From the minute boater Ed Meixsell drove in to Heeia Kea Boat Harbor Sunday morning, he knew it wasn’t going to be a typical three-day weekend at the former party spot known as the Kaneohe sandbar.

"We came first thing this morning and the parking lot was empty," said Meixsell, who lives nearby. "The peak is usually around 2 p.m. and there are usually at least a hundred boats out by then. Today, there were maybe 20. It’s definitely the ban."

In July, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources imposed a three-year ban on alcohol at the sandbar — Ahu o Laka — during the Labor Day, Independence Day and Memorial Day weekends. The state will monitor the effectiveness of the ban during the three-year period.

The board previously instituted a 120-day emergency ban on alcohol at the sandbar following the death last year of a 26-year-old man who was involved in a fight at the harbor.

"They made it too extreme," said Meixsell. "Personally, I like the party atmosphere. I didn’t see any of the problems they said existed. But it is what it is. I don’t agree (with the ban) but I will abide by it."

That seemed to be the consensus of the few recreational boaters who did make it to the sandbar over the weekend.

Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Deborah Ward said no citations were issued for alcohol violations through the three-day weekend. "Most of the people we spoke with were happy with the rule."

Ward said about 50 boats visited the sandbar on Monday. That’s a far cry from previous holiday celebrations, according to Kanoa Burgess, a frequent visitor to the sandbar.

Burgess said a typical three-day weekend would find cars overflowing the parking lot and tourists and residents alike lining the pier in hopes of catching a ride with a departing boat.

By late afternoon Sunday, only a half-dozen boats remained near the sandbar.

"It’s like a desert out there," said Kaneohe resident Kaipo Shiroma. "I think the ban is a waste of money. They could have avoided this by enforcing the laws they already have for underage drinking, which is the real problem out here."

At the Mokulua islets off Lanikai, meanwhile, state officers cited two people for bringing dogs to the bird sanctuary, and a camper was told to leave, Ward said.

Officers also provided assistance to an injured man and to passengers aboard a boat that had lost power returning to the pier.