Where do you think the Long Island No Wake Zone starts?
 

Given the wording in the statute, where do you think the No Wake Zone starts if you are headed East and going under the Long Island Bridge?
Vote for A, B, or C (or 1, 2, or 3)

(ad) From the westernmost black top buoy located off the Long Island Public Beach to a point 150 feet beyond the eastern side of the Long Island Bridge shall be a “no wake” area.

I've always assumed it was option A and from what I see most other boaters adhere to the same assumption. The wording I'll admit is kind of vague to clarify they really should give a reference point on the opposite shore of the blacktop just to avoid any confusion.

That's an easy one. Definitely A. If you go any further, when you come off plane, there is no place for the wake to dissipate. The waves just bounce around off all the boats and the shore line. I always make sure I'm at no wake before the NW sign. Somebody said it earlier. What's the hurry?

allways been a bad situation
 

By definition you cannot cross the line. The line is definitely open to interpretation as there should have always been two NWZ Buoys in place to create the line.
When questioned one year the MP officer pretty much concurred that in court you would probably beat any ticket because there is no defined line and it is open to ones own judgment. Now had the NWZ marker been placed in the middle of the channel instead of off to the side it would narrow down ones interpretation of where the line should be.
The simple fix would be to have another NWZ buoy and why MP never did this is a good question.

I havn't been there in years, my boat won't fit under the bridge. But coming into the area without reading the rules, I would assume "C", especially since my Bizer map shows the orange dot (NWZ bouy) near the second black top, closest to the bridge.

The rule is ambiguous but "A" seem like a stretch, can you even see the bouy from "A"?

If you pass the buoy, you are in the no wake zone. To get to options b and c, you have to pass the buoy at option a, therefore you are in the no wake zone. I don't see this one as complicated at all. I have noticed that with a marked decrease in MP at the lake, that most people don't run at headway any more, especially in the Weirs channel, where a 6 inch to 1 foot wake is common emanating from many boats.

I live there. It's A.

Why are you asking?

After spending 25 years in that area of the lake, it is generally always enforced as A.... however arguments can be made for B and C.... the truth of the matter is this is an area where an improvement can be made, by adding a second bouy.... people just need to bug the MP about it.

I've always treated it as A. Seems like the only courteous thing to do.

According to the reading of the rule, "C" is the true distance, but "A" is the logical and common sense answer.

I guess the scale is throwing me. I can't see how a boat coming from say Braun Bay to the marina pictured, would have to slow down until 150' from the marina. If they where near the north side of the channel they are more than 500' from the marker at line 'C' and more than 500' from the marina. How would someone know? What reading of the rule tell me to connect the line from the bouy to that shore instead of the shore closer to the bridge?

I guess I'll have to take a ride over and look, maybe it's more obvious in real life. It seems like a recipe for a lot of angry people. People yelling at people for breaking a rule they don't know they are breaking. And others taking advantage of the ambiguity to cheat the line.

There are lot of misconceptions about NWZ bouys out there.

I have gone through there countless times and never encountered an angry person. I have also never encountered someone on plane after point A. Lots of people going 8-9 mph but they really don't understand no wake anyway.... Like Dave R said Point A is really the only courtious spot to slow anyway.

depasseg, have you had a problem there?

The prevaling west to east winds bring in fair sized rollers into the area being discussed. I think the natives to the property are more accustomed to waves that a rare boat would not upset them as much as other land owners on the lake. The boats in Quayside Yacht Club are instructed to use snubbers and spring lines to reduce damage to the docks. They are all properly braced for storms.

It is a beautiful part of the lake...

150' Rule on Passing Boats???????????????
 

deppaseg,

With the amount of traffic going in either direction in that area the 150' rule boat to boat probably trumps your circles.

You have traffic going to and from the bridge to the NWZ marker, boats gassing up at the outside dock at Quayside, boats coming out and going it to the docks and you have a mooring field in front of the campground. Could be a little congested at most times?

Are YOU wanting to run a 45mph between YOUR circles from the bridge to the nwk marker? REALLY?

I have been boating on this lake for over 20 years and this area has been one of the only areas were the NO WAKE ZONE has been overwhelmingly adhered to. And I would say that the main reason is courtesy of the many boaters that use and are familiar with what is going on there.

Do you need to travel this area to get where you want? Maybe you would prefer going between the bottom of Long Island and Sandy and out through the HOLE in the Wall.

Nice graphics though.

There seems to be solid agreement on where the zone starts and everyone seems to be following the rules. Sounds like good news.

I have a boat at QYC and stay on it regularly over the weekends, so I'm certainly not looking to go through on plane. I take my time and slow down well before the NWZ marker by Line "A", because I hate getting rocked by a boat's wake (especially when the lake is calm). I might even yell out and ask people who are leaving a wake to slow down a little. Most people are nice about it and slow down.

But, I saw a boat going through the other evening that was stopped by the MP heading from BB towards the bridge apparently breaking the No Wake rule which got me thinking about where the confusion about where the No Wake Zone ends. This confusion is especially bad if you are heading West (toward BB) where you can't see the No Wake Zone marker until you round the corner.

Hence my poll. While the majority of people believe it begins at Line "A" or earlier, there are still a decent number of people who think it is closer towards the bridge.

In my opinion it depends on your course.

You are in a NWZ when you pass the point where your course is perpendicular to the NWZ buoy.

Put more simply, you are in a NWZ when you pass the NWZ buoy.

I am usually on plane approaching the no wake buoy. To spend as little time as possible at headway speed I make sure to be way over to the island side of the channel which makes me pass the buoy very closely.
As a result I don't get out in that uncertain area toward Trexler's gas dock. If I end up in there somehow I go headway though. I go slow for 2 reasons. 1st I don't want to break the rules, 2nd I don't want to cause wake damage.
Common sense in my opinion. I have been going through there since 1971 so it's old hat to me.

I live in that general area and I have always used A as a personal rule, but can easily see where there could be confusion. There really should be another buoy across to shore to better define the line if that's the line being enforced.

I find the same confusion in Meredith Bay. Rather than the NWZ being across the bay, it's at some weird angle which leaves a lot of gray area. I just slow down at the first buoy near Meredith marina, but this could also be better designed.

I rarely travel up to the Long Island bridge but when I have in the past, I generally use C, IF THERE'S NO OTHER TRAFFIC. If there's traffic, I slow down as necessary. My reasoning is since there's no other buoy to draw an imaginary line, C is parallel to the bridge. My wife prefers to use B since that's closest to north on the compass.

As for Meredith Bay, there's no gray area; I don't understand why people make it more difficult than it is. It's easy, there are at least 3 buoys marking the beginning of the NWZ; locate any two buoys and imagine the line connecting them. Once I cross that line, I'm in the NWZ. Simple! :)

When in doubt, calll the MP, that's what they are there for! :)

Letter of the law?
 

I'd say technically, B

In real life, I'd use A if headed in and Easterly direction. Otherwise, B or C would provide for excessive wakes into the docks. As someone else stated, coming off plane while using B or C, would probably wreak havoc in that area.