPS SeaLab program spending the day on Cuttyhunk, the Onset Bay Center (OBC) had its busiest summer ever. 

The Center’s new launch, christened, ‘Bufflehead,’ arrived just in time for the summer season and immediately became an invaluable resource. The vessel gives OBC far greater flexibility in programming and enables more participants to get out on the water more quickly, including those with disabilities.  

Over $30,000 in scholarship assistance was awarded to summer program attendees, ensuring that the Center continues to fulfill its promise of providing access to outdoor exploration opportunities to those who might not otherwise have them.  The Bay Explorers program and full-day sailing programs operated at maximum capacity for the entire season with a record 777 participants. 

This summer also marked an important milestone for some past program participants, where they “graduated” to OBC seasonal staff roles. 

Diamond Staton, a Bay Explorers Lead Instructor, shared, “I started my journey at the Onset Bay Center from when I was little. As a local kid, I came here as a Bay Explorer and loved every bit of it … and decided I wanted to apply for a job here. I started working as a Junior Instructor and practiced leading the groups, and this summer I was asked to complete some training to become a Lead Instructor. I thought that was a big opportunity! This summer, I led my own Explorer group, and it was so fun! The kids always had smiles on their faces, and there was always laughter in my group.” 

Jorge Orne, also from Wareham, had a similar experience, “When I first started working at the Onset Bay Center in 2023, I was very timid and uncertain of myself in my ability to do a decent job – even though I’ve lived in Onset my entire life, know the Bay like the back of my hand, and have a passion for paddling … We focus a lot on community, and that has really pushed me out of my shell and motivated me to produce my best work at the Onset Bay Center. Being able to educate kids on Onset Bay, doing something that is of value to my community, has been such a big joy in my life, and something I never thought I’d be able to do … The Onset Bay Center has been a wonderful experience, and being employed there has opened me up to new passions, and interests that will pave the way to my future career!” 

The end of the summer season marks a transition, but not an end, to programming at the Center.  The team will continue to work closely with Wareham Public Schools on experiential learning initiatives, including field trips and after-school programs, including Bay Explorers and a youth sailing club. 

The Buzzards Bay Coalition has commissioned Newport’s IYRS School of Technology & Trades to construct a new replica lifeboat for the Horseneck Point Life-Saving Station.  

The current lifeboat was loaned to the Buzzards Bay Coalition from Cuttyhunk Island and will be returning to the Island to be showcased in their own visitors center. The new replica is based on the Race Point Surfboat, the closest design to the original lifeboats that once protected mariners on the waters off Horseneck Point. 

Built in 1888 to protect sailors along this dangerous stretch of Buzzards Bay’s coastline, the Life-Saving Station is one of the last of its kind in Massachusetts, and the only one on Buzzards Bay. After being decommissioned in 1913, it lived several lives before being restored to its original appearance by the Westport Fishermen’s Association in 2007. The restoration was completed in 2009 and the Life-Saving Station was opened as a museum and visitor center in 2014. 

IYRS, renowned for its expertise in traditional and contemporary boatbuilding, has embraced the challenge of breathing new life into this historical artifact. The school’s commitment to preserving maritime craftsmanship and heritage aligns seamlessly with the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s mission to protect and restore the Buzzards Bay ecosystem while fostering an appreciation for its maritime history. 

The Race Point Surfboat, a design that emerged in the late 19th century, played a crucial role in the efforts of life-saving stations like the one at Horseneck Point. These boats were meticulously crafted to navigate treacherous coastal waters and swiftly respond to distress calls.

The construction process involves a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern techniques, ensuring the replica not only captures the essence of the original design but also meets contemporary safety standards. Vice President of Outdoor Exploration Stuart Downie shared his excitement about the new vessel’s impact on Buzzards Bay Coalition’s outdoor learning and community programs. “We’re thrilled to soon have a brand-new lifeboat that will not only represent the history of Horseneck Point Life-Saving Station, but also breathe life back into the museum with exciting new programming connecting the local community with Buzzards Bay.” 

The lifeboat replica is expected to serve dual purposes – as a functional vessel for educational programs and as a living artifact that visitors can experience firsthand. The Coalition plans to use the new lifeboat for rowing programs and community events throughout the years to come, providing a unique opportunity for the Buzzards Bay community to step back in time and experience a piece of local history.