Boat Rental Requirements
 

Last year we were approached by a 24' rental pontoon that was being operated by 8 or 10 Asian guys doing around 25mph,all in long slacks and white shirts.Obviously a business or religeous group on an outing.Looks like they'd had a few because several of them were laughing and walking rapidly from side to side causing the boat to rock.Innocent fun except they were heading for us and I had a skier in the water ready to go.
I didn't want to risk pulling the skier and chancing that she'd fall with the boat so close, so I quickly circled to block the approach of the other boat.
They passed within 30' of us and didn't have a clue that they had done anything wrong.
Just curious about any restrictions in place to sort out inexperienced rental customers.

Bob,

There are several long threads regarding this but I have not dug it up yet. Essentially, the rental yard gives the operator a test that I believe is valid only for that one rental period. The next time, they need an actual certificate.

25 HP is the key
 

Any boat 25 and under do not require a certificate. SBONH has strongly been against this rule and will support any future ruling to repeal it.

Unfortunately the NH Marine Industry thrives on this ruling despite all the problems it causes.

We've seen our share . . .
 

of nightmares heading out on the lake. We don't boat on the weekend. This is one of the reasons.

Well
 

A 24 foot boat with 8-10 people on it will probably not do 25 MPH with a 25 HP motor. So that rules out that option.

The temporary test is good for 14 days but really, after someone looks at the book for 30 minutes, and takes the test online, how much of their new knowledge will get applied to their boat outing?

Zero. Same with these marina-issued quizzes and temporary licenses. Some marina owners who rent boats were quick to jump on the SL bandwagon under the auspices of "safety", but when the issue of these ridiculous "temporary" licenses was raised, they were right there to protest because it was going to hurt their revenues. Nothing but hypocrites.

After years of getting the temp while renting, I just got my permanent NH certificate! Very excited to get up to the lake this July.

I will say that, personally, I wanted to get the NH one as we boat primarily in NH. But as long your out of state certificate is NASBLA approved, you can rent over 25hp in NH. I mean, I could have signed up for the Wisconsin exam, which is all online, you can take till you pass, you don't have to be a WI state resident to take and has no in person exam, then rent whatever boat you want. You don't get the NH specific questions though (not that there are many).

Just the most important ones...

Like, how does our NH specific inland waters ATON (marker) system work?
What are the speed limits on Winnipesaukee during the day and the night?
How close can you get to someone unless you're at headway speed only?

Just some trivial things that matter here in NH and no where else. :D

These were (mostly) on the test!
A) Go between red and black spars. If it's a black and white spar go North or East, red and white spar go South or West.
B) 45mph/25mph (this one wasn't on the test)
C) 150ft.

Not a joke .... Didn't this get amended to 30 mph Along with the Broads up to 55 ?

http://www.concordmonitor.com/articl...imit-to-55-mph

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Looks like the Marine Patrol needs to update their website then

https://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/...estricted.html

http://i.imgur.com/4vRRRWP.png

Oof, hasn't been updated since 2010.

from RSA 270D-X
 

X. (a) No person shall operate a vessel on Lake Winnipesaukee at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions and without regard for the actual and potential hazards then existing. In all cases, speed shall be controlled so that the operator will be able to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore.
(b) Where no hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subparagraph (a), the speed of any vessel in excess of the limit specified in this subparagraph shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful:
(1) 30 miles per hour during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise; and
(2) 45 miles per hour at any other time.
(c) The speed limitations set forth in subparagraph (b) shall not apply to vessels when operated with due regard for safety under the direction of the peace officers in the chase or apprehension of violators of the law or of persons charged with, or suspected of, any such violation, nor to fire department or fire patrol vessels, nor to private emergency vessels when traveling to emergencies. This exemption shall not, however, protect the operator of any such vessel from the consequences of a reckless disregard of the safety of others.
(d) The speed limitations set forth in subparagraph (b) shall not apply to boat racing permitted under RSA 270:27.

The way I read it, it passed the Senate, but the House hadn't voted on it at the time of this article.

