CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. -- Chincoteague officials recently expanded the no-wake zone in the Chincoteague Channel. The move has received mixed reviews from people who make their money out on the water.
As first mate Matthew Elliot cranes his neck towards the top of his boat, he's reminded of all the times he's been working 30-plus feet in the air. Then a much more daunting reminder hits him: the number of times he's been working high up in the sky while another boat comes flying through the channel.
"Of course when you're rocking and rolling, you know, it can knock a guy off, they could fall down and get seriously injured or even death," said Elliot.
Elliot tells us that when boats travel at a high rate of speed, life on the ground isn't much easier.
"That's the system we put our crabs on and fish to unload," said Elliot, pointing to a conveyor belt on the dock. "Even unloading when it's rocking, you know you get smashed fingers."
Chincoteague leaders heard those concerns and recently expanded the no-wake zone. For landmarks, boaters can look out for the Coast Guard Station and the tip of Marsh Island. The no-wake zone starts roughly in that area and then covers waters north to the high school.
Some believe this could strain the tour boat industry, requiring captains such as Nathan Hill to ease off the throttle for longer periods of time.
"If we come down that way, it would really impact us," said Hill. "it would make our tours longer and we would actually have to change our scheduling, and maybe have to cut out one of the tours."
Hill said the newly expanded zone should not be an issue, however.
"If it's done reasonable where we're taking both sides into account, we can live with it, if they don't go overboard," said Hill.
Town leaders also recently discussed the Assateague Channel on the other side of the island. There is already a no-wake zone near Tom's Cove, but Councilmember Denise Bowden told us on Monday that the town has no plans to ask the state to expand that zone.