2 quotes below from this thread a few years ago that in all my years on the lake I consider to be the absolute gospel truth in regards to pulling water-skiers. Not sure of the current text of any new instructional boating safety manuals that might exist or ambiguous language in them.
I have no dog in the discussion about wake board boats and the soil erosion topic, but have to laugh a little inside about the unintended consequences that has taken place now that we have all these much slower boats populating the lake. Kinda makes the fast boats make big wakes a B***S*** bad silence story. It always was a BS story just to impress legislators to change the speed limit law.
Back to water skiers, in the 70's when our family was involved with the water ski races trying to find ways to go faster we experimented with rope lengths up to 400+ feet long on lake Winnisquam.
DO NOT do this nowadays for couple of reasons and I believe you would need an exhibition permit to do it. When the rope is really long you have to keep the speed of the boat up to 50 miles per hour or faster to keep the line out of the water, and you more or less have to keep traveling in a straight line. Not a fun way to water ski only practical if competing in a water-ski races behind a powerful fast boat.
Maybe instead of taxing property owners more or creating more rules and regulations we should force everyone pulling water skiers to use 400 or 500 foot rope lengths. Think of the problems it would solve more or less everyone would have to waterkski in a straigt line, making it practicaly imposible to ski in small coves. Not to mention all the soil erosion it would slow down.
Dam-it I just realized that would mean creating a new law and and that my post reads like something FLL posted.
https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...ead.php?t=4947
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misty Blue
Towing a water skiier does not give the tow boat any privaliges over other boats. There is a neet little curve ball here too.
The 150 foot safe passage rule also applies to the skiier. If the skiier is cutting out hard to the side it is the responsibility of the vessel operator to ensure that the skiier maintains the 150 foot rule.
Misty Blue.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DREAMS
I predict the majority of these clueless drivers you are seeing never read, learned or tested for the boater exam - their buddy or relative tested for them and basically handed them the certificate. Those people will never learn anything since they are "set for life".
If anyone went to the required state exam course, the marine patrol officer quite clearly stated: If you are towing a skier, tuber or any object, you must now maintain an additional 150' distance between the person/object in tow and another boat or object in the water. Thus, when towing skiers, your distance becomes 300' to allow for the skier and the boat. If in doubt, call any marine patrol or read your manual. Once again, how will marine patrol pull the ignorant off the lake with life time certificates or give fines for violations when they lack sufficient boats and officers to patrol and see these dangers drivers. Some things will never change!  |
Once again, how will marine patrol pull the ignorant off the lake with life time certificates or give fines for violations when they lack sufficient boats and officers to patrol and see these dangers drivers.
Stop giving out blanket certificates that allow for any activity with out some actual on the water experience. Something like a learners permit over a period of time, no violations with a basic standard certificate allows you apply for special activities. With training and education related to that activity a little similar to getting a motor cycle endorsement or rules that apply to truck driver. I guess I'm trying to say you would need to earn it to some extent like most of us old timers did with our parents training us when we were young and the lake was less crowded. After all if you can't follow the basic boating laws, you should not take on something more difficult without understanding the special circumstances related to it.
Dam another new law.