State to Test Boat Speed Limits

[Becca]

Hi All,

This just in from WMUR today!

CONCORD, N.H. -- Proposed statewide boat speed limits appear to be sidetracked for this year, but two popular sections of Lake Winnipesaukee probably will get temporary limits this summer.

Those limits -- in waters around Bear and Rattlesnake islands -- are expected to be 45 mph during the day and 25 mph at night.

The House Transportation Committee cleared the way for the pilot program Tuesday by deciding to hold onto a bill to impose speed limits on lakes around the state. Legislators and Safety Department officials said Wednesday that the move opened the door for the test program.

"That's the indication we need from the Legislature that we have the green light to put on the pilot program," said Earl Sweeney, assistant safety commissioner.

He said the experiment would let officials test radar on the water, see how expensive it would be to enforce speed limits and see how district courts would handle boating speeding tickets. At the end of the season, the department would tell legislators how the experiment worked out.

Winnipesaukee is the state's largest lake, and the areas around Bear and Rattlesnake islands are two of its most popular areas. Supporters of speed limits said a relatively small number of extremely fast boats is spoiling the lake for other users.

Rep. James Pilliod, sponsor of the statewide speed limit bill, decried the proposal to sidetrack it for more study and called the pilot program a joke.

Calling for more study is an old legislative trick for killing bills, he said, and, in this case, represents "a careful design, right from the first, of the sellers of large boats."

The House could ignore the recommendation for more study and pass the bill, said Pilliod, R-Belmont.

Last year, a similar bill Pilliod sponsored passed the House but failed in the Senate.

Angry speed-limit supporters petitioned for a hearing, which produced impassioned arguments on both sides last September.

Sweeney said waters around the two islands are good places to test speed limits because reasonable boaters "wouldn't think of going that fast in those areas."

Courts would determine fines for violators.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Becca

Hi All,


Rep. James Pilliod, sponsor of the statewide speed limit bill, decried the proposal to sidetrack it for more study and called the pilot program a joke.

Calling for more study is an old legislative trick for killing bills, he said, and, in this case, represents "a careful design, right from the first, of the sellers of large boats."

This kind of talk, if accurately quoted, is not helping speed limit supporters. Mr. Pilliod makes it sound like studying something carefully before acting upon it is a bad idea. He apparently thinks everyone should take his words and opinions as gospel and pass the law, regardless of the need.

And to blame the sellers of large boats for orchestrating the study? I thought he disliked fast boats. Now he has a problem with large boats too? I know they can make big wakes, but The Mount, The Doris E and The Sophie C (probably the largest vessels on the lake, though there may be a Carver that's bigger than the two mailboats) are part of what gives the lake character, I'd hate to see them banned from the lake, due to their size, by the likes of Mr. Pilliod.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Becca

Sweeney said waters around the two islands are good places to test speed limits because reasonable boaters "wouldn't think of going that fast in those areas."

I think this makes perfect sense. Love to hear arguments for and against this particular statement.

[SIKSUKR]

How will boaters know where the speed limits zones are?Will there be markers/bouys with speed limit signs on them like the no-wake zones?

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I think this makes perfect sense. Love to hear arguments for and against this particular statement.

I don't know that I would have chosen these 2 areas, as I understand them, as prime candidates. The Bear/mainland stretch has a NWZ at one end and a channel at the other and is short enough in between that it's no great loss and wouldn't be the "fast route" anyway. That said, it's not unsafe to be "fast" in that stretch so I wonder why, other than it makes a good test zone, it was choosen ? (I could float a good coonspiracy theory )

I'm not sure exactly what the area btw Rattlesnake and ??? is. Is it between R.I. and Sleepers I. or btw R. I. and the mainland, thus including all of Sleepers & Treasure ? Again I don't see "fast" as being inherently unsafe there, though, given you can go the alternate route (the Broads side of R.I.) I don't see it as a big deal in and of itself.

Lastly I do get a chuckle out of the statements made by various proponents in the articles Skip posted in the other thread. Doesn't Pilliod own a twin engine cruiser ? Must be a small one.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Dave R

This kind of talk, if accurately quoted, is not helping speed limit supporters. Mr. Pilliod makes it sound like studying something carefully before acting upon it is a bad idea. He apparently thinks everyone should take his words and opinions as gospel and pass the law, regardless of the need.
{snip}

The study I'd like to see is the one that shows 45 and 25 to be the proper numbers for the proposed limits. Why aren't 25 and 5 the right numbers ? Or 66.6 and 31.4159 ....

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

The study I'd like to see is the one that shows 45 and 25 to be the proper numbers for the proposed limits. Why aren't 25 and 5 the right numbers ? Or 66.6 and 31.4159 ....

