Reality Check Folks
 

Speed limits will not make the waters safer, Boater Safety/Education makes it safer. The unfortunate accident that happen a while back, happened under the so called proposed speed limit. I would actually give some serious thought to accepting a speed limit IF the result was to make the water safer. But not with these ridiculous reasons of jealously and unproven information.

I went to the hearing and I openly listened to the proponents of the Bill. And I'm sorry, insulting other individuals because for the money they make, shows lack of knowledge and intense jealously.

I don't understand why their energy couldn't be focused on looking at real safety issues and how to fix them. Maybe increase the distance between boats or something, anything is better than "let's all ban together to force the big monster boats and rich people off the lake"

Um, Wizard. Lake George has a 45 mph speed limit. You must REALLY hate them, all we're doing here on Winni is discussing it.

No, no, not that! You may not believe it, but the lakes region economy will do just fine without you.

I guess you didn't look very hard or you just see what you want to see.

Clarification
 

When I wrote "speeding boat", I just meant a boat that was going faster than it should have been at that distance from us. I didn't realize that Squam has a 40mph speed limit, and this particular boat was likely under that limit. My point was "enforcement of current boating regulations seems to be the bigger issue here." That powerboat operator saw us just fine. He passed with 40 feet of us and laughed as his wake swamped us.

The NH law (Boating And Water Safety On New Hampshire Public Waters Section 270-D:2; 270-D:2 General Rules for Vessels Operating on Water) states:
VI. (a) To provide full visibility and control and to prevent their wake from being thrown into or causing excessive rocking to other boats, barges, water skiers, aquaplanes or other boats, rafts or floats, all vessels shall maintain headway speed when within 150 feet from:
(1) Rafts, floats, swimmers.
(2) Permitted swimming areas.
(3) Shore.
(4) Docks.
(5) Mooring fields.
(6) Other vessels.

Besides being too close to us, he was also too close to the shore (an island).

Thanks for explaining that to me. I understand it much better now.

My current kayak is white and light blue (my next one will be yellow or red if possible), but I wear a bright red PDF. My friend's kayak is red and yellow, and we stay fairly close together. Personally I can spot other kayaks at least a mile away (when visibility is good), no matter what color they are, or how choppy the water is. But I'm at their level and I'm not going fast. To me, speed becomes an issue if you are going too fast to see smaller boats (like kayaks) in time to give them the proper clearance.

Just as I said boater.... you don't want my $$ so I'm not going to spend it there. Self centered aren't we?? And as for Lake George, I will probably end up on Champlain anyway. More to do there as far as I can see (and I've been there before).

But how long do you think your local economy will last without the all mighty Tourist Dollar? Not long I think. Continue to propose/discuss the limitations on Winnie and more people than just myself will NOT be coming there. "Don't go to Winnie, they won't let you go fast (most inboard ski boats will do more than 45 mph, and you don't seem to be singling them out) and they won't let you raft off to make new friends."

Oh, and please don't bother coming to the Great Lakes (my neck of the USA woods). We don't want any of you here mucking up a good thing.

Wizard of Oz

That guy that passed to close deserved a ticket and as you have said therer are already plenty of laws in place to give him one. Again as I see it in this case since you said he was laughing probbly no law was going to help as he was just a jerk and wanted to be a "funny guy".

As for the color, visability and speed issue I agree a operator of a boat HAS to know what is safe for the area that he is in. It is important for the operator to know when they need to slow down. However Often times the proposed speed limit is way to fast for many areas. Like heading out Alton bay on a weekend you often times can barely keep in on plane there can be so much boat traffic. It would be interesting to know if there was in fact a speed limit on the lake would people tend to go the speed limit no matter what the conditions..... Then when they get pulled over say what is the matter I was going slower then the speed limit..... Remember there are tons of recrational boats now that go 50-60mph and they are NOT all speed boats. I would suggest to the people that want this bill that in fact the speed boats are actually designed for the speeds that they run and a open bow run about or open cockpit fishing boat is not.

