Sustained winds of 30-40 miles per hour hit the South Coast over the weekend, with gusts topping more than 50 mph, said Dartmouth Harbormaster Steve Melo. While the harbor was protected from Tropical Storm Hermine, Melo said the exposed areas—including Nonquitt and Salter's Point—suffered some damage.

"Things weren't as bad as they could have been," said Melo, despite having spent the weekend saving a sailor, chasing runaway boats, and righting overturned vessels. Melo ended his Labor Day weekend by checking on waterways at high tide on September 5.

"I'm running on caffeine right now," joked Melo.

Here's a recap of the weekend's Hermine-related events, according to Melo:

North of the Padanaram Bridge, a jib—a smaller, triangular sail towards the front of the boat, separate from the mainsail—unfurled, sending the three-hull sailboat cruising around its mooring. Melo and his team wrestled the sail down and strapped it back into place.

On Monday, September 5, a 28-foot pile boat rolled over at Salter's Point. Melo said there were no signs of oil or gas spills.

Also on Monday, an 18-foot boat dragged its mooring from south Nonquitt to Round Hill with help from high winds. Owners reported it missing, but based on weather conditions, Melo decided not to risk his four-person team. "It's not worth risking their lives for somebody's plastic toy," said Melo, explaining that the boat landed "almost in front of the mansion, still on its mooring."

One power boat sank in under 10 minutes at Marshall Marine (55 Shipyard Lane) on Monday, said Melo. He guessed that a part of the boat had broken, concluding in its submersion. "That was hauled out [Tuesday] morning," said Melo.

A Dartmouth resident—whom Melo declined to name—went sailing in a laser (a small, one-person sailboat) just before noon on Monday, said Melo. The boat capsized in the north of the harbor. "It has a small mast. Obviously, it was too much because when the boat capsized, it broke," said Melo. Melo said a relative helped get the man out of the water.

On Sunday, September 4, a 33-foot pile boat capsized near Cuttyhunk Island on Sunday, said Melo. Seth Garfield rescued the three-or-four people stranded and brought them to the island, said Melo. The boat was towed upside-down into Dartmouth, where the Melo helped flip it back over.

Melo concluded via email: "Good storm prep by attentive boat owners can make a huge difference when sustained winds over 30 knots linger. Having a primarily northerly or Nor'Easterly wind direction also helped minimize damage in the harbor. Still more than enough activity to keep our few staff members jumping (and tired)."

On land, the tropical storm was hardly felt. District No. 1 Fire Chief Brad Ellis reported "nothing," while Dartmouth Detective Kyle Costa said there were some power outages, but they were "very, very limited."

District No. 2 Firefighter Kenny Gidley said a few trees came down, but they were quickly removed by neighbors and the Department of Public Works.