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Resident 2B · 08-27-2006, 07:33 PM

The news stories about boating on our lake and the speed limit debate was mentioned many times on various Boston TV news broadcasts. It characterized the lake as a dangerous place to be, loaded with boats going 70 or more MPH, all being operated by boaters with little regard for the safety of others. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but stories like this attract the attention of viewers and that is the news game!

Having boated in the ocean for many years prior to relocating my boating to Lake Winnipesaukee, I can assure everyone that the boating on our lake is very passive when compared to the boating in the Boston inner and outer harbors and most other harbors, rips and channels along the New England coast.

As I watched the Boston news reports and the biased exposure they gave to the people pushing for the speed limit, I was very suprised that the Boston TV stations did not make some comparision to local coastal boating, using boaters that had experience in both waters. Then again, if they did, the whole story would have evaporated, as the story then would not attract the viewers or sell the news.

How much effect this has had on the one-week vacationer is unknown to me. However, the traffic seems to be off considerably, and the value of the one-week vacationer to the local businesses is considerable. I believe this inaccurate news was and continues to be a significant contributor to the smaller number of vacationers this summer and I feel something has to be done to address the realities of boating on the lake and to help address this lost business.

I boat out of the Weirs area in a slower bow rider, I own lake front property and I do not rent it, so smaller crowds are not a problem to me. I do feel badly for those people that work hard to make a living in the tourist industry and support the needs of those who spend time at the lake.

R2B

08-27-2006, 07:33 PM	#59
Resident 2B Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Shore, MA Posts: 1,358 Thanks: 996 Thanked 314 Times in 164 Posts	Boston News The news stories about boating on our lake and the speed limit debate was mentioned many times on various Boston TV news broadcasts. It characterized the lake as a dangerous place to be, loaded with boats going 70 or more MPH, all being operated by boaters with little regard for the safety of others. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but stories like this attract the attention of viewers and that is the news game! Having boated in the ocean for many years prior to relocating my boating to Lake Winnipesaukee, I can assure everyone that the boating on our lake is very passive when compared to the boating in the Boston inner and outer harbors and most other harbors, rips and channels along the New England coast. As I watched the Boston news reports and the biased exposure they gave to the people pushing for the speed limit, I was very suprised that the Boston TV stations did not make some comparision to local coastal boating, using boaters that had experience in both waters. Then again, if they did, the whole story would have evaporated, as the story then would not attract the viewers or sell the news. How much effect this has had on the one-week vacationer is unknown to me. However, the traffic seems to be off considerably, and the value of the one-week vacationer to the local businesses is considerable. I believe this inaccurate news was and continues to be a significant contributor to the smaller number of vacationers this summer and I feel something has to be done to address the realities of boating on the lake and to help address this lost business. I boat out of the Weirs area in a slower bow rider, I own lake front property and I do not rent it, so smaller crowds are not a problem to me. I do feel badly for those people that work hard to make a living in the tourist industry and support the needs of those who spend time at the lake. R2B