Great Harbor Yacht Club presents Woods Hole vulnerability assessment; club highlights near‑term measures

Steven Kries, general manager and chief operating officer of the Great Harbor Yacht Club, briefed the Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee on a vulnerability assessment completed by the Woods Hole Group. The study was engaged in 2022, executed during 2023–24 and summarized in a report finalized in June 2025. Kries said seven club structures were identified as primary focus and that the report lists near‑term adaptation strategies (pages 19–25) and longer‑term pathways.

Kries described steps already taken: near‑term measures for storage and electrical systems in the Boat Barn have been implemented, and electrical panels in vulnerable storage structures were elevated "4 foot to 5 foot high" on walls to reduce risk of damage. He said the club tracks near‑term and longer‑term priorities as part of a multi‑year facilities plan and will revisit vulnerability work every four to five years with outside consultants.

Committee members praised the proactive work. Doug Rose called the Woods Hole assessment a "best practice" and asked whether the club has an informal network with adjacent property owners to share plans; Kries responded that members and neighboring businesses are informed and that the club publishes the study on its member-facing website. Sarah Boyce encouraged including nature‑based solutions and explicit storm‑emergency preparedness content; Kries said the club maintains an emergency plan and coordinates harbor safety plans with the harbor master and U.S. Coast Guard.

Leah Hill reported that the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation donated a tide gauge and weather station, which was installed at the Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery and is collecting data; the town plans a public web page to display tide and weather readings in real time. Kries said the club will remain engaged as infrastructure and harbor plans evolve.