Clean and Resilient Marina

Safe Harbor Marinas - Vineyard Haven

Christopher Scott,

October 19, 2023

Chris Scott, General Manager of Safe Harbors Marina in Vineyard Haven and Edgartown, described the process of qualifying for the national Clean Marina certification, administered through the Association of Marina Industries - AMI.  (See diagram of the certification process below.) Safe Harbor and the Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard, run by the Hale family, were the first two in the state to achieve this accreditation.  To date, only six marinas nationwide have qualified. 

Clean Marina Certification Focuses on 10 Key Areas

  • Design and Siting Considerations and Expansion

  • Marina Maintenance, Facilities, and Habitat

  • Stormwater Management

  • Vessel Maintenance and Repair

  • Petroleum and Hazardous Waste Control

  • Sewage and Gray Water Management

  • Waste Management and Recycling

  • Marina Management and Boater Education

  • Aquatic Invasive Species Education and Management

  • Coastal Adaptation and Resilience

The first step is for a marina professional to take the Clean and Resilient Marina Professional training program. After graduating and being certified through the training, the marina professional leads a marina certification self-assessment, using a checklist with 85 questions focused on 10 key areas (listed on right.) The checklist includes protecting wetlands and conservation areas nearby, use of environmentally safe products and procedures, properly maintaining equipment, acquiring new equipment. use of Best Management Practices to manage stormwater, recycling and

filtering boat washing water, managing and disposing of hazardous materials, and several others. The completed checklist and supportive documentation is then reviewed by the Verification Committee of the Association of Marina Industries who award the Clean Marina Certification.

We should note that, not only is Chris Scott certified as a Clean and Resilient Marina Professional through the program described above, he is also a Certified Marina Manager (CMM). CMMs represent the elite in the marina and recreational boating industry. They are marina professionals who have completed an extensive training and certification process through the globally recognized AMI Training Institute, and embrace the continuance of education and training for themselves and those who work within the marina industry. To qualify as a CMM, the manager must have at least five years experience as the senior manager of a facility that has more than 100 slips, and be actively engaged in at least one other marine-trade organization beside AMI.

Aligned with the Clean Marina Certification, Chris noted several other activities Safe Harbor is taking to help improve water quality in the Lagoon. He described several environmentally-friendly services available to boaters.  Safe Harbor recycles shrink wrap for boaters, offering this service at cost ($35) to the public as well, and is experimenting with a biodegradable shrink wrap. The marina has installed a fish-cleaning station where the remains are collected in a sealed plastic drum, which is dumped out several times a week. Safe Harbor also offers a pump-out service and is in the process of getting a pump-out boat so people don't have to come to the dock. Pump-out services are free to boaters because the program is state-funded. To wash boats, the marina pulls them up on a forklift and backs them up to an area that drains into a 300-gallon tank with carbon filters that capture pollutants.

Lastly, Safe Harbor has identified a marsh bordering the marina in the Lagoon Pond and are working with Coastal Zone Management to improve it.  Preliminary tests to analyze its condition are under way.