How has the lake changed????

[Kracken]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

Instead of allowing the "privileged few" to use power boats, I hope it will be islanders that get to keep their power boats. After all, we NEED them to get to and from our homes.

However legislation like that will be a long time coming, if ever, and I will not support it.

What I will support is a 300 HP limit for boats manufactured after 2012. Exceptions for commercial boats and law enforcement obviously.

BI,

I know your a smart guy, your posts are well thought out and solid...I can only assume your account was hacked.

You don't actually believe boat manufactureres would even consider this? Passing a fedral law is the only way a 300hp limit could happen however, such legislation would DESTROY the boating industry. What side would have the deeper pockets?

It will NEVER happen

You need to change your password.

[Bear Islander]

Originally Posted by Kracken

BI,

I know your a smart guy, your posts are well thought out and solid...I can only assume your account was hacked.

You don't actually believe boat manufactureres would even consider this? Passing a fedral law is the only way a 300hp limit could happen however, such legislation would DESTROY the boating industry. What side would have the deeper pockets?

It will NEVER happen

You need to change your password.

It already HAS happened on other lakes and ponds in New Hampshire. How can something that has already happened be impossible?

Winni is large and the lakes that already have HP limits are small. But legally that makes no difference.

Boat manufactuerers would not have a say in this. They can of course lobby against it. But it only requires the NH legislature and the Governors signature to put a HP limit on Winnipesaukee. It also could be accomplished by a Dept. of Safety administrative rule being adopted. Legislation is not even required if you go that route. Most of the HP limits on other lakes were done by administrative rule.

The federal government has nothing to do with this.

Nobody that I know of is actually trying to do this. This is just one man's idea, mine. I very much doubt we will see a HP limit on Winni any time soon. However in the long run I think additional limts of some kind will be coming.

If down the road things get worse instead of better, if we have a couple of more high profile accidents, then legislation could pass.

Or I could be wrong.

[Kracken]

BI,


Lets say NH passes a law that all new boats built after 2012 need to be 300 hp or less? Do you a company like Genmar would stop building 300+ hp boats because they couldn't sell them in NH? Do you think Formula would close their doors? Do you believe Carver would start building kayaks?

[VtSteve]

Originally Posted by Kracken

BI,


Lets say NH passes a law that all new boats built after 2012 need to be 300 hp or less? Do you a company like Genmar would stop building 300+ hp boats because they couldn't sell them in NH? Do you think Formula would close their doors? Do you believe Carver would start building kayaks?

BI is correct. Many bodies of water do have HP limits, quite a few. The boat companies are not impacted directly, but the dealers on the lake would be selling only those boats that are within the limits.

My boat is 22' with a 260 hp stern drive. Not impacted, yet. You'd still be able to buy underpowered small cruisers, probably up to around 26 feet, that have that same engine, or possibly the 5.7 300 hp. You'd have others that opt for the much more efficient Yanmar diesels, most of which are far under 300 hp, on boats that make very large wakes. Most of the bowriders and recreational speed boats fall in that range as well.

[Bear Islander]

Originally Posted by Kracken

BI,


Lets say NH passes a law that all new boats built after 2012 need to be 300 hp or less? Do you a company like Genmar would stop building 300+ hp boats because they couldn't sell them in NH? Do you think Formula would close their doors? Do you believe Carver would start building kayaks?

I don't understand your point. I am not trying to put those companies out of business.

If Winnipesaukee enacted a horsepower limit I think those huge companies would barely notice. They would fight against it probably, but mostly they would be fighting against a trend. The boating industry put up a fight against speed limits, they lost.

The horsepower limits on other lakes have already effected boat sales in those areas.

There is also an up side for the boating industry. Servicing and rebuilding older boats will be a growing business as boat owners try to keep their older, high HP, boats in the water.

[Kracken]

“What I will support is a 300 HP limit for boats manufactured after 2012. Exceptions for commercial boats and law enforcement obviously.”

Bear Islander,

Obviously there is some confusion here. I took this statement as you would endorse and foresee 300hp limit on manufacturers starting in less than 18 months.

Where you actually stating that you would support legislation that requires all vessels manufactured after the 2011 model year to be less than 300 horsepower for use in New Hampshire waterways?

Maybe I did misunderstand you, if so my apologies.

[Bear Islander]

Originally Posted by Kracken

“What I will support is a 300 HP limit for boats manufactured after 2012. Exceptions for commercial boats and law enforcement obviously.”

Bear Islander,

Obviously there is some confusion here. I took this statement as you would endorse and foresee 300hp limit on manufacturers starting in less than 18 months.

Where you actually stating that you would support legislation that requires all vessels manufactured after the 2011 model year to be less than 300 horsepower for use in New Hampshire waterways?

Maybe I did misunderstand you, if so my apologies.

Actually I am only talking about a 300 HP limit on lake Winnipesaukee.

[Kracken]

My apologies Bear Islander

I do think it’s still the wrong solution to the problem.

I take from your postings that you are a big picture guy. You are concerned with what the lake will be like 5-10-15 years down the road. No harm with that at all; however there are so many variables involved that it is hard to predict with any certainty.

Personally I don’t think if things are left unchecked that 20 years from now there will be high performance boats and cruisers tied to every dock around the lake. There are too many boundaries to entrance. Big horsepower costs big bucks. Yes there seems to be a lot more high performance boats and cruisers on the lake than there were 20 years ago. But I think we have hit the high water mark on that. As the cost of fuel continues to rise the amount of new big horsepower boats on the lake will drop.

The argument will rage on about the speed limit, some say they lake has changed and they are right. I am on the Broads side of Rattlesnake; a few years ago we use to watch big HP boats fly by at 80 mph+ all day long. When the gas went to $5.00+ that is when the behavior changed.

[jmen24]

Here is a link that lists every single public boat access in the state of NH. It also lists any restrictions that may be present at that access location.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Outd...ites_table.htm

Take a few minutes and read through the list to see what types of water bodies have HP restrictions. Note that the chart has a column for acreage, that is the total size of the body of water. The only information that is not present is depth, but that can be found here for a cross reference.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/bathy_maps.htm

If you happen to notice a lake or pond on these lists that have a (**) noting additional restrictions. You will have to search for the restrictions by the name of the body of water.

I know BI and myself are well aware of what these bodies of water that have a HP limit have in common, just wanted to make sure everyone else does as well.

[RTTOOL]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

It already HAS happened on other lakes and ponds in New Hampshire. How can something that has already happened be impossible?

Winni is large and the lakes that already have HP limits are small. But legally that makes no difference.

Boat manufacturers would not have a say in this. They can of course lobby against it. But it only requires the NH legislature and the Governors signature to put a HP limit on Winnipesaukee. It also could be accomplished by a Dept. of Safety administrative rule being adopted. Legislation is not even required if you go that route. Most of the HP limits on other lakes were done by administrative rule.

The federal government has nothing to do with this.

Nobody that I know of is actually trying to do this. This is just one man's idea, mine. I very much doubt we will see a HP limit on Winni any time soon. However in the long run I think additional limts of some kind will be coming.

If down the road things get worse instead of better, if we have a couple of more high profile accidents, then legislation could pass.

Or I could be wrong.

Maybe you and governor can run the world