Quote:
Originally Posted by malibu
What you and I or anyone else thinks is fast in a boat is irrelevant, we’re talking overall safety here. And my family and I are on the water every weekend in a ski boat, it’s been a complete zoo the past two weekends. We encountered numerous boneheads coming within fifty feet of us, but not speeding. Not one of these boneheads were pulled over, as a matter of fact there wasn’t any MP in site. And this is my point, get rid of the useless SL and get serious about real safety. God forbid, but what if two boats collide both doing 35mph and someone is killed, what will be said then. The state needs to increase MP resources by double or triple and enforce the real laws that will make the lake safer for everyone.
Malibu
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Some people following these threads take the Speed Limit aspect of the debate too literally. There are several things that motivated the support that ended up in the passing of the bill.
1. They don't like performance boats
2. They don't like the people that own them
3. They hate the noise
4. They hate what they perceive as a party hearty culture
Very similar to the nasty generalizations made towards motorcyclists, much more in the past than now. They pretty much had to veil their arguments around safety, and create the perception that there was absolute chaos, mayhem, and Wild Wild West on Lake Winnipesaukee. Then, they set out to market the perception. It's pretty hard to get a law passed if you Just Don't Like them
You'll also find from older threads some things about safety and accidents that may or may not puzzle you. There have been many accidents discussed, two or three in particular. I mentioned a bowrider being driven by a woman on Lake George, also a speed limit lake. She was drunk, and drive (at night) her boat onto shore and beyond. Very similar to most accidents reported, except for the more horrific ones. They almost always involve alcohol, sometimes involve having no lights on after dark.
The main thing to note is this. If the accident does not involve a GFBL boat, chances are, not a single SL supporter will post on the thread. The only one that they did happened to involve the head of an organization that was against the SL. Some pretty nasty things were said about her. They made sure the name Formula appeared in every post about the boat. Disregard the fact that it wasn't a particularly fast boat, and was basically a luxo cruiser type. Some of the nastier posters even made things up along the way, and were particularly offended if alcohol or conditions were brought up.
But many good suggestions have been offered, you mention safety, enforcement, and more funding for the MP. Many of us have brought these up many times. Again, you can pretty much tell who cares about safety and who has other ideas by the responders who are almost always conspicuously absent. We have some "new" posters that simply will not respond to anything directly. That's OK, don't need them.
We've had some people in NE die this year already, many from drowning in cold waters while fishing. Boats US and many LE organizations have stepped up their efforts to educating boaters, particularly fishermen, kayakers, and all early season boaters, about hypothermia. Bass fishing organizations always try and stress the need for wearing their PFD's. Poker Run organizations have stepped up to the plate in recent years, educating and stressing safety. Education is a time-consuming activity, that sees results over years, not months.
The better educated people are about the risks of boating, the less likely it will be to have non-boaters passing laws that do no good.
At any rate. Everyone should thank our host Don, who puts up with us, and gives us the opportunity to state our positions. I'd also suggest that everyone that's taking up his bandwidth, give a donation to the site. It ain't free, and he's one of the best moderators I've ever dealt with.
I'd like this to go further at some point, and hopefully, a relevant organization of boaters that care will come of it.