apologies in advance for tangential topic...
 

I'm not trying to change the topic or start a new debate, but figured since this thread has already gone way off topic and has been relagated to the basement...

As someone not very knowledgable about the specific rules/regs regarding PWCs (not owning one meself), why is there a dusk to dawn curfew? It seems like many are "boat size" and could support nav lights?

signed - curious PIG

I still want to know why the steering wheel on all these boats is on the right side. English law maybe?

Laws of physics. Torque of a single prop tilts boat to port. If driver is only one in boat, his/her weight on the starboard side helps level the boat at speed.

^This for sure, but also I suspect, because you need to give way to boats that are on a collision course off of your starboard bow. Sitting on the starboard side helps ensure an unobstructed view to starboard.

I think you might have it backwards. I believe the law was constructed long after the established right hand driver became standard.

Some older inboards had port side steering. I believe some inboard drive trains pull to starboard, and for Slickcraft's reason had port side steering.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

I believe my father had an old Cris Craft with port steering. Or was that a Century?

Sandbar swimming
 

So was this anchor/swim never legal if warnings were given, or is it a new law? Wynn

They finally stopped the warnings and started writing up the half-wits who anchor well inside the 150ft markers at the West Alton sandbar. The next day, I walked over and warned a couple boaters who were starting to set up shop there again. Too bad they didn't pay it forward. The pontoon that came in behind them got ticketed an hour later.

I was sitting at my dock in Alton Bay waiting for the fireworks to start on the 12th when I saw MP heading out at headway speed just before Sandy Point. Said to my wife, that guy coming in looks awfully close from here.

Yup. Lights come on. Paperwork is exchanged.

They are doing their job.

They were at WAM sandbar today and said nothing about the multiple 150' violations and said nothing about the multiple 25' violations. The inconsistency bothers me. Busy days or not, week days or not - you never know when they come idling through whether they will act or ignore.

They did warn and move the nice family anchored right in the middle of the WAM channel though. After MP left, the boat moved and anchored closer to shore, still in the channel......They left not long after.

It's been a law/rule for a long time, the enforcement is unpredictable. Search this forum for "no rafting zone". Lots of discussions...

Big reason for avoiding the crowds.
 

I don't know how many times it has happen to me, I arrive early and find a great spot either at WAM or Braun Bay, only to find others crowd me in. I will tell the others to move or get a ticket! It never fails, when the marine patrol arrives, I am the one that is at fault and I have to move or get ticket.

It is disappointing that MP would not ask who came last, and that others would not acknowledge that they arrived later.

A MP officer that would like to be helpful and educate would at least attempt to figure out who the offenders were. Others may not step up (shame) but the officer should try. In addition to educating, this would also introduce goodwill.

Spot On !!

Soon after I anchor at a sand bar, I make a 360 degree video with my phone showing how far I am from all the other boats and I state the day and time while I am recording. Thus far, I have never had to use it. Having a video should make your interaction with the MP work out better for you of you do the same.

Great idea Dave -

But as you say, you have never had to use it .....

Wonder if they would even bother to look at it -- or simply stay intent on their original decision to move you.

.

Is this 25' rule only on Winnie, because on Squam and Winnisquam it happens all the time. Especially at the sand bar on Winnisquam.

25' rule
 

is in force throughout NH. Because of all the bickering and politics on Winnipesaukee there is zero tolerance. Not a problem on other waterways, in fact it is encourage,

To my knowledge, the sandbar on Winnisquam is not a designated No Rafting Zone .... thus no hassles.

As Broadhopper points out -- due to a lot of "Politics & Bickering" a lot of the older & popular sandbars on Winni were redesignated NRZ's throughout the past 5-10 years ... it started with Braun Bay. There is only one major sandbar that I am aware of that has not been converted ---- YET ...... and if you don't know where it is -- I ain't sharing :)


.

Not sure what you mean by 'zero tolerance'. I see MP ignore 25' violations quite often. Yesterday would be the most recent.

But they had the right to be there, correct? :look:

Yes, like I said in my post.....

I have a right to tread water, alone in the middle of Wolfeboro bay on a busy 4th of July, does not make it smart to do so. I could easily end up dead, right or not.

Laws cannot prevent all stupid behavior or decisions. Legal activity may not be smart or safe activity. Personal decisions and accountability still come in to play.

I personally would not float around in a kayak at a fireworks show in the middle Wolfeboro Bay. I would think it was a good way to invite trouble. If someone else thought it was a good idea, well this is their decision. I guess they can except the results. Of course, they might attempt a law suit.

