So it is OK for codeman to say that a speed limit would not have prevented the Long Lake accident. But it is not OK for Evenstar to think otherwise? And Eventar is not the one that brought it up in the first place!!! You have that double standard going full speed tonight.

We keep hearing that accidents that involve alcohol should not be considered in speed limit arguments. This is pure, 100 percent, unadulterated CRAP. Get a clue people. That boat was brought in from Mass so he could go fast. Mass has a state wide speed limit. If Long Lake had a speed limit he never, never, never, never would have gone there. And that is the truth about speed limits you people will not face.

And how long do we need to wait before we talk about an accident? I agree that it is to soon to talk about the recent fatality on Winnipesaukee. However charges have been filed in the Long Lake accident and it's fair game in my book. Wait for the trial? That can take years. And then shouldn't we wait for the appeals?

If there are those that will be upset if they read about the accident, then they should stay out of boating forums.

No I would just rather that no one speculate on what happened in that accident. So you know that the boat that was "hit" was not moving? had it's lights on? Operators were sober? That the driver of the other boat was traveling at what speed? None of this information has been published so how are we going to have any way to discuss the accident with any kind of accuracy? It is all pure speculation. Time will bring the trueth forward but only in court. Sorry to Evenstar to point her out.

I honestly, cannot find anything but agreement in that post. You're absolutely correct on all points BI. I agree with you.

Here is where I disagree.....from a post yesterday.

In the hypothetical. If someone brought a 23' bowrider up to Long Lake, got drunk while driving 43 mph, killed someone, did the speed limit matter? BI is saying that the accident never would have occurred if the go fast boat never came to the lake. Obviously, that is technically true.

But it also has to rely on an inference that people that come up to the lake to go fast also get drunk, or at least more than the general populace. Or, that people with slower boats won't come up to the lake to go boating, speed limit or otherwise. That's a lot of assumptions isn't it? The other accident in M Bay, where the GF boat wasn't going very fast, but the driver was impaired. He killed someone in that accident.

The vast majority of accidents involve drownings, falls, and boats other than the targeted audience. Most of those involve inattention, violations of existing laws, BWI, things other than speed. For BI to make that case, he'd had to infer that the GFBL crowd is a bunch of dangerous drunks, with the speed of their boats being the secondary cause. Some others have come right out and said as much.

It's been my experience that the pardy hardy BWI crowd is "usually" not that crowd. YMMV. I agree with you that BWI trumps speed, anyday. I don't think that's what BI is arguing.