New England Boatworks will become Rhode Island’s largest Clean Marina in a presentation Friday at its Portsmouth facility.
The marina is the most diverse of the state’s Clean Marinas and is the first marina on Aquidneck Island to gain the Clean Marina distinction.
The Clean Marina Program is a voluntary initiative coordinated by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council that rewards marinas that go beyond regulatory requirements by applying innovative, pollution-prevention practices to daily operations.
New England Boatworks is a complex operation that spans 28.75 acres of land and 8.5 acres of boat basin and includes a boatbuilding division that produces custom, state-of-the-art sail and power yachts; a full-service marina that offers long-term and transient berths for yachts, along with complete refit and repair services; and a haulout, storage and service facility.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Volvo Ocean Race skipper Charlie Enright and Janet Coit, director of the state Department of Environmental Management, will be among the speakers at the presentation.
New England Boatworks has taken the additional step of working with Clean Ocean Access to install a trash skimmer at its fuel dock. The skimmer, made possible by funding from 11th Hour Racing, reduces marine debris and generates awareness about the types of debris found in the water.
Two identical skimmers placed in Newport Harbor collected more than 6,000 pounds of debris in four months.
