I know, I know, I know

My wife and I were in the Davis Park ferry parking lot in Patchogue, watching the sunset last evening. Once boats clear the entrance to the channel by the jetty lights, they are supposed to slow to idle speed. We saw boats coming in and leaving at full-plane speed. Not a single police boat was in sight to ticket those idiots. Other boats, which were going slowly, including one ferry, had to swerve to one side or the other to avoid being seriously rocked by the speeders. In addition, a couple had climbed all the way out to the end of the west jetty as the sun was setting. Others, who had started back, had trouble walking on the uneven rocks. I wonder if that loving couple found themselves stuck on the jetty when it became pitch black and they couldn't see the rocks or the water! Hy
 
NYS claims to have no money. I bet and Im sure most of you here would agree. Add some more marine patrol, and watch how many tickets are written. Doesnt mean they will get paid...

Put cameras up on the 5mph signs, much like the red light camera deal. Do the same for the bridges...
 
In my opinion stupid doesn't just go with boating. Since 1980, stupid goes with everything. Blame it on the entitlement society. Everyone is entitled to everything, all the time. Inconvenience or danger to other people doesn’t matter as long as you can have fun. They don't even know they are acting dangerously because they are stupid! My pet peeve is fishermen who either tie up at bridges or drift at the center of the bridge access (on either side). When I owned an inboard boat, traveling with the current sometimes required me to go faster than 5mph to keep water running past my rudders to allow steering. Most bay fisherman with their outboards doesn’t understand inboard engine dynamics and would yell at me to slow down. Of course, if I slowed down to the speed of the current I would have no water moving past my rudders and would have no steering control. Maybe boaters should be held to the same standards as the aviation industry. If a boater paid $5000 for a boating license (or a $5000 fine for an infraction) they might be more careful. I find, as a rule, careful comes with age and wisdom.

Thanks all for letting me do my little rant!
 
quote:
Originally posted by BJL

I know it's been said before but when I was much younger the speed limit in the State Channel WAS 5 mph all the time. Those days are long gone

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Nope, 12mph and it still is, just not enforced.
 
Slow down or stay the course?

Other than Moriches Bay (fear of falling off plane and drawing more water)I pretty much watch my wake even if the putz should not be where they are.
 
quote:
Originally posted by walterv

Slow down or stay the course?

Other than Moriches Bay (fear of falling off plane and drawing more water)I pretty much watch my wake even if the putz should not be where they are.

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You are correct Walter....my mistake!
 
MArk,
Don't get me started on the fishing AHOLES ... lol

Rob
 
I had a go-fast pass me so close at high speed on Monday that his rooster tail hit the side of my boat. I was going at no-wake speed and he (it) blew by us doing about 60 with his open exhaust screaming. What a butt hole. Other than that we had a great time at the airshow all weekend.
 
quote:
Also, since when are fishing boats fishing in the state channel? We have a channel that is maybe 100 feet wide and you have a 65' boat fishing in it sideways!
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Dave, I think that's the key and why the Sea Tow Captain gave you the look. In that situation I would always slow down. You have a big party boat potentially obscuring your view of what's behind him, and limited space to pass on the left. The safe thing to do was slow down and pass him slowly in my opinion. And BTW, they have been fishing in the state channel since before you were born :) It's more frequent early in the season and was probably actually more common in the past.

I rarely go in the state channel and when I do I expect to spend a decent amount of time going slow. I do one trip a year to Freeport for the shark tournament and that's enough. My boat always heads east once I leave my canal, much fewer issues in that direction!
 
Just so you all know, it's not unique to your area. The same stupid crap goes on in the Chesapeake, especially on holidays. And if you want "real" fun and stupidity, try Miami on a weekend!

We just got back from Florida. We spent one of our last nights at anchor in Hobe Sound just north of Jupiter Inlet. The anchorage is a "Slow speed - Minimal Wake" zone (that's how they word it there). The next morning I'm on the bow to bring the anchor up and 3 50-footers (one was a 48' EndeavourCat) come blowing past the sign and through the anchorage. They slowed some, but all their bows were up and I had to sit on the bow and wait for the 3 sets of wakes to pass or I would have been knocked off the boat.
 
John,
There was plenty of room and I had full visibility. I encountered Seatow well after that point. I would not of gone around if I thought it was a dangerous situation or was not enough room. I do admit I cut the fishing boat close, but he was blocking 3/4 of the channel!
 
I have to ask another question. I will grant you that you can't judge anywhere on a Holiday Weekend but it certainly sounds like you folks have more to contend with then many others. Without local knowledge, it appears that even an experienced Captain can struggle in many parts of the South Shore. On the way into Zachs we obviously followed the channel which quite frankly was not even close to our charts. One of our friends had a soft landing in the channel on the way out of the same channel we entered. We came in at low tide so that was not the issue and he has been there many times. Since charts are for the most part useless since the channel moves, how do you even know where it is safe and where you will get into trouble? On top of this, in different areas your red and green seem to reverse for no good reason. I would love to explore more of the area but with all of this it certainly deters many of us.
 