Jon

Food for thought
 

If the lake is not a proper place for "offshore" or go fast boats, maybe its too large for kayaks , canoes and rowboats???? Just a thought

But there is a direct relationship between higher speeds and safety (basic physics). If you don't see a smaller boat, until you are within a hundred feet of it, that can be a real safety issue, when your are going fast.

I really don't see how a 45 MPH spped limit would force anyone off the lake.

My point was just to give some perspective from a kayaker's point of view. And my main point was that "enforcement of current boating regulations seems to be the bigger issue here." The boater who swamped us was much closer than 150 feet, and he was going way faster than headway speed.

More work for Don...
 

You are correct; however, the specter of a speeding ticket will discourage many who would view our lake's natural beauty at 70MPH. There are GFBLs who cheerfully will bear those costs on their insurance premiums as "the cost of doing business on Winnipesaukee".

I've boated on "The Sound".
The western end (next to NYC) is hopeless.

The rest requires real boating skills (navigation, fog, dodging high-speed ferries). You may see one GFBL a day there -- but it's rare when you see one "offshore".

Winnipesaukee is no longer quiet. (Anyone wondering why?)

We had an opportunity to be Bribed? What were we thinking?

There you go again, asking me not to believe "my lying eyes".

This lake's population is growing older -- many take the "easy kayaking" route. When last year I posted an announcement of a new transparent polycarbonate kayak, the post was assailed as "You can't see kayaks, much less transparent ones!"

The breaking news is: there are living human beings in those boats.

(Transparent or not).

WELL, TODAY WE'RE NOT OK. (6:46PM yesterday).

The Marine Mafia is calling for 5000 GFBLs to flood this Winnipesaukee website.

(The Internet equivalent of a book burning).

:(

If you cook, they will come....
 

And why shouldn't they. Even though a new poster here, a search under your present and past monnikers reveals a long and concerted effort to anonymously agigtate this portion of the boating public with your heavily weighed opinion. And yes, you are entitled to your opinion on this manner, an opininon you have shared, it appears, many, many times over. And they are just as entitled to attempt to sway the masses with whatever hyperbole they choose to counter yours.

It does not matter to me either way what happens in reference to this debate. Parties on either side of this emotional issue either can't, won't or don't provide even rudimentary statistical data with which to claim an even perch for their particular position.

Until someone from either side takes the time to do the necessary research, we are stuck with opinion.

And we all know what opinions have in common with,err, ahh - forget it, this is a family site, afterall!

Bon appetit! :liplick:

Too large for kayaks?
 

Hey my current kayak is made for large lakes, and I'm trading that one in this spring for a larger one. So when I kayak on Winni this summer, it with be in a sea kayak ... which is a kayak made for going on the open ocean. Winni is not too large for kayaks. We have as much right to be on this lake as anyone.

Clarification
 

Evenstar, I agree with your opinion about enforcement of the boating laws & regulations instead of a speed limit. That has been one of my arguments against the speed limit & if you read a previous post of mine I stated that the most common infraction in my experience is the 150' law. By the way it was not necessary to cite the entire law as I am very familiar with it since I took it upon myself to become familiar with NH boating regulations when I started boating here, I have my boater education certificate & the class covers those regulations extensively & when you register your boat you are required to sign the registration after you read that there is 150' law.

The speed limit if passed will prevent some boaters from using Winni simply because it would be useless for some boaters to only cruise at 45 mph when their boat was designed to cruise faster. That is exactly the intent of the speed limit proponents. 45 mph was chosen because most performance boats cruise faster than that & they knew that. I honestly do not think the speed limit supporters are concerned with boats cruising 46-60 mph which is what many of those boats do, they just don't like them & they are attempting to elminate what they do not like. If there was a family on a bowrider cruising between 46-60 they would not be concerned & there are many boats on the market that are not considered performance boats that are capable of that. In my opinion there are many infractions of the 150' law & that becomes interpreted into they were speeding when in fact they may not have been going any faster than 25-30 mph but it appeared that way because of the close proximity. Fine, enforce the 150' law.