"66.6" should bring up a question for us Winnipesaukee boaters.

The "NH Boating Accident Report - 2006" logged one crash listed as 36.6-MPH. How was that number arrived at?

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

I don't know that I would have chosen these 2 areas, as I understand them, as prime candidates. The Bear/mainland stretch has a NWZ at one end and a channel at the other and is short enough in between that it's no great loss and wouldn't be the "fast route" anyway. That said, it's not unsafe to be "fast" in that stretch so I wonder why, other than it makes a good test zone, it was choosen ? (I could float a good coonspiracy theory )

I suspect the Bear Island route was choosen due to it's narrow end points, and it's high traffic on weekends. Ripping through there at high speeds on a Saturday afternoon is probably dumb. At its widest, just south of the PO and south to the red topped spar off Jerry Point, it's only about 1700 feet wide and that section is only about 2500 feet long. Then it necks down to 700 feet wide or so before it gets even narrower by FL3. There's also the fact that general boat traffic is going to make a beeline from one narrow point to the other in the 2500 foot stretch. Since ther's bi-driectional traffic, this rarely leaves room between northbound and southbound traffic for overtaking to port like we are supposed to. This means overtaking is generally going to happen to starboard which moves the fastest boats closest to the shore, not a good thing in my opinion.

I think the "Rattlesnake" area is really between Sleepers and the shoreline. That's a pretty busy area and there's boatloads of swimmers (literally ), WAM traffic and about 500 feet of navigable "channel" due to spars and the shape of the island and mainland. If that's not where they plan to have a speed limit, well I agree with you, it makes no sense.

[Becca]

SIKSUKR,

That was my questions also how do we know?

[fatlazyless]

Hey Marine Patrol, let me be your sign-guy over at buoy 3. For $1.25/hour, I will be happy to paddle my kayak back and forth from the Fl 3 buoy to Penney Island, maybe 100 yards(?), and hold up a 45mph/25mph sign to approaching boats. After dark, watch for me in the kayak with the kerosene hurricane lantern.

What to use for a sign? How about the big lid fom a 30 gal trash can and some white paint. It has a handle, and can be purchased from you-know where, and makes a good target, too.........yikes!

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

For $1.25/hour, I will be happy to paddle my kayak back and forth from the Fl 3 buoy to Penney Island, maybe 100 yards(?), and hold up a 45mph/25mph sign to approaching boats. After dark, watch for me in the kayak with the kerosene hurricane lantern.

What to use for a sign? How about the big lid fom a 30 gal trash can and some white paint. It has a handle, and can be purchased from you-know where, and makes a good target, too.........yikes!

Perhaps you could take this idea just a bit further. What you need is to get the State to pass a toll authorization bill for the Lake. Then you could set up a line across the channel. Hang a sign saying "Toll 25 cents". Upon paying you lower the line and allow the boat to pass. Accept the old tokens and I think the public will go along ! Mind you, I think the kayak might not be the ideal pursuit craft to capture the scofflaws, but I'm sure you'll figure something out.


Sign and waterproof paint = $1.97 @ Walmart
Nylon line with lead weights = $8.99 @ same
FLL in kayak being towed behind scofflaw cruiser by above line = priceless !

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Dave R

{snip} I think the "Rattlesnake" area is really between Sleepers and the shoreline. That's a pretty busy area and there's boatloads of swimmers (literally ), WAM traffic and about 500 feet of navigable "channel" due to spars and the shape of the island and mainland. If that's not where they plan to have a speed limit, well I agree with you, it makes no sense.

Sleepers to shore would make sense but why start (making sense) now ? If traffic were the prime concern I would have thought the area off the Weirs would have been a prime candidate. From FL44 to Eagle to Governors to Holts Pt (heck, I'll toss in everything to the bridge) to somewhere off the Weirs to Spindle Pt to FL44. Plus I have to believe that most of Rusty's complaining customers are really complaining about traffic in this area. Now I don't recall the last time I saw someone in excess of 45 mph in that area but like I said ... why start now.

[ghfromaltonbay]

Having watched many a close call on weekends from the beach at Sandy Point, I would think that a 45 mph limit from Echo Point south to the NWZ would be a good test area. The channel past Sandy Point is like a mixing bowl on weekends. Add in the swim line at Sandy Point and you really narrow down that channel near FL23 during the prime boating season.

[Rayhunt]

We all know why Bear island was chosen
Lets be realistic, these 2 are not the busiest of places. However they may show a good average density on the weekends. Why even have speed zones , just make them no wake zones and everyone will already know the rules.