Politics & Government
Fireboat Still Sparking Concerns Among Fishermen
Fishermen continue to speak out against a fireboat being moved to the railroad dock in Greenport.
Some Greenport fishermen are fit to be tied over a fireboat that's moving to the railroad dock.
Despite weeks of opposition from the public, the Greenport village board voted last week to move the fireboat currently moored at Mitchell Park Marina over to the railroad dock.
The board was divided on the vote -- with Mayor David Nyce, Trustee Julia Robins, and Trustee George Hubbard voting for the move, and Trustees Mary Bess Phillips and David Murray in opposition.
Greenport fisherman Sid Smith said on Wednesday that he'd heard the fireboat could be moving to the railroad dock sometime this week — something he's been speaking out against for months.
Smith has said the fireboat will take up too much space on the dock, leaving little or no room for commercial vessels that have paid for dockage.
"The dock is important to the fisherman," he said. "Now, when you go to sea and come back, you don't know where you will be tying up. That's not a good feeling. There's nowhere to take a net off to work on it. And I cannot even take off a box of fish off my boat. It does not seem right to me."
Smith said he has a federally mandated tracking system on his boat that requires electricity; without it, he could lose his permits.
In addition, the fireboat, Smith said, poses safety concerns. He has said live wires and unsafe conditions around the dock would make the location hazardous for tourists who might want to see the vessel. In addition, no documentation has been presented to indicate when the fireboat was last inspected, he said.
Smith believes five commercial fishing boats have paid to dock at the Suffolk County railroad dock for a year; with the fireboat, there will only be room for three. "What's going to happen?" he asked. "That boat is going where I've tied up for 16 years. But I get no phone call about when it's going to be moved?"
The boat, he said, was built in 1937 and has an aging hull and rivets. "They have no idea what they are getting into," Smith said. "And once it gets over there, it will never leave."
Last week, the resolution to move the boat was amended before the vote to up the insurance necessary to $1 million.
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During past village board meetings, Smith said under the terms of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan, commercial waterfront property should be the highest priority; the area is not meant for "tourists or museums."
The boat, he said, could block passage of the ferries.
Resident John Saladino said while he's indifferent about the fireboat, it doesn't belong in the marina where the village could collect fees from the potential rental space.
Former Trustee and oyster farmer Michael Osinski raised questions about a business plan for the fireboat and asked when it was last hauled and inspected; the last time it was hauled that anyone knows of was ten years ago.
Osinksi also said the railroad dock needs attention and most likely could not hold the fireboat during a severe storm.
His daughter, Susanna Oskinski, urged the board to have the vessel removed immediately. "It has limited potential for educational value and pays no dockage, but has liability and pollution issues," she said.
A representative of the North Ferry company said the boat could pose safety concerns during high winds and present a "real threat to our navigation. We're imploring the board not to put it on that south face."
Steve Clarke, owner of the Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding Company, welcomed any attraction that draws visitors but said the fireboat raised serious concerns.
No conditions and evaluation survey has been done in a decade, he said, leaving the state of the hull, sea valves, piping and other items unknown. No invoices are at hand, he said, to indicate work done on the boat.
And no crew is stationed to move the vessel in the event of a hurricane.
Isabel Osinski called for a review process before docking any vessel that could harm the local aquaculture, one of the village's best resources.
Former board member John Costello said the railroad dock structure was "weak and suspect" and suggested leaving the fireboat where it is currently at the marina, as long as a business plan could be provided and the boat brought for hauling.
Nyce said the village is "not a partner in this" and said Greenport did not want to take on any liability.
Also, a contract is being written that would require the boat be manned at all times; other stipulations would require the vessel be moved in the event of a hurricane and assure that the village is not liable.
The temporary agreement in place, Nyce said, will only remain during the process to determine "when and if they can stay here."
The move to the railroad dock is temporary, Nyce said, "while we work on a long term lease that would require hauling, a boat that's maintained, and a presence there at all times, bc we do not it unmanned should something come up. We may not come to an agreement with the fireboat, but we don't want to kick them out of town as we work through the process."
Nyce did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
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