The Town of Bourne runs its marinas from an office at Taylor Point Marina, 1 Academy Drive, at the Cohasset Narrows next to the Cape Cod Canal and the train station in Buzzards Bay. The rules for next season are being settled at the Community Building at 239 Main Street. On October 27 the Select Board moved Bourne's 2027 Waterways Regulations to final reading and sent the 2027 shellfish changes back to staff for a clean redline. Proposed beach parking rates for FY27 were on the same agenda.
For anyone who keeps a boat on a town mooring or slip in Bourne, the big price increase already came this year. The changes still being decided for 2027 are mostly about timing: when the paperwork is due, what proof of coverage goes with it and what a late filing costs. Under one proposal, mooring paperwork that was due July 1 in 2026 would be due April 1.
The price change already landed in 2026
At a December 2 meeting ahead of the 2026 season, Department of Natural Resources Director Hannah Lawrence and Marinas Manager Emily Bacchiocchi presented proposed rate increases for the town's three marinas. The Bourne Enterprise reported the current and proposed figures side by side. The town's posted 2026 season rate sheet carries the proposed numbers.
| Town marina, 2026 season | Previous rate | 2026 rate | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument Beach, non-electric slip | $112 per foot | $175 per foot | about 56% |
| Monument Beach, electric slip | $117 per foot | $185 per foot | about 58% |
| Monument Beach, seasonal mooring | $1,000 | $2,100 per year plus tax | 110% |
| Taylor Point, non-electric slip | $112 per foot | $185 per foot | about 65% |
| Taylor Point, electric slip | $133 per foot | $200 per foot | about 50% |
| Pocasset River, non-electric slip | $92 per foot | $150 per foot | about 63% |
Here is what that means for one boat. A 25-foot boat in a non-electric slip at Monument Beach paid $2,800 for the season at the old rate of $112 per foot. At $175 per foot it pays $4,375. Every seasonal vessel also has to display a Town of Bourne Waterways Permit, which costs another $200 a year. The minimum slip lengths are 20 feet for non-electric slips at Monument Beach and Taylor Point, 25 feet for Monument Beach electric and 30 feet for Taylor Point electric. That sets a minimum bill even for a smaller boat.
Lawrence told the board the town expected the increases to bring in significantly more revenue. She put the current net at $726,088 and the projected net at $1,174,979.
What is still open for 2027
The marina rates cover town slips and town moorings. The waterways regulations cover something else: the permits for privately set moorings in Bourne's harbors and rivers. The 2027 proposals in that rulebook change both the fee and the schedule.
At that December 2 meeting, according to the Bourne Enterprise, Lawrence proposed raising the recreational mooring permit from $100 to $150 and the commercial mooring permit from $200 to $300. She said the higher fees would take effect for the 2027 season. She also floated an earlier paperwork deadline, effective in 2027 or 2028. Paperwork would be due by April 1, and no renewals would be accepted after May 1. The late fee would rise from $25 to $100. She said the change was needed because some holders file at the last minute, which slows the department's work. The draft also added guidelines for mooring inspectors.
Here is the town's current 2026 mooring contract next to what was proposed:
| Mooring paperwork | 2026 contract | Proposed in December |
|---|---|---|
| Paperwork due | July 1 | April 1 |
| Last day accepted | August 1 | May 1, for renewals |
| Late fee | $25 | $100 |
| Recreational permit | $100 | $150 |
| Commercial permit | $200 | $300 |
The $50 increase in the permit fee is small next to the jump in town slip rates. The deadline change is larger. The 2026 contract accepted paperwork through August 1. Under the proposal, a renewal filed after May 1 would not be accepted, which moves the cutoff three months earlier.
Insurance came up at the October 27 meeting too. Citizen Portal's summary of the meeting lists permit-deadline shifts, some fee increases and a proposed insurance requirement for mooring holders, effective January 1, 2027. The board advanced the regulations to final reading and asked staff to take another look at the insurance requirement. Town marina customers already file proof of coverage. The 2026 marina requirements call for marine insurance with at least $300,000 in liability per occurrence, along with the boat registration and the annual contract. A requirement in the waterways rules would bring a similar step to private mooring holders.
The shellfish rules went back for a redline
The shellfish regulations are a step behind. They had their first reading on October 27, and the board asked staff to return with a clean redline. Staff described the proposed changes as adjusting dates, changing some fee amounts and removing certain harvesting methods. The 2026 regulations are the baseline. A resident recreational permit costs $35, a senior permit $10 and a Massachusetts-resident recreational permit $175. Commercial clam, quahog and scallop permits are $250 each, and a master permit is $625. Permits run January 1 to December 31, so the 2027 version sets the terms for the next permit any shellfisher buys.
The most debated proposal in the December 2 draft was a ban on removing "any grasses, including eelgrass and other protective bottom vegetation" while shellfishing. As the Bourne Enterprise reported, a local commercial shellfisher who spoke at the meeting linked the eelgrass question to Bourne's mooring fields. He said that under federal shellfish sanitation rules, the areas with moorings are closed to harvest from April through November, so much of the open bottom left on his side of the bridge is eelgrass.
"So that means the other side of town, most of it is closed to us."
He suggested the town run its own study by raking a test spot and watching it for a year and a half. Select Board Chair Melissa Ferretti said, "I want to be sure that we are doing this right as well." Because the board has asked for a redline, the shellfish rules for 2027 are still a draft.
The marina at the center of the next spending decision
The largest waterfront project in town is at one of the marinas whose rates just went up. Monument Beach Marina is about 75 years old and needs major work, and the town has planned a two-phase redevelopment. The Shore and Harbor Committee considered four concepts and chose a floating layout with 87 slips, estimated at about $16 million with a life of roughly 50 years. The other finalist was a fixed pier with 92 slips, estimated at about $21 million with a life of about 30 years. Every option includes a public viewing area.
The committee also voted to keep fuel at the marina. Chairman Richard Libin said fuel sales brought in about $357,000 the previous year. Town Meeting voters had already approved $710,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for design, engineering and permitting. The town hired Foth of Marion, whose owner, Paul Marsala, lives in Bourne. Construction money for Phase One will need its own Town Meeting vote, according to the Bourne Enterprise. The Shore and Harbor Committee was scheduled to update the Select Board on the design on October 27.
The dates on the 2027 mooring calendar
These are the dates in the October 27 agenda, the December 2 proposal and the town's current paperwork:
- November 10. The Select Board's next meeting, with a 5:30 session and the regular meeting at 7 p.m.
- January 1, 2027. The 2027 waterways and shellfish regulations are written to begin on this date.
- April 1. The paperwork deadline for mooring permits proposed on December 2.
- May 1. Under that proposal, the last day a renewal would be accepted.
- July 1 and August 1. The paperwork deadline and final cutoff used in the 2026 contract, which is the schedule the proposal would replace.
The fees, deadlines and insurance terms here come from town documents and public meeting coverage. The final 2027 versions may differ. This post is general information, not legal, insurance or financial advice. Confirm your own permit terms with Bourne's Department of Natural Resources, and your coverage with your insurer.
If you're weighing whether a Bourne home's water access fits next summer's plans, or how mooring and slip costs change the math on a waterfront property, O'Neill Group is glad to talk it through with you. Contact Us.
