[Wolfeboro_Baja]

What gets me about John Chase’s letter is, in the first paragraph, he states (remember, he’s referring to 2007; my emphasis added here in bold print).

With no apparent impact on its budget or ability to effectively attend to other responsibilities, it (Marine Patrol) occasionally placed radar-armed officers strategically around the lake last summer (here he is referring to 2007) and randomly measured the speed of boating traffic. The Marine Patrol issued no tickets and never had to spend a related hour in court to defend a citation. It did not even need to calibrate its equipment or certify its officers. Yet its study found exactly what those of us who live and boat on the lake already knew -- there were very few boats speeding on Lake Winnipesaukee last summer.

In the next paragraph, he asks if the SL supporters are “paranoid” (his word!) or

does this say that when there is even a modicum of enforcement, or a threat of measurement, or an inkling of incentive, people will operate their boats at reasonable speeds?

and finally summarizes with,

Doesn't this really all just say that there is no speeding problem when boaters think they might be under observation?

He went on to say,

The program proved that speed limits work and are, for the most part, self-enforcing.

HUH?!?!? WHAT?!? Did I miss something?!?!?

How could a speed limit that didn’t exist in 2007 “work”?? How could a non-existent law be “self-enforcing”??

I don’t know about the rest of you, but in 2007, 2008 AND, for the most part, 2009, MY particular cruising/boating habits didn’t really change, with the exception that, in 2009, I could no longer take a WOT (that’s Wide Open Throttle for anyone reading this that doesn’t know) run across the Broads or any part of the lake, for that matter, WHEN THE CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE (something I did on occasion PRIOR to 2009)! I normally cruise, then and now, around 45mph. Prior to the SL law, I would occasionally take a speed run in the more open areas of the lake when the traffic was low and the water wasn’t too rough; my boat is only 25ft so high speed on choppy water is NOT a good thing!

I guess I just don’t understand the logic of the SL supporters! First, they say boating on Winni in 2007 and 2008 (yes, some even said 2008!) was paradise (I am not making that up). AND, in Mr. Chase’s letter, he admits that NO tickets for speeding were written and NO MP officers spent any time in court on a SL-related citation!! Here’s the kicker; in 2008, there was NO data collection going on and NO “radar-armed officers (placed) strategically around the lake”!!!

So HOW can it be that the lake was SO peaceful and quiet when there was NO SL law on the books being enforced?? Gee, you don’t suppose it’s because the constant, high-speed boaters on the lake don’t really exist, do you? Or maybe that the chaos the SL supporters keep referring to in the past was caused primarily by people ignoring the 150’ rule and no wake zones, which, by the way, they STILL do to this day?? NOOOOOOOOO, it couldn’t be THAT!!

Regarding this statement by Mr. Chase, “The visibility of marked patrol boats floating in open water, with officers in uniform pointing radar guns around, caused boaters to reconsider their speed.”, I would offer that nobody HAD to reconsider their speed because for one thing, there was no SL law in effect in 2007 (therefore, no one had to fear getting a ticket!) and the other thing is, there simply aren’t that many boats, high performance or otherwise, going that fast all the time.

The last point I’d like to bring up is this; why are the SL supporters so amazed that these so-called hundreds of GF boats on the lake slowed down simply because there is a SL law? Let me ask you, considering the millions of cars on this country’s roadways (196 million by one statistic I just found), do you see a couple million cars travelling at 90-100mph on the highway?? No?? Why is that? Because for the most part, they know better. No matter how fast they’d LIKE to be driving, MOST people will usually obey a speed limit if it’s reasonable PLUS, they don't want to pay a ticket and increased insurance premiums. Same thing on Winni; just because we slowed down, doesn't mean we agree with the law!! Remember, we aren't all "trust babies" in "$200K speedboats"!!!

Most people think 70mph on the interstate is reasonably fast; several boaters on Winni (myself included) think 45mph on the lake, when the conditions are good (usually meaning safe), is too slow. At the same time, there are numerous times on the lake when, given the conditions, 45mph is way too fast. And that’s the key, determining a safe speed, given the conditions! People need to educate themselves to make the correct decision; they need to use common sense. Unfortunately, a lot of them don't.

My apologies for the long post; I had ALOT on my mind!!