The Coast Guard began work in the Menemsha harbor Wednesday to remove several sunken boats, and the harbor has been reopened to recreational boating, as the town takes steps to restore function in and around the village after the fire that destroyed the historic Coast Guard boathouse early last week..

The charred remains of the boathouse and wooden pier leading out to the West Dock remain largely untouched, but town officials and employees, in conjunction with the Coast Guard, are working diligently behind the scenes to facilitate the reconstruction process.

At a Tuesday night selectmen’s meeting, the board reviewed an assessment of the fire damage and the actions taken in the days since the fire. Menemsha Coast Guard chief Jason Olsen also gave a brief update and answered questions from the public. He said the investigation is still ongoing, and he was unable to say when it would be completed and the cause of the fire determined. But he said the Coast Guard station at Menemsha has returned to operational status, and the Coast Guard has been participating in the fire clean-up effort.

“We have our crews periodically, throughout the day, checking for larger debris throughout the water,” he said.

Meanwhile, the work done by volunteer firefighters continues to draw commendations. The latest is from Massachusetts state fire marshal Stephen D. Coan in Stow, who sent the selectmen an e-mail this week commending the efforts of the fire department for a job well done. “The tactics and coordination of Chief [David] Norton and the members of the Chilmark fire department clearly prevented a more serious loss in what was a very devastating fire,” Mr. Coan said.

In a letter published in today’s edition, Menemsha harbor master Dennis Jason said the town has been making steady progress in the harbor, and he requested patience as the town explores restoration and repair options. “Some of this can be accomplished quickly, but there are parts of the puzzle which will take months,” Mr. Jason wrote.

The harbor master also noted the long history between the town and the Coast Guard of “working together to insure the safety and well-being of the local maritime community.”

Meanwhile, town staff members have been busy trying to secure state financial permissions for reconstruction, apply for emergency permits for the project, and arrange for several stranded cars to be removed from the West Dock. The removal was completed Tuesday.

Mr. Norton, the fire chief, appeared at the Tuesday meeting to thank emergency personnel from across the Island for their efforts during the fire. “I can’t thank everybody enough for what they did,” he said.

But Chief Norton also said communication efforts were severely hindered by the lack of radio and cell phone service in Menemsha. In terms of communication, he said the town is “25 years behind the time.”

The selectmen are continuing to explore options for restoring access to the slips around the West Dock, where they have pledged to begin building a pedestrian walkway as soon as possible. The original plan called for the construction of a plywood walkway, but on Tuesday the board agreed to look into borrowing aluminum gangways from the state to be used temporarily. Selectmen also approved the purchase and shipment of 300 feet of concrete floats from Bellingham Marine, out of Florida, for $111,600, to replace floats destroyed in the fire.

Chilmark executive secretary Tim Carroll said yesterday that he estimates the installation of the floats will cost another $20,000. The process is expected to take a month or more to complete.