I do not own a high performance boat & typically cruise between 25-30 mph & I have encountered kayaks several times where they were not visible or very difficult too see because there was enough of a chop so that when in the trough of a wave they were not visible or they were wereing clothing that blended with the water or their kayak blended in with the water. The fact that they were not visible had nothing to do with my speed or the style boat I operate or any inattention on my part. I am always scanning the water in front of me. Its just a fact that kayaks are not always visible or are very difficult to see for many reasons, no way around it unless the kayaker takes it upon themselves to be more visible.

Rally?
 

I heard that there was a big pro-speedlimit rally on Saturday. Does anyone have any info about how that went?
FJ

YES YOU DO!!! As do I and Jet skiers and everyone else that wants to use the lake. People have said that you need to be more visible and that certainly would help but as my friends why Yack point out we (all the other boaters) have to pay attention to what we are doing. That is the real safty issue. People do not look were they are going. In that case there is no helping them but to take their boat away from them...... :eek:

[QUOTE=Acres per Second]
There you go again, asking me not to believe "my lying eyes".

The Marine Mafia is calling for 5000 GFBLs to flood this Winnipesaukee website.

(The Internet equivalent of a book burning).

:([/QUOTE

Yes and there you go again not answering my question..... I have been on MANY speed boats and NONE of them have vision issues while on plane. So I guess they really are "lying eyes"

You are the one that goes to all the other sites to get your info that you post all over. You have pulled posts from that site and posted them hear. You opened up the box and let them all in. Blame yourself.

As has been posted by Formula Outlaw us speed boaters raise a HUGE amount of money for charity. We are not the bad guys that you make us out to be.

I tell ya what we can race your sail boat against me in my sailboat, or better yet you can sail mine and I will sail yours just to keep it interesting. If I win you drop the issue :D:D

I wasn't citing that law just for you, but because it seemed like my point was being missed by a couple of people. And that isn't the entire law.

Ok, I have no personal experience with fast boats, so I'm likely a bit clueless here. But I just don't understand how going no faster than 45 mph is useless for them. I mean, 45 mph is fast for being on water. And what about the rights of kayakers? How many kayakers don't paddle on Winni, because of the excessive speed of some of the powerboaters?

And your point about some boats being designed to cruise faster than 45 mph, is like saying that there shouldn't be a highway speed limit, since some cars are designed to cruise faster than 65 mph.

You just made a really good point for impossing a speed limit. Since there seems to be a visibility issue here in seeing kayakers (for many reasons), wouldn't it perhaps be a good idea to have a speed limit? After all, the faster you're going, the less time you have to avoid a collision with a semi-visible kayaker. Think about it.

One "constant" I have noticed, beginning with the previous thread that was ultimately locked down, is that the "offshore" crowd is all for everyone enjoying the lake, yet it is a few of the "others" that are trying to eliminate the offshore crowd or as APS calls them the GFBL crowd. Why? Simply because they don't like them. I don't particularly care for sailboats, but I will staunchly defend their right to enjoy the lake.

We care about everyone, while some here appear to only care about themselves.

And thank you Don for allowing me to post in your Forum.

FormulaOutlaw

Cool, I made the Marine Mafia! Thanks Acres Per Second. Since I'm of Dutch heretige, I guess that makes me the Dutch Mafia. Have cement shoes, will travel (relax, it's a joke, not a threat).... oh, and there is a LONG story behind that statement dating back to the Chicago Mafia... of which my family was an itegral part during the depression and prohibition.

I love it when someone groups ALL people into one category. If you own a fast boat, you must be a moron with bad eye sight, a gold chain wearing jerk, a "damn the environment" idiot, a Marine Mafia member. Does it matter to you that I also have a 14' fishing boat I probably put more hours on than my GFBL boat? Or that I have a Sunfish I enjoy taking out on nice sunny days?? How about the 24' Pontoon boat we use for lake cruising at the cottage??

Oh well, we GFBL owners have plenty of monikers for snailboaters too, but MOST (not some, not a few, but MOST, as in above 75%) of us know how to navigate better than most people, because we take responsibility for our speed, things happen quicker at speed, and we want (not need, want) to be able to do our best to be good boaters. Join the mafia sight and start a thread on how many have taken boaters courses, Coast Gaurd training courses. I'll bet you the numbers will stagger you. Ask how many have had accidents on the water. I'll bet the numbers (or lack there of) will surprise you. I've been a GFBL boater for nearly 15 years and a boater for 35 years. Every one of those years has been incident free, no matter which boat I'm piloting.

