Hyannis Harbor is a small natural harbor in the largest of the seven villages located in the city of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Hyannis is an important link for passenger ferries and cargo to Nantucket Island, and the harbor is a place of refuge for coasting vessels and pleasure crafts. Hyannis is one of the largest recreational boating and commercial fishing ports on Cape Cod. Hyannis Harbor is located on the northwest arm of the Lewis Bay, which accesses Nantucket Sound.
Massachusetts’ US Representative Bill Keating announced on June 7 that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) would dredge Hyannis Harbor between June 21 and July 3. The Inquirer and Mirror reported that silting of the channel leading into the harbor caused by Hurricane Sandy as well as subsequent storms prevented certain vessels from entering the harbor during extreme low tides for several months. The storm pushed large amounts of sediment into back channels up and down the mid-Atlantic coast, and the Hyannis project is one of many recently announced dredging efforts.
Less than two weeks after announcing the plans for Hyannis Harbor, the Patriot News reported Keating was in Marshfield to announce over $3 million that will go toward dredging Green Harbor and repairing two of its jetties. The USACE will dredge the Isle of Wight and Sinepuxent Bay channels this fall, according to the Daily Times. Additionally, the Brattleboro Reformer reported that the USACE announced dredging project plans for Vermont’s Townshend Lake, which was affected by Tropical Storm Irene.
While dredging is important to help keep waterways all across the country navigable, the work also places numerous maritime workers at risk of sustaining serious injuries. Latti Associates LLC has obtained several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for clients who sustained injuries in dredging accidents, including a $1.02 million settlement for an engineer who sustained a finger amputation injury to his right hand while working onboard a dredge. If you sustained catastrophic injuries or your loved one was killed while working on a dredge, you could be entitled to maintenance and cure or damages under the Jones Act and general maritime law. Contact our firm at (617) 523-1000 to arrange a free, initial consultation or tell us your story using the form on this page to let our Jones Act lawyers review your case.
Latti Associates LLC – Jones Act attorneys