Wow I can't believe what we saw
 

We were coming back from Lee's Mills this morning cruising about 25MPH when we saw something floating in the water about 300' off our port bow. I asked my wife what did she think it was. I slowed down.

As we past it, my wife and I both said "OMG! I can't believe what we are seeing!" As we turned around and got close to the floating object we realized it was a paddle board and a small inflatable. It was floating in the middle of heavy boat traffic lane in the middle of Moultonborough Bay North of Black Island.

But get this! Laying on the paddle board and inflatable were two college age girls sunbathing! No I think they were sound asleep. We turned around and approached them slowly. As we got right next to them we actually startled them. They had not even heard us approaching within 10 feet.

And besides....NO PFD! They didn't even have a PFD on or with them. We told them that we could not see them. And it was very dangerous being out this far and right in the middle of heavy boat traffic. They said thanks for letting us know and off they went.

Wow.....Now after thirty-five years boating on this lake, I think I have seen everything.

Pics or it didn't happen! ;);)

It would have been a much more interesting story if they were naked! :eek:

Seriously though, it's good that you found them and alerted them before they may have been hit by someone or drifted out into an area where they would have had a long paddle back.

But I would think that a boater should see a paddle board with people on board well before they struck it.

Seeing the paddle board was difficult because of the white caps and waves. As it was they had a long paddle back.

Wish I had taken pics. I was so upset that I didn't even think of it. Now if they were naked...out comes the Iphone. Ha ha

This story is a fear of mine on the lake. Not seeing something (paddle board, kayak, etc) on the lake.

In regards to paddle boarders and life jackets - does anyone know if you're required to have a life jacket? I was over by barndoor on Sunday and saw a paddle border without one. Made me wonder...


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Heck, on more than one occasion we were almost run over out there and we were in a 21 footer!!! Some people just don't think about what can happen out there.

From the boater education stuff online:

New Hampshire law requires the following with respect to personal flotation devices (life jackets):

All vessels must carry one wearable (Type I, II, III, or V) USCG–approved life jacket (PFD) for each person on board. Type V PFDs must be worn to be acceptable.

From the RSA:

270-D:1 Definitions. – In this chapter:
X. "Person'' means person as defined in RSA 21:9 (RSA 21:9 Person. – The word "person'' may extend and be applied to bodies corporate and politic as well as to individuals.)
XI. "Vessel'' means any type of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, except a seaplane.

The only conditions where one must be worn stated in the law is either operating a PWC or being towed behind a boat. So they have to have one with them is my "professional" interpretation.

Rsa 270 d-3 v.
 

V. No person shall be towed on water skis or other appurtenances unless the person is wearing a Coast Guard approved type 1, 2, or 3 PFD, except when directly participating or competing in an American Water Ski Association approved event or exhibition, authorized by a special permit issued by the director of state police.

I imagine a type 5 is not suitable in this context since some of them require manual inflation, and the belt type requires that you place it over your head manually.

Otherwise, I think you're a vessel, and should have a PFD for each person on board. Generally in a kayak or on a paddle board there is no place to store the PFD, so you wear it.

You Pig.:D

Wow, I can't believe what we saw
 

Recognizing the space limitations with a kayak or a paddleboard, when you are out in the middle of anywhere on the Lake why wouldn't you wear (or at least have with you) an approved PFD - fashion, vanity, bravado, lack of intellectual capacity to understand the benefits of a PFD - ???

Yep, All of that.

Agreed that you must have one and preferable wear one on a kayak or SUP. And the new belt inflatable PFDs are not at all a fashion killer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aNEGqI4zss

PFD...

The instructor at my certification said if you are on a pool float outside normal swimming distance from shore, you will be treated the same as a boat so far as PFD's are concerned. So you get no slack there.

I can verify the last. About 25 years ago I was floating about 35 ft from shore on an inner tube. Water was about 18 ft deep. The Marine Patrol motored up and told me to either put on a pfd or get back within 15 ft of shore.

I don't think he was correct here. An inner tube should not be considered a vessel. Neither is a pool float or inflatable trampoline etc. I don't think the distance from shore or depth should have anything to do with it.

So he would have been ok with a kayaker with no PFD as long as they were 15' from shore??

We make everyone wear a pfd on our trampoline regardless of the law. Although, it's not a vessel.

I agree with you on the distance. A swim line can be set out as far as 75' so I think that is the correct distance. After that, no one gets a free pass since you can drown just as easy losing your inner tube as you can falling off the 'Mount.'

I find the way laws are written to be comical at times.

So a sea plane that is designed to land on water - no PFD required.

737 (or any other commercial airplane) not designed to land on water, well your seat cushion can double as a flotation device.

Hmm head scratcher!

Just like that? No explanation of the law? How old are you? Do you have to be wearing it if you are over 12 yrs of age? Or does it need to be readily available. Either way there is no need to be rude (if he was) .

My belief here is more that the wife was with you and you didn't want to be assigned to the couch for the next week, because of a few pictures!!!!!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh:

Seriously though, good for you for taking the initiative to warn them......

Meredith Bay
 

I have seen sunbathers flat on paddleboards a number of times in the No Wake Zone in front of the public docks. Can you imagine what would happen if this was not a new wake zone? I don't know about others but when the sun is setting over the docks, I would have difficult time seeing just a paddleboard.