I don't think it made it through the House (?)...but this is what I could find: http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS07/705229981

270-D:2 General Rules for Vessels Operating on Water..
X. (a) No person shall operate a vessel on Lake Winnipesaukee at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions and without regard for the actual and potential hazards then existing. In all cases, speed shall be controlled so that the operator will be able to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore.
(b) Where no hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subparagraph (a), the speed of any vessel in excess of the limit specified in this subparagraph shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful:
(1) 30 miles per hour during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise; and
(2) 45 miles per hour at any other time.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/.../270-D-mrg.htm

The daytime speed limit of 45 mph and night speed limit of 30 mph was made effective September 1st, 2010...

Dan

The 25 MPH to 30 MPH night limit was an adjustment to allow less efficient hulls/ boats to stay on plane.

On a side note, a guy in my office was with his Brother-In-Law two weeks ago and they rented a boat from Anchor Marine. I guess they got 100ft from the dock and the MP pulled up to them with lights on and started asking them whose boat it was. They said they just rented it, the MP said 'you just rented this boat right now?'. They say 'Yes'...the MP says 'the boat doesn't have the 2015 registration stickers on it, keep going I'm going to talk to the owner of the Marina' and then let them on their way...:laugh:

Who's to say the MP aren't good guys! This is proof that they are nice, and have a heart for the little guy!

True!

They said the MP looked very upset, just not with them...but it was definitely nice of him to not make them turn the boat around and deal with it...

I know that there have been a few comments on this already but I want to elaborate here.

- This was a compromise that was sought for in 2011, and there was some tremendous work done to get to this compromise
- unfortunately it didn't make it all the way through both the Senate and the house

This was the first sign that both sides of the speed limit debate could be willing to come to a compromise. Hopefully in the future this can be revisited. I know the speed limit will likely never completely disappear, but I believe a higher level of compromise will at some point be achieved.

Having boated both with & without the speed limits in place I have to be completely honest ...... I have ABSOLUTELY no objections to the 30mph at night restriction. It is a comfortable & reasonable speed and it eliminates (at least for me) the paranoia of some "Hot Shot" come racing up from behind.

I know many do not like or desire to boat at night ...... and I respect that! I on the other hand am completely comfortable and actually enjoy it -- except on those dark moonless nights when all definition disappears and you have to rely too heavily on the GPS whereupon I usually cut the cruise short and head home.

As for the 45mph daytime restriction ........ I do not for the life of me understand the rationale ..... and please spare me digging up all the arguments that we went through on this forum already.

It is bad enough I am twisting this thread off in a different direction as it was started as "Boat Rental Requirements".


.

Curious newbie
 

With my fishing boats top speed of 40mph and no desire to do 30+ at night I am not limited really at all. I am interested in hearing about those who are "restricted". What kind of boats? What are the use cases that 45 impinges? Wolfeboro to Meredith trip would seem to be one that would take longer if your boat is capable of 45+. Does anyone ski that fast? How about outrunning bad weather? Do pontoons go 45? I suppose having a bassboat with 200+hp is a bummer on Winni. Also, whats the fastest your boats could go?

This!
 

It impinges upon our freedom!

My boat, a 26 foot bowrider, will top out at about 55 MPH. 4 or 5 times a year I open it up for about 30 seconds, just because. The majority of the time I stay between 2,500 and 3,000 RPM (25 MPH) because I am not in a rush to do anything and it saves fuel.

Is is just that I object to anyone making rules for us when they do not know what all of the issues are, and most of them have probably never spent any time on Winnipesaukee. But if they feel good about themselves now................

I won't digress and get into any associated issues..................because that woud be wrong!

Sometimes freedom must be limited in the name of safety. And from some of the things I've seen on the lake as a new boater this year, I'm glad for it.

That is exactly the problem, with or with out the speed limit the dangers are still their. I feel no safer on the lake then I did 10 years ago... I don't and will not go into this any further in this thread... But I haven't not seen the speed limit make the lake any safer...

There are many boats, including pontoon boats that can easily and safely exceed 45MPH. Then there are the performance boats that easily cruise at 45 MPH (like a 7 series BMW running 65 MPH on the Autobahn):)

My PWC does almost 60. I got caught in a bad t-storm once. Speed law be damned when your sitting on a PWC with lightning hitting all around you. I buzzed through the Governors Bridge NWZ to get to Marine Patrol as fast as I could.

Hmmm... Me thinks there were plenty of docks around you that would not mind if you tied up for a few moments. Why race to MP?

That is where I launched.Only being a minute or so away I wouldnt want to be sitting on a dock in a t-storm either.