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Tampa to revamp no-wake zones
By RON MATUS, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA -- Boaters rejoice: Soon there will be one less no-wake zone on the Hillsborough River. But don't rev it up just yet. Other zones may be coming. State boating officials were in Tampa on Thursday to help the City Council clear up confusion about zones that have peeved boaters, crew teams and manatee lovers alike. One of the zones lies between Hillsborough Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. City officials set it up last year to protect the rowing teams at Tampa Catholic High School. Because the city never got state approval, which is required for new zones, that zone has to go, said Capt. Alan Richard, coordinator for the state's boating safety program. The council voted to ask Tampa Catholic to apply for a U.S. Coast Guard permit, which could pave the way for a new city ordinance that could pass state muster. Many boaters call no-wake zones, which force them to slow to a crawl, unfair and unnecessary. But supporters say they prevent shoreline erosion and protect manatees. There are a half-dozen or so zones between the river's mouth and the reservoir dam. Some are year-round; some are seasonal. Some are backed by state approval; some aren't. Police said the patchwork has made enforcement difficult. City officials called Thursday's workshop after the state rejected a no-wake zone downtown, from the Platt Street bridge to the southern tip of Harbour Island. The city wanted to protect crew teams and prevent fast-moving boats from jostling those at the dock. But Richard said those reasons don't jibe with state criteria, which focus on safety "as opposed to gut feeling, public pressure or in many cases, public hysteria." Preventing noise and erosion aren't good reasons either, he said. "I understand and sympathize, but the policy . . . is clear." After Richard's input, the council voted to modify its permit application for the downtown zone. As for crew teams, unless their practices are permitted by the Coast Guard, they're required to be on the edge of the channel as far away from motorboats as possible, Richard said. Conflicts between boats and crew teams occur about once a month, said Tampa Catholic crew coach Patrick Huey. They're not bad, but enough to warrant signs, he said. "We're looking at this area as a school zone," he said. The river needs signs "like they have flashing lights on the highway." Huey said he will call the Coast Guard today. In the meantime, Tampa's marine patrol will survey the river to see whether other areas meet state safety criteria. The city is also expected to ask the state whether a slow-speed zone along most of the river might be warranted to protect manatees.
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From the Times City Times (south Tampa) North of Tampa |
