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Originally Posted by Evenstar
{snip}
Most hi-performance boaters are not willing to admit it, but there is a relationship between higher speeds and the number of vessel collisions. So there is some documented basis for my fear.
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Evenstar, this just isn't true, think about it if it were then there would be many more accidents on high speed highways than city streets. The documentation you show is one man's opinion and I think it is a misstatement.
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Originally Posted by Evenstar
I don’t consider Winni to be a very safe place – 222 boating accidents in 6 years on just one lake isn’t what I call safe! (And that number doesn’t even include accidents with less than $2000 damage):
New Hampshire Boating Accidents – Data for years 1999 – 2004:
Lake Winnipesaukee: 222
Lake Winnisquam: 28
Ossipee Lake: 15
Atlantic Ocean: 14
Lake Sunapee: 14
Squam Lake: 10
Merrimack River: 8
Hampton River: 6
“Coast Guard boating records for 1999-2004 list up to three causes for each boating accident. The causes cited in New Hampshire were operator inexperience, a cause of 61 accidents; operator inattention, 59; hazardous waters, 55; no proper lookout, 39; excessive speed, 35; weather, 28; careless/reckless operation, 24; machinery or equipment failure, 23.”
From: http://nh.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060204/OUTDOOR/60203002
[Source: Telegraph analysis of Coast Guard Recreational Boat Accidents Database, 1999-2004]
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Once again how does this prove the need for a speed limit, it doesn't. Excessive speed quoted above could be speed well below the speed limit. The number of accidents on Winni. needs to be looked at in relationship to the number of boats and time the boats are used. If I were you, looking at the data the way you seem to look at it, I would not kayak on Winni. even with the speed limit.....