The Harbor Advisory Board is moving its requested no wake zone on the East Branch further north, though the ultimate decision on whether to put in a buoy is up to the select board.

Last month, select board members sent the harbor group back to the table to work on its plan to establish a no wake zone from Kerby Brook north to the Head of Westport. Chris Leonard, the director of marine services, proposed the zone after receiving several complaints from nearby neighbors who said jet skis have been a nuisance this season. Last week, board members voted to move the southern end of the zone north, on a line from 418 Drift Road on the west bank to Widow's Point on the east. That's a fair distance north of the original proposed location, and could prove less problematic than siting it at Kerby, where the river is much wider, Leonard said.

In Massachusetts, personal water craft like jet skis cannot operate within 150 feet of the shore unless at headway speed, meaning that in water bodies 300 feet wide or narrower, they must operate slowly. But in a rule specific to Westport, these vehicles cannot operate above headway speed within 400 feet of the shore, meaning no wakes are allowed in an 800-foot or narrower waterway.

In this case, Leonard said he wants to defer to state law, and not the local bylaw, in considering the no wake zone. Westport's regulations have been on the books for years. And while he can't say for certain, he suspects that 400-foot requirement was put in place specifically to target jet skis.

"Back in the day jet skis were a problem in the Westport River," he said. With zones 800 feet wide, "jet skis had to stay away from everything (and) I believe they were trying to eradicate" them.

If the town used local regulations instead of deferring to the state, he said, "it might not hold up in a court of law" if challenged by a jet skier.

The new proposed line, from Drift across to Widow's Point, is a good bit narrower. And though the river opens up just after the point at Everett Cove, it for the most part tapers gradually northward to the Head.

Leonard said instituting a no wake zone might not be totally enforceable, as the town doesn't have the personnel or resources to enforce it. But he said something has to be done — apart from speed, there are other safety factors in the area, including submerged rocks that aren't marked by the town, and a blind turn at Widow's Point.

"When I go up there in any town vessels, I slow right down," Leonard said. "I've never taken the leg off an outboard — yet. But if you're going to do it, that's going to be the place.We need to draw a line in the mud and phragmites somewhere."

Retired Westport police officer David Simcoe, who lives on Donovans Lane just south of Widow's Point and used to serve on the department's jet ski patrol, said he supported moving the divining line north from Kerby Brook. The original location wasn't ideal as that part of the river is wider than 300 feet, he said.

"Let's not hit every boat," he said. "We're killing a mosquito with a flamethrower here."

He also said he worries that xx, as according to his research there have been no complaints about jet skiers in the area from kayakers, or anyone else, in at least three years — just two from residents who live next door to each other in the area.

"I've been there for 22 years," he said. "No accidents. I know stuff can happen, but restricting the river ... all you're going to do is move the problem somewhere else."

If approved by the select board, the no wake zone would apply to all river traffic, not just jet skis.

Another problem area?

Meanwhile, the board will also look into a request by Mark Schmid,  who often sails in the lower East Branch by The Let Conservation area and Big Ram Island.

He told board members that he recently tried to get the attention of a powerboat whose captain was straying dangerously close to low water in the area, but was rebuffed. Having signage in the area would help the unaware navigate more safely.

"I mentioned to him 'Low water! Low water' trying to indicate it was very low. He looks at me ... and he guns it and then the boat's up like this and he's just roaring right through there. You can't account for what behavior people will do."

Leonard said he and the board will research the need for a no wake buoy in the area, and commiserated with Smith over the current mindset of many boaters out on the river:

"River rage," he said. "Everyone is the number one captain. Unfortunately that's how it goes. People get very disturbed on the river when you're telling them that they're doing something wrong. We all have to have some limits in some cases, just for protection."