Shifting Sand From Tashmoo Channel to Beach
At 7:30 a.m., Greg Bettencourt, Donnie Benefit and Peter Jackson head out to the dredge.
At 7:30 a.m., Greg Bettencourt, Donnie Benefit and Peter Jackson head out to the dredge.
Tashmoo channel was overdue for dredging and had become badly shoaled.
Tashmoo channel was overdue for dredging and had become badly shoaled.
1,200-foot pipe is placed on beach to accomodate dredge spoils.
1,200-foot pipe is placed on beach to accomodate dredge spoils.
Greg Bettencourt inspects and sets the pipe.
Greg Bettencourt inspects and sets the pipe.
Bobcat helps get the job done.
Bobcat helps get the job done.
Sending spoils onto the beach, a dump truck's load every six and a half minutes.
Sending spoils onto the beach, a dump truck's load every six and a half minutes.
Capt. Donnie Benefit helms the dredge's controls.
Capt. Donnie Benefit helms the dredge's controls.
Control screens and gauges indicate sand vacuuming and discharging.
Control screens and gauges indicate sand vacuuming and discharging.
Suction pipe is steered back and forth below surface.
Suction pipe is steered back and forth below surface.
Charts indicate depth of channel.
Charts indicate depth of channel.
Sand and silt shoots through pipe and flows toward Vineyard Sound.
Sand and silt shoots through pipe and flows toward Vineyard Sound.
Free lunch for opportunistic gulls.
Free lunch for opportunistic gulls.
An Edgartown dredge crew is in charge of the dredge work in the Tashmoo channel. Using finely-tuned teamwork, the crew makes the sand flow.