AAfter a slow and rainy start to Westport’s summer season, Westport Point has become a very busy place. One recent weekend day, local officials counted as many as 70 pleasure vessels lined up at ‘boat beach,’ a small spit of land at the tip of Westport Point.

So far, marine services director Chris Leonard said, most have been well-behaved at the beach and in the channel, and he credits some rainy days, and a very active town, state and federal law enforcement presence, with keeping things smooth on the water.

“Drinking is always an issue everywhere, whether it’s in a bar or your boat,” he said. “But for the most part, it’s been good. There’s a lot of speeding through Tripps’ field, people ignoring the no wake. But it’s been OK — there’s a strong presence out there.”

This time of year, he said, boaters in lower Westport will likely spot not just harbormaster’s vessels, but those of the Westport Police Department, state police and environmental police patroling the lower river and channel out to the bay. Trucks also patrol Cherry and Webb, he said.

This weekend? Sunday was a “ghost town” after a busy Saturday that only slowed down when the fog rolled in in the latter half of the day. And though it’s been busy at times, Leonard said traffic this summer has been lower than usual on average, based on the amount of effluent pumped from vessels. So far this season, marine services has pumped about 2,000 gallons of effluent, “which is really low compared to other years.”