Opposers Thread

[EricP]

I am opposed to the speed limit and have been all along. I do not believe there is a speed problem as other here have also stated. I also believe there are safety violations which are more of a concern to the safety of the public than speed will ever be.

I feel safer taking my SeaDoo across the broads than I do near the Weirs channel where there is congestion and Captain B's galore doing what they do best. Others on the forum have made the same observations in their areas, The Graveyard, Alton Bay, Winter Harbor, etc... (too many to recall and mention here).

If I had a decent camera I'd sit out there and film this stuff to bring to Concord, if anyone wants to and needs assistance I'll come sit in your boat with you and help. We need this type of evidence to show the problem and I think it will be more powerful than 100 rigged polls.

I like the idea of more MP presence to monitor these safety violations and offer a suggestion, what about a $5 surcharge on registrtions dedicated soley to staffing MP to increase safety patrols? I realize some won't like that, others will say "what about kayakers who don't register and therefore don't contribute?". I counter with "if spending $5 makes me safer then it is worth it". Something has to be done to actually improve safety and the speed limit will never accomplish that.

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by EricP

I am opposed to the speed limit and have been all along. I do not believe there is a speed problem as other here have also stated. I also believe there are safety violations which are more of a concern to the safety of the public than speed will ever be.

I feel safer taking my SeaDoo across the broads than I do near the Weirs channel where there is congestion and Captain B's galore doing what they do best. Others on the forum have made the same observations in their areas, The Graveyard, Alton Bay, Winter Harbor, etc... (too many to recall and mention here).

If I had a decent camera I'd sit out there and film this stuff to bring to Concord, if anyone wants to and needs assistance I'll come sit in your boat with you and help. We need this type of evidence to show the problem and I think it will be more powerful than 100 rigged polls.

I like the idea of more MP presence to monitor these safety violations and offer a suggestion, what about a $5 surcharge on registrtions dedicated soley to staffing MP to increase safety patrols? I realize some won't like that, others will say "what about kayakers who don't register and therefore don't contribute?". I counter with "if spending $5 makes me safer then it is worth it". Something has to be done to actually improve safety and the speed limit will never accomplish that.

I'd pay the extra $5 or $10

[tis]

I wonder how many people truly would go 70 for longer than a couple of minutes. I must say I have never seen anyone go very fast for a long period of time. I think most check what is in front of them first and open it up for a while, then slow down. Maybe I am wrong. Anyone?

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by tis

I wonder how many people truly would go 70 for longer than a couple of minutes. I must say I have never seen anyone go very fast for a long period of time. I think most check what is in front of them first and open it up for a while, then slow down. Maybe I am wrong. Anyone?

Yes tis. Lost in all of this is that very fact that most of the guys that I have seen or the guys that have given me a ride on their boats usually go 30-50 and only rarely pump up the throttle once they can see a large clear path in front of them. It's way more fashionable for the other side to distort this and claim that performance boats travel willy nilly 75MPH all over the place where little children are swimming.

[caloway]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

Yes tis. Lost in all of this is that very fact that most of the guys that I have seen or the guys that have given me a ride on their boats usually go 30-50 and only rarely pump up the throttle once they can see a large clear path in front of them. It's way more fashionable for the other side to distort this and claim that performance boats travel willy nilly 75MPH all over the place where little children are swimming.

yeah, that's the game isn't it? Supporters pretend someone almost ran over their puppy yesterday and opposers pretend GFBL boats operate in a bubble.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

1) A "couple of minutes" would handily cover the length of Rattlesnake Island.

As the kids say ... kewl.

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

2) Surely, you've seen them run the full length of the Broads—including Rattlesnake Island. (Though it helps to observe from a sailboat and not a rapidly-moving platform).

Hmmm, and I'd have thought it would have been better to observe them from a rapidly moving platform.

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

3) On most inland fresh water lakes, "a couple of minutes" will take them into something very solid.

Sounds like a good argument as to why Winni should be the lake they can run at "high" speed on.

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

From a dock—and using binoculars—watch them leave on a day that's rough. While they don't "pitch" (a fore-and-aft motion) they will get tossed from side-to-side very strongly: that's why the seats in GFBLs have such generous bolsters.

You forgot to mention the drop out seat bottoms. And I'm surprised that all this tossing doesn't spill all their drinks. Oh wait mebbe that's only the cruisers flying the martini burgees. How much do they toss ? Pitch ? Betcha they have some pretty comfy bolster and seat bottoms too !!!

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Too many have painted their windshields (!) and gone waterskiing in Lake Winnipesaukee's bays, coves, and harbors: for that matter, too many of us "normal-sized" boaters have failed to look ahead when starting up with a water skiier.

Too many painted windshields. Wow that sure sounds bad. I've only seen a couple with tinted itty bitty wind deflectors. Next you'll be telling us how the drivers have painted glasses on ... what are they called .... oh yeah .... sunglasses. That sounds ever worserer.

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Now I'll have to move my "train-wreck" and anti-"insurgent" points to a different thread about:

1) windshield-paintovers,
2) fat bolsters to keep from being hurt when being thrown out,
3) size/weight/wake inappropriateness in skiing/tubing of Winnipesaukee's bays, coves, and harbors,
4) hitting solid—and some not-so-solid—objects at speed, and the
5) inappropriate size, weight and speed for inland freshwater lakes of most ocean-racers seen on Winnipesaukee whose speeds can triple the present speed limit.

Please remember to add in running over innocent puppies.