What: The newest member of Friends of Casco Bay’s fleet will be christened and launched. We hope you will join us at this auspicious event.
When: Monday, June 10, 5 to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Portland Yacht Services, 100 West Commercial Street, Portland
RSVP: by June 6 using the form on this page
Suggested donation: $25 per person:
Your donation will help support our pumpout program as we work to keep boater sewage out of Casco Bay.
Did you know that the discharge from the holding tank of one recreational boat used for one weekend by two people contains more bacteria than the treated sewage of a city of 10,000? That’s why we started our Vessel Pumpout Program in 1995. Keeping sewage out of the Bay is one of the many ways we are working to protect the health of our coastal waters.
With more boaters than ever plying the waters of Casco Bay, we are excited to launch our new boat, enabling us to haul 650 gallons of sewage — twice the capacity of our old pumpout boat.
Our Pumpout Program has done more for the health of the Bay than just serving recreational vessels. In order to become a No Discharge Area, a designation that protects our waters from cruise ship pollution, the EPA required that there be adequate pumpout facilities throughout the region before granting this designation. We encouraged local marinas to install their own pumpout stations while leading an advocacy effort to encourage Maine to request a no discharge status for the Bay. Our Pumpout Program then set the stage for Casco Bay to become the first federally-designated No Discharge Area in Maine.
We received more than 380 suggested names for our new boat from community members. Come to our launch party and find out which name was selected. We look forward to the newest member of our fleet to serve the Bay for years to come.
You have the option to make a donation as you register or to register for free. Please choose what is right for you. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and raise a glass to celebrate. We look forward to seeing you there!
Thank you to Joanna and Phineas Sprague Jr. and the crew at Portland Yacht Services for hosting us!
Pumpout Boat Specifications:
- Builder: Marine Boat Builders, Inc.
- Overall length: 26’
- Beam: 9’11”
- Draft: 19” lightship, 24” full load
- Weight: 4,800 lbs. lightship, 9,800 lbs. full load
- Engines: 2 Suzuki 250 hp outboards
