Halesite – Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, Councilman Ed Smyth and Harbormaster Fred Uvena were joined by Senator James Gaughran and Lisa Gaines, mother of 7-year-old Victoria Gaines, who was killed in a 2012 boating tragedy in the waters of Oyster Bay, at the Huntington Harbormaster’s office on May 16 to announce Town and State boating safety initiatives underway and advise boaters to use caution as the boating season officially kicks off this Memorial Day Weekend.
"I am proud that for the past year, the Town’s efforts to dedicate more resources to promote boating safety in 2019 have resulted in one of the highest numbers of attendees ever registered in one season to take our boating safety classes, approximately 250 people, and we hope to continue growing that number," said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. "I’d like to announce that the Town of Huntington Boating Safety Course will now be known as the Town of Huntington’s Victoria Gaines Boating Safety Course, honoring Victoria and creating a legacy of preventing future boating tragedies."
Councilman Ed Smyth offered the short, yet effective, words of advice: "You can NEVER dock a boat too slowly."
Senator Jim Gaughran said: "Boating is a beloved pastime for many Long Islanders but it's essential it's done safely. Common sense safety bills like taking a boating safety course and installing a propeller guard are two simple ways to ensure child boaters are protected. We must continue advocating for passage of boating safety bills in Albany while continuing to educate the boating population on Long Island. Thank you Supervisor Lupinacci for your tremendous work to ensure safe waterways and protect our boaters."
Lisa Gaines stated: “I am truly grateful for the support of the Town of Huntington. As one of the largest boating communities on Long Island it is critically important to expand on and continue our efforts to ensure waterway safety. Whether you are a motorized or non-motorized operator the rules should apply in the same manner. Thank you again for honoring my daughter and keeping our community safe!”
Supervisor Lupinacci also laid out all the boating safety initiatives and improvements underway for the 2019 boating season and beyond:
- An additional part-time Bay Constable will be on-duty during day shifts this season, which will allow the Town to have an additional patrol boat out on the water all week long.
- LED lighting on all the Town’s navigational markers, installation of the LED lights was recently completed for the 2019 season.
- New configurations for docking at Mill Dam Marina for people who struggle physically.
- A new larger Head Float at Mill Dam Marina to create more space for boaters to safely maneuver around the gangway (expanded from 10’x20’ to 14’x20’).
- Infrastructure improvements are planned for the decades-old Mill Dam Marina with the re-decking of all docks this winter, some of which is currently underway.
- A new emergency response vessel, procured with a $330,000 grant from FEMA, is currently in production, expected delivery is in December 2019.
Maritime and Harbormaster staff often remove debris from the water -- dislodged docks from Connecticut, wrecked and abandoned vessels in Town waterways, and other hazards that can cause harm to life and property near Huntington’s shorelines.
Supervisor Lupinacci added: “The Town spent over $50,000 last year removing derelict and abandoned boats in an effort to keep the harbor safe to navigate and protect our water quality,” before inviting the public to a hearing on boating safety Wednesday, May 29th at 2pm to consider measures that will allow the Town to promote responsible boating and boat ownership and management, including:
- implementing a $40 mooring permit fee to cover the costs of vessel wreck removal, pollution mitigation and remediation of other navigational safety hazards;
- building a database to help the Town identify who owns the boats on Town moorings in our harbor to hold violators responsible for hazardous boating safety conditions;
- increasing required insurance limits for vessel wreck removal and pollution mitigation for special events held on a public dock (from $500,000 to $1,000,000);
- placing liability for all costs incurred by the Town in removing, storing and disposing of unseaworthy and wrecked vessels on the owner or person responsible for the vessel;
- lowering the cost of transient commercial mooring permits from $200 to $40, which will help Huntington’s maritime economy; and
- preventing future violations of Maritime code by increasing the minimum fine for not obtaining a mooring permit (from $50 to $250).
The Town’s Boating Safety Class on Saturday, May 18 at Town Hall marked the kickoff of Huntington’s annual Boating Safety Week. The classes, offered throughout the year, will now be known as the Town of Huntington’s Victoria Gaines Boating Safety Course. Both Supervisor Lupinacci and Lisa Gaines addressed the full room of attendees at Saturday’s class.
Huntington’s Boating Safety Week began in 2013 after the tragic accident on July 4, 2012, in which three local children died when the boat they were on capsized -- one of those children was Lisa Gaines’ 7-year-old daughter, Victoria, who was just two days shy of her 8th birthday.
VIDEO: http://huntingtonny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1822
In the photo (l-r): Harbormaster Fred Uvena; Senator James Gaughran; Councilman Edmund J.M. Smyth; Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Lisa Gaines; Senior Bay Constable Jeffrey Kropp.
###