Now go back to searching the internet for other peoples words and useless facts. Take responsibility for yourself and quit trying to force your opinions on others.

Now that I think back, most of the, how can I say this without angering every sailboater out there?.... uncooperative?.... bad boaters??.... stupid???.... boaters I've come across over the years are those in snailboats. I always give way to a sailboat under sail, I always use common courtesy to snailboats in tight quarters (even under power, a snailboat is not as manueaverable as my power boat), but since my exhaust exits above the water, I always seem to be in the wrong. Hmmmmm.... maybe it's because I don't look my age.... that must be it, right?

Where's the proof in the puddin'?????
 

Back to the original post and a question I posed somewhat thereafter....

Has anyone ascertained if this Winnfabs site is indeed legit, or could it be an internet scam prowling for pocket change?

Checked again with the Secretary of State's office today, no record of this group as a bonified PAC, private or non-profit entity. Who will be taking this money, how will it be reported, can I claim it as a deduction? I know HALCLYON and Frank M. have been perusing this thread since the questions were posed....c'mon guys, does this bird have stuffin' or not????? Inquiring Chefs need to know!!!! :confused:

Bon Apetit! :liplick:

clarification
 

The reason your point was missed(at least the way I read it) is in your 1st post regarding your being swamped you did not explain that the offending boater saw you & laughed at you(they did it intentionally). It could have been interpreted that they did not see you & it also sounded like they were speeding. No law or speed limit is going to prevent that situation. The only way to deal with that is to be lucky enough that the Marine Patrol was there to cite them or at the very least try to report the incident & get the bow #'s.

As far as not understanding about high performance boats & the point I made about cruising, there is no other way I can explain it other than take a ride on one. Maybe one of the forum posters who owns one could do a better job explaining. I have taken rides in the past on Winni & elsewhere & in my opinion & experience if they are operated with common sense for each specific situation I do not think they are a safety hazard traveling 50, 60, 70 mph. That does not mean they are constantly operating at that speed. If they enter a small bay, one of the harbors or they want to site see then they can go slower obviously. Why do you think they(speed limit proponents) chose 45 mph? In my opinion they purposely chose that speed knowing that the majority of bow riders & small cabin boats max out between 40-45 mph & high performance boats cruise at higher speeds. So that would eliminate most performance boats from coming to Winni & you would be left with bow riders, small cabin boats etc. Each boat performs best at particular cruising speed as far as how it rides on the water, fuel consumption etc. My boat is 25-30 mph. Most performance boats are higher than 45 mph. Although as I said earlier more & more there are other boats that are not performance boats can go faster than 45 mph but their optimum cruising speed probably would still be under 45 mph.

No, I do not think I made a good point for a speed limit. Quite the contrary, my post said that at my typical speed 25-30 mph, kayakers have often not been visible right away or were very difficult to see so the speed limit would be irrelevant. I have never hit one or even come close because I pay attention, the ones that are hard to see I eventually spot them. But many I do see right away because they wear a more visible color or the kayak is a bright color. How would setting a speed limit improve my chances of seeing the kayaker? I am cruising at 25-30 & still had a problem because of the kayak color, the clothing of the kayer or the wave conditions. My speed had nothing to do with the visibility problem. Why not wear more visible clothing or attach a flag as Audiofn suggested some of his friends have done.

Propeller brings up some good points. Like I said, self-preservation. Don't want to get run over or swamped? Dress for it.

A question please, I'm curious about something.

On your "average" weekend, what percentage of all the boats on the lake, are the GFBL types?

I would appreciate a straight answer. I would also like multiple responses to this question so I can guage the correct number. Thank you......

