Special Safety Zone for weekend's Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial festivities

Not wanting to go to war with curious recreational boaters this up-coming Labor Day holiday weekend, the U.S. Coast is taking a pro-active approach for the accompanying Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial festivities.

This is the why Coast Guard will work in conjunction with other federal agencies as well as their Ohio state and western Lake Erie law enforcement counterparts in protecting the expected flotilla of tall ships.

A temporary Safety Zone and Special Regulated-Restricted Area is being established for the Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial tall ships festival in and around South Bass Island its Put-in-Bay Village.

This is the area where 200 years ago Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry defeated a British armada, sweeping the fleet from the Great Lakes.

Coast Guard officials say the Safety Zone is being established for the protection of the tall ships and their crews.

This Safety Zone will be in place from Thursday through Labor Day Monday, the Coast Guard says.

Specifics for Labor Day Monday's signature activities are:

The Coast Guard will enforce a 500–yard safety zone around all tall ships participating in the Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial reenactment.

The exact course the tall ships will take during the battle reenactment will depend on the day’s wind and weather conditions.

Additionally, the Coast Guard will establish a special local regulated area encompassing the viewing area for the reenactment. This regulated area is a circle with a radius of 4,500 yards centered on the sound effects barge located at the reenactment site.

Spectator vessels may not anchor within a 4,500-yard radius of the sound effects barge, as they may have to give way to the tall ships on short notice.

Also, while in this regulated area, boaters must yield right-of-way to event safety craft.

Likewise, boaters must follow directions given by the U.S. Coast Guard patrol commander, on-scene representative, or other law enforcement representatives assisting the patrol commander during the event.

Event safety craft will be flying orange triangular pennants with the words “SAFETY BOAT” written on the pennants in black letters.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net