I think it was 3-kayaks in Wolfeboro during the private fireworks display. Thanks to the gentleman that announced on CH16 that they were there with very dim headlamps.

Imho
 

Treading water alone in the middle of Wolfeboro Bay could be the result of accident, misadventure, collision, capsize, or ejection—especially on a 4th of July. "Legal" need not apply—because it could cost you in Civil Court.

Assume nothing—maintain a proper watch—night or day.

:look:

Yeah, I suppose that is a good rule to live by - but back to the point it would really be very selfish for someone to make a conscience decision that very much increases the chance of putting someone else in such a potentially tragic and life-ruining scenario - even if they did not happen to care all that much for their own well being.

The point you may have missed is that it would not be smart (although legal) to do it intentionally. The captain who hits you may be at fault in civil or criminal court, but still.....

Of course, every captain needs to always keep an active lookout.

Legal—Not Smart—But There It Is...
 

Monday, just 300' from my dock, five new renters swam out about 600', and paddled around. (First picture).

About ten minutes later, four had headed to shore, leaving just "Mom". (Extreme right in second picture).

When "Mom" returned to shore, a lone Donzi came by and just stared down at the woman who'd been in his path just seconds earlier.
(Third picture).

Yes, swimmers are hard to see, even in calm waters—in broad daylight.

:look:

.

I'm amazed at how stupid people are.

I have to agree. I always cringe when I see people swimming out in the middle. You just cannot see them.

Same thing happened to me Wednesday morning when I was coming in to the Glenadale docks to go to work. Two swimmers swimming from Belknap point to Varney point. Luckily I have good eyesight and spotted them in plenty of time to slow down, my wife who was with never saw them. They had black wetsuits on and blue caps. :cool: Very hard to see!

Dan

I'm glad that I'm not a neighbor of Aps. Posting images (and video tapes) on local forums of your neighbors (or their renters) activities whether legal or illegal is somewhat disturbing.
Maybe your neighbor who rents their home should post a sign that says: "Warning, you may be video taped of your activities and they could be posted on the internet".

Not me, not anymore.

I agree and have removed pictures like this in the past when the people or boat were clearly identifiable. In this case the swimmers are just dots and no one can tell who they are.

I was surprised by a pair of swimmers more than 1/4 mile away from shore on a choppy and cloudy day a few years ago in Alton Bay. They were incredibly hard to see. Since then, I have learned to keep a sharp lookout dead ahead for stuff low in the water; I don't want to be the guy that runs over a swimmer, stupid or not. That habit paid of handsomely last week when I was dodging all kinds of flotsam on the Hudson River. That's a river that you could never safely navigate at speed, at night. Saw some really big stuff floating on it.

APS, what is the point of this post? That people swim in the lake, or that people own Donzi's and that make of boat is bad?

Baseball Caps on Backwards...?
 

At the time Camp Wyanoke closed in 1975, they had perhaps two dozen canoes. The Camp had keen insight into boating—several directors of maintenance/waterfront/aquatics—even to being overprotective. Each canoe was regularly painted dark green.

What has happened since 1975 to make canoes hard to see?

In your case I would say old age.

Too funny
 

Best comeback I've seen in a while.:laugh::laugh:

"Can't See Kayaks"? Vision Test Next?
 

Sorry, I don't know (member) Rusty. I'll just have to forgive his inexperience in boating matters. :D

From my observations from the dock—and from my boats—I agree that towing six kids is a moving hazard. New Hampshire should revert to the original RSA, before we have still another NH law named after the victim(s).

Frequently, one kid will be thrown off in a turn, that kid's tube-partner may fall-off 50 feet later. A third kid will roll off to be picked up with the other two, and still others will stay behind the towing boat. By the time the turn is made, there are kids strung out over 300-500 feet—what's the observer to do?

:confused:

Even with the 150-foot rule—and in the relative expanse of Lake Winnipesaukee—there are too many other boaters unable to grasp the need of watching for such tiny "hazards".

Isn't it scary that canoes are included in objects boaters "can't see"?

:eek2:

That's the problem
 

The scenario you cite is exactly what I observed with the guy towing 5 kids who looked like pre-teens and younger. When a few flew off they wound up scattered across the bay in front of Sandy Point. It took the driver some time to go back and pick up 3 or 4 kids who were more than 150 feet apart. If anyone was coming around Sandy Point they would not have had a lot of time to react to seeing small heads bobbing in the drink. It seems the driver preferred being out in the middle of the channel rather than staying closer to the western shore where the traffic is much lighter. Must be related to the slalom skier down this way who always likes to drop her ski near the mouth of Sandy Point cove instead of near the western shoreline.