Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave R
While I think your argument is silly; lets say, hypothetically speaking, these "group B" motor boaters suddenly arrive at Winnipesaukee now that they feel it's safe. Now we have a bunch of people who admittedly could not handle the lake before, roaming around feelin' all safe and secure, without a care in world. . . . If your goal really is to attract "group B" motor boaters (I don't believe it is, BTW) and you are successful, you are in for a huge shock. "Group B" motor boaters ARE the problem. Anyone that can't be bothered to understand what's really happening on the lake is too clueless to boat safely. People who are scared of the lake SHOULD stay away, it's an unforgiving place and the nature of it has nothing to do with the style or brand of boats on it.
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Why to you think my argument is is "silly"?
My “goal” is and has been just to support a lake speed limit bill because I honestly believe that allowing unlimited speeds on lakes is a very dangerous practice. It has never been my goal to exclude any type of boat from using our lakes, nor has it ever been my goal to attract any type of boat.
There are two groups that have formed because of HB847:
Group A: those in opposition – main argument is that they should being able to travel at unlimited speeds on the lake – and that a speed limit would violate their rights. This group is not exclusive to just high-speed boat owners.
Group B: those in support – most of whom believe that unlimited speeds are dangerous – the high speeds of some boats currently make the lake feel unsafe. This group is not exclusive to just paddlers and sailors.
Just because someone feels that high speeds that some boats travel have made the lake too dangerous, does not mean that they are inexperienced, can not “handle the lake”, or that they are “scared of the lake”. I’m very experienced, I can “handle the lake” just fine, and I’m not “scared of the lake” – but I’ve seen how dangerous it can be to allow boats to travel at unlimited speeds.
I don’t believe that the passage of HB847 into law will result in a mass exodus of power boaters. But even if that does happen, I think that an equal number of boaters will replace them pretty fast.
Do I feel that all power boaters are a threat to me? No; of course not. But some are a threat due to their inexperience, their lack of attention, and/or to their drinking. Having boats traviling at high speeds on a lake that is shared by much slower, much smaller boats is dangerous. Adding high speed to inexperience, lack of attention, and BWI creates an extremely dangerous environment.
A speed limit will not solve all the problems, but I do honestly believe that it will make the lake safer. Last spring, when I asked two marine patrol officers at NHTI what they thought about HB847, they eventually both admitted that they wanted it to pass, and that they saw a speed limit as "an effective tool”.