Boating Safety

XCR-700 · 08-31-2023, 09:04 AM

Is it just me, or are there way more crazy boating things going on this summer on WInnipesaukee.

I havent even been out on the water much this summer due to work demands and all the rain and my 4th case of COVID, but every time I am out I see multiple things that just shock me.

I'm seeing failures of very basic boat operation, not the nit pick stuff we sometimes see debated endlessly.

When you see people flying through the Witches, or having multiple people sitting on the edge of the bow of a cuddy cabin cruising at like 40 MPH, big boats curling huge dock destroying wakes, very aggressive drivers both on the open water and at the docks, or people struggling to get a boat on the dock with calm conditions and plenty of room and then they have 1/4" plain rope that is way too short for their dock lines, and so on and so on,,,

Maybe its just my timing, but I feel like I am seeing way more of these concerns this season.

And I'm also seeing lots of people that look totally inexperienced in what appears to be rental pontoon boats. And these boats are too often filled to the brim and none of the kids wearing life jackets! Too often they are either blowing through no wake zones, or going way to slow under the Weirs Beach bridge (due to the high flow rates) and not maintaining control, as if they are afraid of the boat and using a bit more throttle. And way too many other concerns to list.

Not trying to pick on anyone or group, just saying that I feel like the rate of these incidents is significantly higher than the already too common high volume of these problems we normally see.

At this point I have totally stopped visiting the lake on weekends, and even Fridays are now becoming too problematic for my tastes.

Maybe I am just getting old, but after 60 years of boating on Winnipesaukee, I am finding some days are just scary out there,,,

08-31-2023, 09:04 AM	#1
XCR-700 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: MA Posts: 1,333 Thanks: 744 Thanked 533 Times in 310 Posts	Boating Safety Is it just me, or are there way more crazy boating things going on this summer on WInnipesaukee. I havent even been out on the water much this summer due to work demands and all the rain and my 4th case of COVID, but every time I am out I see multiple things that just shock me. I'm seeing failures of very basic boat operation, not the nit pick stuff we sometimes see debated endlessly. When you see people flying through the Witches, or having multiple people sitting on the edge of the bow of a cuddy cabin cruising at like 40 MPH, big boats curling huge dock destroying wakes, very aggressive drivers both on the open water and at the docks, or people struggling to get a boat on the dock with calm conditions and plenty of room and then they have 1/4" plain rope that is way too short for their dock lines, and so on and so on,,, Maybe its just my timing, but I feel like I am seeing way more of these concerns this season. And I'm also seeing lots of people that look totally inexperienced in what appears to be rental pontoon boats. And these boats are too often filled to the brim and none of the kids wearing life jackets! Too often they are either blowing through no wake zones, or going way to slow under the Weirs Beach bridge (due to the high flow rates) and not maintaining control, as if they are afraid of the boat and using a bit more throttle. And way too many other concerns to list. Not trying to pick on anyone or group, just saying that I feel like the rate of these incidents is significantly higher than the already too common high volume of these problems we normally see. At this point I have totally stopped visiting the lake on weekends, and even Fridays are now becoming too problematic for my tastes. Maybe I am just getting old, but after 60 years of boating on Winnipesaukee, I am finding some days are just scary out there,,,