Snow Pond / Messalonskee Lake Association

Boating

Laws | Boat Launch | Launching & Hauling Tips

The Snow Pond / Messalonskee Lake Association promotes safe boating recreation on the lake. For periods of high activity in the summer, the Association sponsors a patrol boat with a Harbor Master manned by members of the Oakland Police Department. The purpose of this activity is to promote safety and educate boaters on the boating laws. During the summer of 2005, patrols on the lake provided information packets to many boaters and sited only a very few offenders. The presence of the patrol boat encourages safe operation especially in the narrow North end of the lake where traffic density is high due to the transition from the Oakland Boat Ramp to the south end of the lake.

Many areas of our narrow lake are covered by the HEADWAY SPEED rules of the Maine Boating Laws / Rules. This part of the law states:

No person may operate a watercraft at a speed greater than headway speed while within the water safety zone or within a marina or an approved anchorage in coastal or inland waters except while actively fishing. For the purposes of this section, "headway speed" means the minimum speed necessary to maintain steerage and control of the watercraft while the watercraft is moving.

“Water safety zone" means the area of water within 200 feet of any shoreline, whether the shoreline of the mainland or of an island.

A more complete summary of the Maine State Boating Rules are included in the BOATING RULES page of this website.

 

 

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State to Close Route 27 Boat Launch on Messalonskee Lake at the end of this season.

With the acquisition of the Bates property on Hosta Lane, the State has confirmed that they will close the Route 27 launch at the end of this season. A map of the general area of the new boat launch is shown here.

AE Hodsdon, an engineering firm in Waterville, is working with a Concept Plan provided by the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands to develop a design that will feature a 20' wide concrete ramp, boarding floats and parking for an estimated eight vehicles with trailers. A copy of the current concept plan is shown here for your informatoin. Click on the image or here for the full size pdf file.

Hodsdon is committed to ensuring that water from Hosta Lane, which has previously flowed directly into the lake, will be recycled through a combination of vegetative buffers and retention ponds on the site.

The current Sidney launch site will cease to exist as lower Hosta Lane is converted into a vegetative buffer with a boulder guardrail. The current entrance to the Bates property will be moved further up Hosta Lane away from the lake to provide a less severe turn into the launch site.

The initial opportunity for public comment will occur when the Concept Plan is presented to the Sidney Planning Board. Their next meeting is September 5th but we can not confirm at this time that the plan will be presented that evening.

The MLA will update this site as additional information becomes available on the approval process and its associated timeline.

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Launching/Hauling Tips

When you get to the ramp to launch, park away from the ramp. Walk down to the ramp and check it out, evaluating things which may hamper your launch or recovery like a drop off, or other obstruction underwater.

Next, prep your boat to launch. Get everything ready, from the gas in, to the straps off, and most of your gear in. Don’t forget to pull your light connection apart so you don’t have hot lights hitting cold water. This will eliminate one source of lights not working.

When the ramp is clear, back in SLOWLY, and prepare to launch. Set your parking brake, and if necessary block the front wheels to prevent rolling into the water. Get your boat into the water, and away from the actual ramp by moving it further out so others can move in when you pull out. Tie up, pull your truck and trailer out and into the parking lot.

When you return at the end of the day, remember that people are coming and going all the time. Approach the dock and ramp at a location that is away from the action, such as the end of the dock. Tie up here, and go and get your trailer and truck. When the ramp is clear, back in and set your parking brake and if necessary block the front wheels. Once your trailer is ready to recover, go get your boat, and recover it to the trailer with the least amount of time spent doing it. Leave your gear in the boat till you have recovered it. Winch onto the trailer, pick up your blocks if you have them out, release your parking brake, and pull out steady, and pull ahead to clear the ramp.

Now that you are away from the ramp, remove your gear, set your motor for towing, pull any drains, strap it down to the trailer, hook up your lights, test them, and you are on your way.