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frank m. · 02-11-2005, 10:51 AM

Bear Islander,
I assume you might be familiar with the Horse Island channel. Due to the shape of the channel and the distance across, a boat cannot legally pass through at more than headway speed, because it is always less than 150' to one side or the other. There are also markers on both sides that concentrate the traffic into a path about 200 feet wide. Boats fly through this channel in both directions continuously...sometimes three across and often times in both directions simultaneously. This goes on on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc, all day. I'll bet there is not a thirty minute stretch during boating hours all summer that does not see at least ten 150' violations. And boats heading south through this channel towards say Timber Island must immediately cross another busy high-speed route that passes from the west towards the south end of Bear Island. It is often times a zoo, and always a safety risk. It is just a matter of time before there is a bad collision here. And it will likely be a guy in a family boat like mine, going headway speed, that is going to get sliced in half. Except for one day last summer when they had four patrol boats parked there with lights flashing and all of the speeders slowed down way in advance of the channel, I have never seen MP watching for or ticketing violators in this dangerous area, any day of the week. The channel between Governor's and Eagle is similar. There are actually dozens of similar bottlenecks around the lake that are busy at any time of day, even on weekdays. I've heard all of the arguments about keeping the patrolmen occupied during slow times, but I just don't buy that checking swim rafts for stickers and writing tickets to owners of swim platforms that are not properly identified ("your name tag is too small, ma'am") is the best use of that time. If there are slow periods, put these patrol boats near these channels and have them passing out 150' citations. That is a proper use of a "safety" officer's time, and it'll bring in more cash than selling raft permits ever will (not that I feel this should be the incentive). The officer is still out on the lake and ready to run over if you need him, but he is really keeping us safe in the meantime. If you research the positions that the marine patrol has taken over the past years and read some of their testimony, you will hear nothing but complaints that they are undermanned and don't have a manhour to waste. There are too many laws for them to enforce already. Ticketing "swim raft criminals" just does not seem like something they should have time for, any day of the week.

02-11-2005, 10:51 AM	#25
frank m. Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 81 Thanks: 4 Thanked 27 Times in 7 Posts	Bear Islander, I assume you might be familiar with the Horse Island channel. Due to the shape of the channel and the distance across, a boat cannot legally pass through at more than headway speed, because it is always less than 150' to one side or the other. There are also markers on both sides that concentrate the traffic into a path about 200 feet wide. Boats fly through this channel in both directions continuously...sometimes three across and often times in both directions simultaneously. This goes on on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc, all day. I'll bet there is not a thirty minute stretch during boating hours all summer that does not see at least ten 150' violations. And boats heading south through this channel towards say Timber Island must immediately cross another busy high-speed route that passes from the west towards the south end of Bear Island. It is often times a zoo, and always a safety risk. It is just a matter of time before there is a bad collision here. And it will likely be a guy in a family boat like mine, going headway speed, that is going to get sliced in half. Except for one day last summer when they had four patrol boats parked there with lights flashing and all of the speeders slowed down way in advance of the channel, I have never seen MP watching for or ticketing violators in this dangerous area, any day of the week. The channel between Governor's and Eagle is similar. There are actually dozens of similar bottlenecks around the lake that are busy at any time of day, even on weekdays. I've heard all of the arguments about keeping the patrolmen occupied during slow times, but I just don't buy that checking swim rafts for stickers and writing tickets to owners of swim platforms that are not properly identified ("your name tag is too small, ma'am") is the best use of that time. If there are slow periods, put these patrol boats near these channels and have them passing out 150' citations. That is a proper use of a "safety" officer's time, and it'll bring in more cash than selling raft permits ever will (not that I feel this should be the incentive). The officer is still out on the lake and ready to run over if you need him, but he is really keeping us safe in the meantime. If you research the positions that the marine patrol has taken over the past years and read some of their testimony, you will hear nothing but complaints that they are undermanned and don't have a manhour to waste. There are too many laws for them to enforce already. Ticketing "swim raft criminals" just does not seem like something they should have time for, any day of the week.