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Lakewinniboater · 08-01-2005, 08:45 AM

interesting how the reported named "performance boat" and "formula" for this accident.... however, when he mentioned the boat with the family in it near govenor's when the 16 year old hit his head there was no mention of the type of boat.

That sounds like bias reporting. If you're going to mention one type of boat ..... shouldn't it be that you name them all?

Sort of like in this article

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...045/-1/CITIZEN

Reader Opinion

Friday, July 29, 2005
Taken in by bill's supporters?

By JUDE FERA

I am writing in response to the article by Gordon Fraser detailing the Sunday boating accident in Tuftonboro, in which a woman was flipped out of the boat when the driver made a sharp turn over a large wake. Fraser described this as a "high-speed" accident and the boat as a "performance boat."

When called to account for this statement by another reader, he replied by e-mail that "My editors tell me that we, as a paper, would define "high speed" as anything over headway speed." This is tantamount to saying that a car traveling faster than an idle was traveling at "high speed." It also smacks of irresponsible and biased reporting.

There was another boating accident last Sunday in which a small aluminum boat flipped over a large wake. I assume that this boat was on plane. Why wasn't this reported as a "high-speed" accident, as the boat was traveling at over headway speed? Oh yes, there was a difference: that was just a boat, whereas the Tuftonboro incident was a "performance boat."

One can only gather that you are playing into the hands of WinnFABS in their campaign to drive performance boats off Winnipesaukee. This self-interest group has shamelessly turned the tragic death of Jack Hartman into a marketing tool to advance their elitist, narrow-minded agenda, and has clouded the debate over a Winni speed limit with the kind of misinformation as written by your reporter.

If you really want to help add information, as opposed to emotion, relating to safe boating on Winnipesaukee, you should be investigating who is creating these large wakes. I'm quite familiar with the area in Tuftonboro where Sunday's accident occurred. For 11 years I have watched ignorant and unskilled family boaters driving at what we would call "plow speeds" with bow up and stern deep, creating enormous wakes that endanger other boaters, docks and docked boats, and erode the shoreline.

Many times I have had to take evasive measure in my own small Scarab performance boat to prevent a crash, or worse, with one of these dangerous boaters who were traveling at "high speed" according to your standards. Perhaps the driver of the boat in the Tuftonboro accident had to do the same. That would put a completely different spin on that incident, and perhaps one that you would prefer not to report.

08-01-2005, 08:45 AM	#4
Lakewinniboater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Westford, MA and Alton Bay, NH Posts: 225 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	interesting interesting how the reported named "performance boat" and "formula" for this accident.... however, when he mentioned the boat with the family in it near govenor's when the 16 year old hit his head there was no mention of the type of boat. That sounds like bias reporting. If you're going to mention one type of boat ..... shouldn't it be that you name them all? Sort of like in this article http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...045/-1/CITIZEN Reader Opinion Friday, July 29, 2005 Taken in by bill's supporters? By JUDE FERA I am writing in response to the article by Gordon Fraser detailing the Sunday boating accident in Tuftonboro, in which a woman was flipped out of the boat when the driver made a sharp turn over a large wake. Fraser described this as a "high-speed" accident and the boat as a "performance boat." When called to account for this statement by another reader, he replied by e-mail that "My editors tell me that we, as a paper, would define "high speed" as anything over headway speed." This is tantamount to saying that a car traveling faster than an idle was traveling at "high speed." It also smacks of irresponsible and biased reporting. There was another boating accident last Sunday in which a small aluminum boat flipped over a large wake. I assume that this boat was on plane. Why wasn't this reported as a "high-speed" accident, as the boat was traveling at over headway speed? Oh yes, there was a difference: that was just a boat, whereas the Tuftonboro incident was a "performance boat." One can only gather that you are playing into the hands of WinnFABS in their campaign to drive performance boats off Winnipesaukee. This self-interest group has shamelessly turned the tragic death of Jack Hartman into a marketing tool to advance their elitist, narrow-minded agenda, and has clouded the debate over a Winni speed limit with the kind of misinformation as written by your reporter. If you really want to help add information, as opposed to emotion, relating to safe boating on Winnipesaukee, you should be investigating who is creating these large wakes. I'm quite familiar with the area in Tuftonboro where Sunday's accident occurred. For 11 years I have watched ignorant and unskilled family boaters driving at what we would call "plow speeds" with bow up and stern deep, creating enormous wakes that endanger other boaters, docks and docked boats, and erode the shoreline. Many times I have had to take evasive measure in my own small Scarab performance boat to prevent a crash, or worse, with one of these dangerous boaters who were traveling at "high speed" according to your standards. Perhaps the driver of the boat in the Tuftonboro accident had to do the same. That would put a completely different spin on that incident, and perhaps one that you would prefer not to report. __________________ Wendy "Wasn't Me!"