We study charts.
We look at satellite photos.
We learn to read the water and the islands.
Noone said it is easy.
There is alot of local knowledge and common sense.
The buoys do make sense, remember it is red right return and we have multiple inlets, so it changes based on that.

I for one always study the charts of where I am going it a new plave and will plot a course on my gps prior to going.

Zachs and other coves are not charted very well. I know how to get into Zachs and I know once in there the good water is in a T shape with the top of the T the cover and the bottom the channel you come in. Beyond that its a crap shoot, so you go slow, watch your depth and use your eyes. Big boats like ours are harder to navigate than the expresses and is one reason, I don't venture like I used too.
 
I am in agreement that the south shore can be an adventure but as Dave said, a little planning goes a long way. In addition, complacency or inattention can ruin the day of anyone with local knowledge. Evidenced by a guy in my yard with a 35' Viking Express than swung the wrong way on anchor (not in Zachs) and the tow off the hard messed up his rudders, shafts and props.

All that said, there is not a lot of room in certain channels and that is why we get so pissed when A-holes are blocking them or otherwise acting recklessly.

As to shifting conditions - first trips of the season are always a little nerve wracking.

Lastly, hurricanes aside we generally don't have to deal with large floating or partially submerged water hazards other than the nitwits previously mentioned.
 
Got it but all the chart reading and preparing in the world would not have helped on the way in or out since the actual buoys and deeper water did not match the charts and the right red should really not change in the what appeared to be the same channel. We proceeded at no wake the entire way in and out and were successful but it certainlty was nerve wracking since it was a total guess to ignore charts and follow the markers. The guy who left after us who had the soft landing was clearly in the channel and we all know depths can change way before you have the opportuity to correct, even at no wake speed. Anyway, it was a great weekend and I would do it again.
 
I think a lot of it is also what you are used to and experience in the area. Most of us here have been boating on the south shore for decades, often working our way up from smaller boats that were more forgiving in the shallows. Now for the most part we know where we can go and where we can't. Of course sometimes things shift over the winter and early trips may be a bit nerve wracking. But in general we're following routes we may have used for years and know what to expect. If I was anywhere else and saw 6' of water I'd be turning around and looking for another way around, but going out my canal I expect that. To Mark's point I've found the debris on the Hudson more nerve wracking than anything dealing with channels on the south shore but I'm not used to that.

Anyway, don't get turned off to exploring the south shore based on that trip. If you go another 10 miles east the bay opens up and there are some beautiful areas on Fire Island that can be explored.

John
 
The Short and Skinny (no pun intended) on the south shore of LI:
Lots'of boaters, so hence more aholes.Percentage wise, sure where all you boat it is the same. The key IMHO, when boating in general is to assume everyone else does not know the rules and then proceed in that fashion.
Great beaches, great places to visit, lot's of restaurants and clubs on the water, and is absolutely well marked and easy to navigate. Sand and mud, so if your unsure and go slow, you will not do any damage to your boat.
I echo John's comments about the fisherman, they were the boaters way back when, and most are ok, recreational boating and those people are the real danger IMHO. Of course, always exceptions to the rule on both venues.
I have been on a boat (dads to start) and mostly the south shore since 1965. 1978 and to date I owned my own boat. The South Shore of LI is very unique in tons of ways, it basically has everything (Fishing, Jacking, Claming, Clubs, Restaurants,Beaches, Coves to anchor, Marinas, Ocean, Bay, etc.)and most important, hot chicks in bikinis :)
 
quote:
Originally posted by JohnC

I think a lot of it is also what you are used to and experience. To Mark's point I've found the debris on the Hudson more nerve wracking than anything dealing with channels on the south shore but I'm not used to that.
John

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I guess that is the difference. We can spot logs from a mile away and to dodge a dead body or two in the East River is SOP. :)
 
South Shore is shallow, but not too bad once you get used to it. Follow the buoys and your depth finder and you usually shouldn't have any problems. The entrance to Zack's Bay can be tricky, but if you follow the buoys you should have plenty of water. I know it's really narrow, but I've never had a problem going in or out of there. Same with the State Boat Channel from the Wantagh Parkway out to Captree. It is too narrow in spots for the amount of traffic and different type of boats it handles, but plenty deep between the markers. I usually try to avoid it at busier times if possible and use the north channel to go east and west instead. Tons of room up there to avoid fishing boats, big wakes, faster or slower moving vessels, and a really well marked channel.
For the most part the average south shore boater is pretty good, but there are always some knuckleheads no matter where you go. Among the idiots, I find that I see the pleasure boaters doing a lot more stupid things than the fishing boats. As a group compared to fisherman, there seems to be a higher percentage that are less experienced to handle the boat they have, less courteous, less knowledge about rules, and probably more likely to be operating their boat in a "party type mode" which is always dangerous. Again though, even among them they represent a really small percentage of all boaters.
But overall, the south shore really is a great place for boating whether for pleasure or for fishing.
 
Reading all this reminds me of the ride from Tuckerton creek to the LEI inlet. Well in my new to me trawler I couldn't wake anyone even if I wanted too!
Bill
 
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