I would be offended if, by any stretch of the imagination, anything said here, or even over "there", by the poster in question was intimidating. I found plenty of insults, on both sites and from both sides, which I think is stupid enough but still nothing even remotely close to intimidating. The comment pertaining to your link above looked to me to be an insult re: someone's parenting capabilities. I don't know if you're inventing something because you wish it were so, ran off at the mouth (keyboard) w/o thinking, or whether you actually think something threatening was said. The problem I have with such characterizations is that they devalue the meaning of the word threat and/or intimidation to the point where discourse, even if uncivil, gets limited. I believe you are against that.

How Many GFBL?
 

Thats tough for me to answer. Never thought about it too much. Now I will this summer. For now I will say less than 5%. But to be fair I am out on the water before 11am, sometimes before 10am & during the peak boating hours I may be anchored in a cove or at a town dock & when I do ride during those hours I may be in a less traveled part of the lake. I will return to my slip between 2-4pm.

The other issue that may make it tough to answer is different individuals will interpret the definition of GFBL boats differently. Some manufacturers have boat models that could be borderline. For example in the Formula line the Fast tech in my opinion is definitely what I would consider GFBL or high performance but there are other models Formula sells that are capable of speeds in the 50-65 mph range that I would not call GFBL or high performance. Although I have not seen many on Winni, there is a growing number of center console fishing boats that are capable of 50-60 mph but they typically use outboards, many times twins & they are not loud, I would not call the GFBL or high performance but some may because the speeds they are capable of. Fountain manufactures models in this category as an example.

Thanks for your input. My original thought that GFBL (or other "high performance" boats) probably make up less than 10% of the overall boating "population" on the Lake. I find it difficult to believe that the other 90%, or higher, boaters are having their time on the water ruined by that small a percentage of a certain type of vessel.

Down here "we" average probably about 5% or even less. Again, thank you. FormulaOutlaw

Et tu, Brute?
 

Rumor is the rally was canceled, supposedly the organizer was arrested enroute to the event for speeding!

(ahhh, a little late April 1st humor)

Salute! :liplick:

Clarification needed...
 

You weren't intimidated.
I wasn't intimidated.
Formula Outlaw apologized...for some reason.
Perhaps the "intimidatee" needs to clarify.
BTW: Do you find the GFBL quote "Too bad he has only two knees" offensive?

You mean:
1) Static?, like "parked" at a dock near a bar? Or...
2) Dynamic? like what percentage of GFBLs take up the most acreage on the lake? -- Per Second?
:rolleye2:

It's important to know, because the more GFBLs are out tearing up Winnipesaukee speeding, the ratio of GFBLs on the lake increases. (Conversely, the ratio of family-boaters decreases).

Visibility Concerns and Speed
 

Or maybe some powerboaters should try paddling in my kayak, and then they would know how I feel? :)

Like I wrote earlier, I do dress for visibility. But I can't control the waves.

Ok, some basic physics: At 75 mph, a boat covers 110 feet in 1 second! At 45 mph that same boat cover 66 feet.

If kayaks can be difficult for powerboaters to see (for various reasons) how close is a 75 mph powerboater when he actually sees a kayak? No matter how fast their reaction speed, they get much closer before they can actually turn. How can it be considered safe for boats to travel at these speeds, on a heavily used lake?

So kayakers have to restrict themselves to just shorelines and small bays, so some powerboats can use the main lake at insane speeds? How fair is that? And I’m not suggesting paddling in the high traffic areas, but what if I just want to cross a section of the main lake?

You know, I wasn't really a big proponent of a speed limit until I got into this discussion. But now I do see the need. It's about safety.

Although I do not own a kayak, I have kayaked a few times & on Ossipee & other lakes on a Saturday which can also be very busy but had no problems. I have canoed since I was a kid with my father. So I do know what its like from that perspective.

Maybe you do dress for visibility & thats great. Many do not. As far as the waves, that is less important than dressing for visibility because it is only a couple seconds that a kayak would be in the trough & then they are on top of the crest of the wave & can be visible.

