August 11, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
The newly-completed boat ramp at Hingham Harbor features a wooden pier, a gangway overlooking the scenic waterfront, and a floating wooden dock to help boaters safely launch their boats and then return them to their trailers at the end of their boating adventure. The ramp is open to the public at no charge.
"We've been working on the project for more than 10 years. This is something we've never had before," Hingham Harbormaster Ken Corson told the Hingham Anchor. "The new boat ramp provides safe access to the boats and is an added convenience. This new facility allows boaters to move their vehicles and trailers into a parking spot while their boats are safety tied up to the dock, whereas before there weren't any places to put their boats other than at the ramp itself or on the beach."
The new ramp offers boaters without moorings in the harbor an opportunity to also enjoy being out on the water. "A lot of people have been using the ramp since it opened, and they are very excited and pleased about it," Corson said.
The approximately $2 million project was funded by the Mass. Dept. of Fish and Game Office of Fishing and Boating Access, according to Corson.
The harbormaster regularly publishes relevant content on Facebook @harbormasterkencorson and Instagram @Harbor_master_ken_corson, including several short videos showing the boat ramp reconstruction and other interesting posts. Be sure to check them out and follow him!
Actually, the ramp/pier is not so welcome. It will service very few folks and now crowds the open space beach area between it and the Iron Horse statue. This access to water will mainly serve large power boaters while it should have been designed to service more low-impact climate boating. The town should charge for use and parking as Weymouth does to help find ongoing upkeep by users.
At the very least this pier/dock should have been improved by building a ramp and supporting piers akin to what was built in Weymouth near George Lane Beach on the Weymouth Back River side. Now that’s accessibility and aesthetically fitting and they charge very reasonable fees.
Challenge question: Why do we keep densifying the Hingham waterfront with hardscape and structures instead of protecting the open space and supporting a naturally cooling environment through better landscaping/trees?
What a dud
Another please for teens to get stoned