[ApS]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Well how about a trip out the mouth of the Merrimack river on a modestly quiet weekend day...I have never seen an accident myself there nor seen any MP/CG/HM ticketing anyone, EVER...
Not that I would like to see that kind of madness on Winnipesaukee, but it sure makes me wonder how anyone ever survived without the 150' boat separation/distance from shore and 50 MPH speed limits,,,So I say relevant, but keep things in perspective,,,

Thank you for seeing it my way. But, like "the nocturnal-animals" mentioned elsewhere here, you're not going to see nocturnal accidents during the daytime.

The following example is taken from the night-time experience of five boaters: It's at night that waterways would appear entirely the same—regardless of their size or geography.

Merrimack Inlet is certainly different: there are many more islands and many narrow passages around Lake Winnipesaukee.

Our "150-foot barrier" keeps boaters away from most rocky shorelines.

Distanced from spar buoys, that "150-feet" keeps boaters away from the vast majority of the hazards that are remaining.

Tubers and waterskiers are prevented from striking one another—while passing—by virtue of their combined tow-lengths equalling less than 150-feet. For Lake Winnipesaukee, I see the concept as ingenious, and I'd not want the 150-foot law to be ignored by visitors—nor overturned by New Hampshire's "experts in safe boating".

Boaters who visit here from other lakes and salt water need to be aware that Lake Winnipesaukee is a location that is highly recreational.

(Some might substitute "highly" with the word: "extremely"!)

In the case of the Candlewood Lake collision, what follow are some comments—the first two being those from "oversize" boaters, who are generally sympathetic to the Formula 24 that was pierced through the bow by the fast-running bass boat—the "privileged-vessel".

The Formula 24 is further described here, as "a speedboat":

"24 Formula that the guy had for less than a month hit a triton bass boat at high speed. Driver and passenger in Formula died and a 3rd passenger (the firefighter) is in critical condition. Both Bass boat guys are OK. Steering wheel from Formula was found in the back seat."

PLEASE don't run at speed in the dark, folks. These accidents are far too common.

More comments—now from the Media—following the collision. Do any of these sound familiar?

"For too long, the lake has been like the Wild West, not patrolled or supervised, and for too long lake safety has been about finger-pointing, excuses and confusion,"

"Layton was at the wheel, located on the right side of the Formula, and Wanat was in the left-side passenger seat. Sullivan was sitting behind Wanat, witnesses said."

"As they left the restaurant dock, Layton gunned the 365-horsepower motor, and the Formula sped away through the "no wake" zone there at an estimated 35 miles per hour."

"The speedboat was going even faster as it roared past the Candlewood Lake Club, where retired Bethel police officer Ray Pacheco...on a security detail."

"I looked at my employee and said, 'Damn, that boat is hauling,' " Pacheco told EnCon police.

"Further up the lake, at Orchard Point, bass fisherman Richard Tomasini was alone in his boat when he heard a "loud speedboat" approaching."

"The vessel was traveling '45 to 50 knots' when it went past."

"Seconds later, the sound of crunching fiberglass, followed by the whine of a boat's propeller spinning out of the water, reached his ears."

"Back at the Candlewood Lake Club, Pacheco heard a sound 'like a shotgun bang.'"

"In her bedroom, Rasor described the noise as 'a large boom.'"

"The bass boat hit the Formula almost head on, its prow slicing into the speedboat and ripping through the hull directly into the cockpit area."

"The speedboat's momentum carried both vessels north another 150 feet, according to the DEP's Boating Accident Reconstruction Unit. The impact was so great that a mirror image of a Gatorade bottle label was imprinted into the fabric of Layton's seat."

"[The Formula's] Layton likely died instantly. [The Formula's] Wanat was also killed and thrown overboard."

"[The Formula's] Sullivan, sitting in the rear, remained in the boat but was critically injured and covered by wreckage."

"...10 months to the day after the accident, Environmental Conservation police issued their report on the crash."

"The investigation concluded that the [Formula] operated by Mr. Layton failed to yield to the [Bass Boat] vessel as required by the federal rules of navigation,"

"Investigators found no indications that [the bass-boaters] had been drinking, but there were 19 empty beer cans in the Formula. [The Formula of] Layton's blood alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit for operation of a car or boat."

"The speedboat's [The Formula] throttle was also fully opened, meaning the engine was running at maximum speed."

"Contributing factors, DEP said, were the time of day, alcohol, and excessive speed."

Haven't we seen this before?