Writer / Pat Carlini
Boaters on Geist Reservoir have long had favorite channels and coves to cruise, but one of the most popular spots may be the notorious “Cocktail Cove” in the Springs of Cambridge neighborhood. On any sunny weekend, you may see boaters tie up together, crank up the music, open the beverages and let it all hang out—sometimes literally.
In 2009, the infamous cove was the subject of a Dateline NBC TV special called “Flying High on Cocktail Cove,” which was the story of how financier Marcus Schrenker, who lived on the cove, tried to fake his own death in a plane over Florida.
All the attention and partying has drawn complaints from neighbors over the years and today police patrol the cove regularly to help control the noise level and alcohol consumption.
Whether its patrols on the cove or just the search for uncharted territory, some boaters are looking for something new—and discovering it. Just north of Cocktail Cove there is a 35+-acre, 10-foot deep cove that opened in 2011 when a dredging project was completed.
Dubbed “Kiddie Cove” and “Juicebox Cove,” the new area with quiet water and a grassy shoreline is attracting family boaters who want to drop anchor and let the kids swim. One boater told me it’s a quieter cove that feels much safer for swimming, with fewer boats and without police circling the boats “like sharks looking for the next meal,” as in Cocktail Cove.
The Bennett family was the first to build on the new cove and says, so far, boaters have been fairly quiet and they hope it stays that way. “Nobody likes stereos blasting in coves—not homeowners or other boaters trying to have a good time on the lake,” says Bennett, who used to live across the street from Cocktail Cove.
Today the Indianapolis Monthly Dream Home is under construction at the entrance of the new cove and a sprinkling of homes are popping up along the shoreline. You can’t live on the water or go boating and expect total peace and quiet—that just won’t happen. But, with the new Kiddie Cove, some boaters are finding they can get a little closer to what they set out to do, and that’s enjoy a peaceful day on the water at Geist Reservoir.