Heavily used depends on your definition. I am on Winni at the peak of boating season, Saturdays & Sundays in June, July & August (although as my post earlier explained many times I may not be out in the Broads from 11am to 2pm) In my opinion, its not nearly as busy as many would have you believe. I have had rides in boats at speeds of up to 65 mph on Winni & if you are paying attention like anyone in any other boat should be also there is more than enough time to react to a kayak, canoe or any other boat, swimmer etc. I have experienced it. If you want to use the highway comparison as you did in an earlier post, its no different than navigating to another lane to avoid a car or debris or what ever at 65mph(as long as its not something that darts in front of you like a wild animal or someone cutting you off from another lane)

The lake is for everyones use. So how fair is it for you to expect a powerboater to not enjoy the lake in his way? If someone does not feel safe then that is their issue & they should do what they need to do to feel safe but that does not mean that the powerboater is doing anything wrong.

You see the difference between the way I look at it in comparison to speed limit proponents is I think the lake is there for everyones use as long as they operate their vessel with common sense, courtesy & obey the laws. If there was a bill to eliminate kayaks, sailboats or any other vessel I would speak out against that too. Thats the difference, the speed limit proponents want it their way period. They are the same ones who support a no rafting bill also & I believe they would also support a horsepower limit bill as well. They want it to be their own private lake by eliminating what they do not like.

You are correct, it is about safety & everyone is responsible for operating their vessel responsibly & safely & there are plenty of boating laws to making boating safe & those existing are more than enough & should be enforced as you said in an earlier post. I see so many 150' violations every day I boat but there are not enough Marine Patrol to catch them all.

P.S. Are you infering that boaters do not love the water with your quote at the bottom?

Evenstar:
It does not matter to me if I am in a Sailboat or power boat. The faster I go the more I concentrate on what I am doing. If I am sailing in my fathers Hinkley then I can put the auto pilot on trim out the sails and enjoy the slow sail and do nothing. If I am in my 470 or International 14 or sailboards, then it takes every bit of my concentration. Same thing with power boats. All the speed boaters that I know when they drive fast we concentrate. You look forward, watch the waves, watch for any boats in the area and throttle. If you do not then things can go wrong fast just as they can in the high performance sail boats.

Acres I also find it interesting that you said in a early post responding to Formula outlaw that you first of all avoided the question at hand and said that we are all "parked" at the bar... :mad: You are letting your true colors show. I am willing to bet that more booze is consumed by any other form of boating on that lake then GFBL boats.

Oh Acres speaking of sailboards I guess under th law that you propose I can not use my sailboards on the lake as I have been clocked on them at over 70mph back when I was racing for Bic Sport....... :eek: :eek:

Formula to answer your question I am willing to bet that the GFBL boats are under 1% of the boats on the lake. Of course that all depends on how you quantify what a GFBL boat is. In this situation we are not only targetting the GFBL boats but also the guys that fish.

Jon

Propeller this is a bill about getting the LOUD boats off the lake it has NOTHING to do with safty. If it did then they could put forth evidence to show it was a safty issue. Only problem is that the evidence does not exist because the evidence shows that we are one of the safest groups of boaters out there. Yes there are accidents involving Offshore boats as there are with every type. The Offshores get all the press due to the fact that we have that "image" of the high rollers attached to us. I would propose that if any of these people went out to Lake of the Ozarks and saw what it is like there they would never complain again. I have been there many times and there is a very high percentage of GFBL boats. There is almost never a issue out there unless booze is involved and since you can not regulate stupidity it just does not matter what boat they are in at that point.

Jon

Audiofn
 

Jon, did you read my post of 2:05pm yesterday? I stated the same thing you are saying. If you have followed my posts on the speed limit & rafting bills you will see that I also believe what you do. Its all about eliminating activities not embraced by the supporters of these bills.

I believe the supporters are using the speed limit to attain their goal through the back door so to speak & that is eliminating high performance boats because either they do not like them or they have the pre-concieved notion that they are inherently unsafe.

When I said its about safety I was not specifically refering to the speed limit bill. I am agreeing with Evenstar that BOATING must be practiced with safety in mind. But I do not believe that is what is behind the speed limit bill.

Interesting point , just like horses and bicycles aren't allowed on major highways and interstates , perhaps small boats should be banned from big lakes and big boats banned from small lakes.
That way Champlain , Winnipesaukee and Sebago can have big fast boats. Heaven knows there litertally thousands of small lakes and ponds all across New England for the under 11 or 12 foot crowd. There you could sail , paddle or just float and enjoy the surroundings in total serenity knowing your safe.
I've paddled kayaks and canoes along with sailing sunfish , sailfish , moths , comets , k-boats , and stars and there are places on Winnipesaukee I wouldn't take them regardless if there were NO other boats around.

