Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...We have no life history or point of reference on what is bad about a big boat.
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Just yesterday, a lone "express cruiser" left my area at about 25-MPH, creating a wake that shook my permanent dock (with me on it), and soaked the shoreline.
A cruiser towing a skier once knocked my small boat on its transom: opening the throttle only slowed my backwards plunge to a full swamping. Since then, I see what's bad about big boats every summer weekend, if not every summer day.
With gas prices slowing down the big boats, it's only going to get worse; moreover, their appetite for gas will keep demand for marina gasoline—and marina gas prices—high. What does that do for middle-America's family boater?
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...Any safety issue is very tenuous and hard for non-boaters to grasp...There are no obvious victims..."
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That's The Problem: cruisers leave an unsafe—and anonymous—calling card behind in their wake!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...It directly bans a very popular boating community..."
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But not as popular as "Middle America's"
family boating community....
This advertisement caught my eye:
1) It has a dog featured (always catchy), and a catchy caption.
2) It's sponsored by NAMMI—a boat-manufacturer's association.
3) NAMMI bemoans that Americans are leaving boating in droves, and offers a "Discover Boating" Compact Disk, free of charge.
(Discover boating? )
Caption: "Dogs Need Weekends, too". 
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...It will not have the support of the lake industry..."
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At one time, having tobacco smoke in restaurants was
all the rage. (Pardon the expression.
)
Fay's would probably like to see the wake-makers
phased out. (Pardon the expression.
)
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...A Winnipesaukee size limit would naturally have to apply to all smaller lakes, so this affects everyone..."
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The serious wake-makers aren't going to small lakes: they're going to move to the ocean, where they are the more appropriate vessel.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...No restaurant chain will dare offend such a huge, rich customer base..."
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It would be terrible to offend the rich by doing the right thing.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...The vast majority of boaters will reject it, because we all dream of getting a bigger boat someday.
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You're dreaming if you think that gasoline prices (much less gasoline availability)
won't determine the size of future boat wakes. There will be more wake issues as the gas-guzzlers slow down.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jrc
"...I don't think a big boat ban will go anywhere.
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Lakewater quality, the raised consciousness of the Winnipesaukee boater, serious injuries, shoreline erosion, other wake damages, and subsequent wake headlines on this
residential lake will determine that.