5 mph speed limit, increased patrols in area around August 30 event
Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and his Town Board colleagues announce that the Town will again impose measures aimed at ensuring that boaters wanting to attend the Huntington Lighthouse’s annual Music Fest August 30 can enjoy the event and leave safely.
The Town will again impose a 5 mph speed limit within half a mile of the Lighthouse and establish a safety zone around the Lighthouse to keep vessels clear of the dock and rocks and to protect swimmers in the vicinity of the Lighthouse. The speed limit will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Huntington Town harbormaster, working with the Suffolk County Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Lloyd Harbor Village harbormaster, will step up patrols in the area of the festival, which last year attracted an estimated 1,200 boats and could attract an estimated 1,400 this year. The Town will have rapid rescue recovery units available, if necessary, and work in coordination with local fire departments on rescues. As has been done in the past, law enforcement boats will be strategically located throughout the area to help ensure an orderly dispersal after the event and to optimize the response time for boats in need of assistance.
Among the agencies that have committed resources to assist in enforcement and rescue operations are the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Eatons Neck, the Suffolk County and Northport Village Police Departments, the Lloyd Harbor Village harbormaster and the Centerport, Cold Spring Harbor, Halesite, Huntington and Northport Fire Departments and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
This is the third consecutive year the Town has set the reduced speed limit for the area around the Lighthouse during the Music Fest, a move that was originally prompted by a tragedy in Oyster Bay on July 4, 2012, that took the lives of three children who drowned when the boat in which they were watching a fireworks display capsized.
After that tragedy, Huntington enacted legislation authorizing the Harbormaster’s Office to establish 5 mph zones during aquatic events and increased boating safety classes and other boating safety measures. Most recently, the Town placed two buoys carrying the warning, “Slow No Wake” in the area around the lighthouse.
“Whether it is Fourth of July fireworks or Labor Day Weekend music festivals, the Town takes boating safety very seriously, and our experience is that these enhanced measures help send the message that we expect boaters to act responsibly, for their own sake and others’,” Supervisor Petrone said. “We want boaters to enjoy the festivities and get home safely, so they can come again next year.”
“The Town has devoted resources to increasing boater education and to enforcement,” Councilman Mark Cuthbertson said. “Our hope is that boaters get the message that it is important to remember that courtesy, respect for others and common sense are not things they leave at the shore.”
“As we have worked with Pam Setchell and the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society on the preparations that will once again make the Music Fest a signature Huntington event, safety has been a key component,” Councilwoman Susan A. Berland said. “Boaters need to be aware of the new “slow no wake” buoys and pay attention to their message, to ensure a safe boating event for everyone.”
“Just as cars can be weapons on land, so can boats on the water,” Councilwoman Tracey A. Edwards said. “People should remember to operate vehicles carefully, whether they are behind the wheel of a car or a boat.”
Here is a map showing the area affected by the speed restriction.
In the photo (l-r): Edward Carr, director, Town Department of Maritime Services; Senior Bay Constable Fred Uvena; Supervisor Frank P. Petrone; Councilwoman Susan A. Berland; Harbormaster Ryan Sammis; Pam Setchell, president, Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society; Jon Ten Haagen, executive officer, and Jacquie Martin, commodore, Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs.