Oak Beach was a small marshland community at the end of the Jones Beach Causeway. Access to the tidewater island was strictly by boat. The houses were constructed during the 30s and 40s. Electricity was an option.

Across the causeway was the Oak Beach Inn. A large clam shack serving the drunk drivers from everywhere but Oak Beach. On the weekends the parking lot was packed with fast cars and the inlet between Jones Beach and the outer shore barrier island was buzzing with even faster boats. Most of the boaters were drunk too.

There was great friction between the two groups, although none of it mattered to me, since I would only go there on my old 1907 Yamama XS 650. An ugly bike. Still it ran better than most and I loved riding the causeway to the Oak Beach Inn. I’d have a beer and watch the action on the water.

Near-misses were frequent. Boaters regularly ignored the inlet’s speed limit. Most of the non-locals didn’t realize the speed limit was to prevent boaters from running into shifting sand bars or hidden submersibles. I saw two boats slam into a sand bar within five minutes of each other. The second driver ignoring the first stranded boat. The best was the time a Scarab throttled into the inlet full power. Everyone on the deck expected him to execute a showy stop, but the boater kept coming. So fast it was too late for anything to happen other than a collision. People stepped away from the edge of the deck. Luckily the boater didn’t miss a sunken deadhead and split the prow of his speedboat.

A good laugh for all, since no one was hurt.

The Oak Beach Inn is now closed.

The residents of Oak Beach are happy.

And maybe that’s for the best, because boats are only faster now. And people are bigger assholes.