Illegal Kiting in Waquoit Bay
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 08:48
I hope you all enjoyed the kick-ass wind we had all weekend, it seems it was good everywhere! Great way to end a good summer and welcome in the stronger winds of fall.
Yesterday (Sunday 9/5) I was driving my boat into Waquoit Bay from Nantucket Sound for a kite session when I had to yell at a kiter to the F@#$ out of the boat channel. This kiter obviously knew he was not supposed to be in the boat channel b/c he high-tailed his ass over the jetty and out of the channel after I spoke to him. He was flying a purple/black Best kite, wearing a helmet, and on a directional surf board.
I'll say here what I yelled to him yesterday, "I am a kitesurfer and I don't want my sport banned in this bay because of someone like you breaking the rules." It is posted on the this website that it is illegal to kite in the boat channel. I think there is also a sign that says it near the parking lot, but I am not sure b/c I have never driven to Waquoit, I always get there by boat.
I am a broken record for saying that kiting is vulnerable to being banned at almost every beach it is still allowed in the US near any kind of a population center, so it is important (even while having an adrnaline rush) to make sure to obey the rules. ESPECIALLY on frickin' labor day weekend DUDE. Seriously, if you had waited just one more weekend to start pushing the rules it would probably not be noticed or a big deal, but to do it on one of the biggest weekends of the summer as I watched several boats having to negotiate around you in the channel was ignorant and selfish.
Moral of the story: while kiting ALWAYS think about the preservation of access for the sport b/c you don't want to the THAT guy we all hate that gets kiting banned at our local spot. If you are going to push the rules, at least do it in your drysuit in December when the only person who gets hurt by your actions is yourself.
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 09:52
#1
you keep you boat in all
you keep you boat in all winter?
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 15:17
#2
So was it in the channel
So was it in the channel inside or outside the bay?
I'm sure Rob can find whoever the culprit is and speak with him 
(haha)
Sidenote: that's awesome if he jumped over the jetty.
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 11:04
#3
Excellent example of
Excellent example of self-policing! Keep up the good work everyone!
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 21:23
#5
Welcome to the Bay
Hi Mesaman,
Always good to have more kiters at WB, and it was nice if rushed meeting you this past Sun, that outgoing tide prevented me from stopping to chat. And jeez it was windy.
I can understand your concern, but actually the local "rule" is that you can kite across the channel but not stay in it, and given that the channels are not wide its kind of hard to "stay in it". Many of the regulars in the Bay regularly kite across the channels that stretch from the Bay entrance (where our paths crossed) into several of the deeper corners of the Bay, the idea is to cross and not linger in the channels, several other Cape Cod Beaches take this approach to their kite rules. N.B.: inexperienced kiters are strongly encouraged to not cross channels, this approach has worked well over the years at WB.
This nuance in the kiter instituted rules was cleared during meetings that Rob Olson and I had with WB Estuarine Reserve and the Town of Mashpee officials this past winter after the road to WB was temporarily closed. This nuance of the rules is in a post I published here at masskiting after that Winter meeting, that posting has not survived in the Beaches section, all that is in that section now is an abbreviation of an old outdated sign that no longer exists at the beach.
We have not had any nonkiter complaints at the Bay this year registered with the Reserve or Town officials. Yours is the first kiter complaint this year and one that all of us at the Bay take seriously.
On Sun I had been kiting in the SW corner of the Bay where many of the regular boaters cheer us on. I then quickly tacked upwind across an empty Bay entrance channel and one of those boaters who was cheering me on immediately followed me then raced ahead of me, while cheering. I suppose that is what you mean by "boats maneuvering around me in the channel". When you yelled at me I was literally 20 feet downind from the break in the downwind jetty used for quick Sound access. The fisherman who are always at that break in the jetty had already signaled to me that they had pulled up their fishing lines for my easier passage. Taking the longer route by foot at base of jetty works as well and I generally avoid people who are yelling at me.
In any case, keep the peace, enjoy the Bay and feel free to join us for our meetings with officials to help formulate rule changes as desired. I kite in the Bay and Sound most all winter, I am always looking for company. I find that many kiters spend their formative years at the Bay and then move on to better things. I am an old fart and tend to stay in one place.
Tue, 09/07/2010 - 01:29
#6
Thanks for the extensive info
Thanks for the extensive info and civility in your reply regarding the rules for channel crossing. Rule #1 for Waquoit Bay on this site in the beaches section NEEDS to be edited, so people like me don't chastise cheery "old farts" who aren't trying to make trouble.
Context is everything right? I only had two minutes to interpret your situation. I saw you tack back and forth four times not making much progress either in or out of the channel, so I assumed you were playing in the flatter water in the channel, not trying to get to the break in the jetty. The boats I saw weaving around you were two other boats like me that had just entered from Nantucket Sound. Now that I know passage across the channel is allowed via your post, I of course would have understood better why you were where you were.
I grew up here summers in Falmouth, but lived in CO for the last 15 years. Living in Telluride meant I was only able to kite on vacations for the past 8 years, so I was always extremely sensitive to the local rules wherever I was fortunate enough to go. I moved back home here a year ago this month. It has been great to finally kite in the waters I know like the back of my hand, drink lots of post session Wachusett beers with Ned, and I continue to be as aware as possible of rules because I have seen kiting get banned at so many other places I have traveled to.
On Sunday I kited in the far west end of the bay loving life in the flatwater and strong wind while my family was comfortable sheltered in the lee of the trees near by (I ride green Ozone C4s or a yellow Black Dog Cab Xbow). Most windy days I am not in WB, I kite in the Sound off of the Great Pond Bridge (tide makes some good waves there), Falmouth Heights, or surfdrive. I am fortunate to have access to a small safe legal launch spot in that section of coastline (not regulated by the Town of Falmouth after 5PM rule).
Again, thanks for your mellow and educational reply regarding rules in WB. I am working on the Vineyard all fall starting later this month (so back to the Island I go Eric!). Nor'Easters in Senge are worldclass, PLEASE! contact me if you want to get a session in on the Island and need transportation from the ferry.
Roger
Tue, 09/07/2010 - 08:32
#7
Just thought Id add my bit. I
Just thought Id add my bit. I was asked by the harbor master to stay away from the north east boat channel markers. There is a white buoy that says " No Wake" at the end of the channel markers. you can cross there, but not any closer.
Tue, 09/07/2010 - 11:43
#8
I "temporarily" changed it to
I "temporarily" changed it to "Quick crossing of the marked boat channel permitted, but kiting in it or around boats prohibited."
Rob, if you want to help me write up something better that'd be great. I'm not sure if those rules are close to being up-to-date. btw, I know you love boosting... you ever try the jetty?
I keep the boat in until New Years (it's just an old classic blue 13' Whaler I take over from Green Pond, a couple harbors west)
The kiter was inside the channel at the beginning of the jetties where they leave the shore when I met up with him in my boat. No the kiter didn't jump the jetty (though it would be a good jetty to do it at outside of the summer season), he walked over the bit of sand at the beginning of the jetty towards South Cape Beach.