Evenstar,
Please stop selfishly trying to deny these guys their right to "share" the lake with you. This is NH, the "live free or die" state. If you were a true Granite Stater, you would either stay near to shore (where kayakers and old people belong) or buy yourself a 40-footer and join them. This is all about "rights" to use the lake. Stop trying to limit theirs just so you can enjoy yours. you are so selfish. ;)

Frank, if you truly were in favor of safety on the lake you would support a bill eliminating most boats & jetskis on the lake wouldn't you? Because 12' jetskis, 18' bowriders, bass boats, cruisers, center console fishing boats(need I go on) are all capable of causing accidents, inflicting serious damage, causing death to boaters, swimmers, kayakers(need I go on).

Oh, let me guess you probably own a boat that would be eliminated in such a bill. Now we wouldn't want to infringe upon your right to use your boat.

So a powerboater should be able to "enjoy the lake his way", even if it prevents others from enjoying the lake? So what am I supposed to do to feel safe, when some powerboaters are traveling 15 times faster than me? Maybe that's exactly what this law is the result of ... people like me who are just doing "what they need to do to feel safe".

That's just a well known kayak quote, that I happen to like. I'm not trying to infer anything by it. All boaters obviously love the water.

It's a simple fact that the faster you go, the more distance you cover in the time that it takes you to react. Do you really expect me to believe that reaction times get faster when you go faster?

And we're talking about speed limits here, so a high performance sailboat would also have to respect a lake's speed limit.

Perhaps a better way would to be to only allow NH residents to use NH lakes. :) Now I'm not actually endorsing that, but it makes about as much sense as what you are suggesting.

Apparently you don't know kayaks very well. My avatar image is a 16' sea kayak. That's the type of kayak that I'm planning on taking on Winni. A sea kayak is make for very large bodies of water, not for small lakes and ponds. A sea kayak is not 11 or 12 feet long, but 14 to 22 feet long.

Power boaters are not preventing you from enjoying the lake. You are welcome to use it any time you want. You are not banned from using it. You explained in your 1st post about a power boater that probably was not going any where near the 40 mph speed limit but you did not feel safe. Should we ban all powerboats because YOU do not feel safe? No, the existing laws should be enforced & that operator would have been cited by the Marine Patrol if they were there. There are many kayakers that do & feel perfectly safe.

45 mph is approximately 10 times faster than most kayakers. 45 mph is still alot faster than a kayaker.

If someone does not feel safe because they do not like powerboats around or they do not like boats that to them is too loud (there is a noise ordinance already, and they do test for it) then a lake like Winni is not for you anyway. Or you can chose to use it at a time when its not peak powerboat time.

I do not know any powerboaters who dislike kayaks or feel they should not use the lake. Why shouldn't all users of the lake be tolerant of all other activities as long as its done responsibly & all laws are obeyed. Whats wrong with that?

P.S. Who ever quoted it first must have felt boaters only like boats & not the water. Otherwise why would they say it. Its not very PC, I'm offended as a boater.

Everstar
 

One of the arguments the "anti go fast boat" people make is that those boats are made for the ocean, just like your new Kayak, and that is where those boats belong...... on the ocean. Would you want to be told that since you own sea kayak..... take it out on the sea? See where we are comming from? I would never try and restrict your access or use of ANY body of water. All we are asking is dont restrict ours. BTW I own a bass boat which im sure they consider a go fast boat.

I have nothing against powerboats. I never suggested that we ban powerboats from Winni. And a 45mph speed limit would not ban any powerboatsI have an issue with feeling safe around boats that are traveling at high speeds, and with any boaters who do not obey the laws.

No matter how you try to look at this, the fact is that 45 mph is a safer speed than 75 mph.

I'm sorry if you're offended by my quote. But you're reading into it a lot more than you should be, after all, kayakers are also boaters.