Port Sydney Beach Use: Boat Mooring Locations and Safety

Don't try to fix something that is not borken.

I agree with the other ideas here stating that the town seems to be creating work for no apparent reason. Boat mooring and swimming at the Port Sydney Beach have coexisted fine for well over half a decade. My father and I have had a boat moored south of the swim area for some 50 years now. The biggest single safety issue I have experienced at this beach is idiots on jet skis driving recklessly and very close to the swimming area and moored boats. I have also seen boats become unmoored. Just this year I rescued a large speed boat that I found floating across the lake from the beach area. This is way more of a problem for the owner then it is a public safety issue. Some reccomended guidelines for mooring and a free registration system might be useful. This could be as simple as a detailed sign and map at the beach parking lot with a link to a voluntary online registration system.

Limit # mooring points, ascertain boat/craft ownership, create registry, oldest/local resident spots remain, new must apply/wait for opening

njm

While I applaud the Town for calling for a public meeting with regards to the mooring issue, how beneficial it would have been to have public input beforehand on the matter of the recent so-called ‘beautification' of the main beach area. I reiterate some of the excellent points someone has so accurately already mentioned. There are far more young families that use the main beach area than seniors; money could have been much better spent on areas that would benefit them, such as reinstalling the swimming dock so children aren’t dangerously swimming and diving from the main dock where boats are coming and going, as well as fixing the drainage problem to increase sitting areas. There are very few seniors who use the beach; to dedicate two parking spots, install a paved walkway (at the expense of losing a tree) along with a mat with metal rails in the water, made no sense whatsoever. What would have made sense was designating an area for seniors at the opposite, flat end of the beach area, near the main dock. And, I might add, I imagine at a significant cost savings. As a senior myself, I say that with absolute conviction, for once upon a time, I was also a young mother whose children swam and played in the sand at the Port Sydney beach almost daily.

Boats now encroaching on adjacent properties. This small lake can only safely handle so many boats. Moorings should be limited.

Boat mooring at Port Sydney beach

Now that this information about boats mooring for free at this beautiful beach is out on social media, I fear if some sort of regulating of this does not happen, there will be even more boats taking advantage next year and completely overwhelming this space. I believe that people using this space should have to apply for some sort of permit system with guidelines on how and what to use for anchors, and safe removal of such when finished using. Anchors that sit submerged in the lake bottom would make it nicer for people getting out to their boats without tripping over the numerous anchors that litter the lake bottom now. There should be a limit to the number of boats allowed to park there as well. Local residents should have first dibs on permits, cottagers that don’t have any other access points for their property and lastly out of towners. Keep the fee for the permits as low as possible as people would be supplying their own anchors. There needs to be some sort of accountability in case people abuse this space either intentionally or accidentally. Earlier this week a boat came loose from its mooring and was drifting towards the dam. luckily another boater caught it before any damage was done but it could have been a serious problem. With permits attached to boats and moorings, perhaps people will be more conscientious of how this beautiful space is used.