Paddle boarder struck by pontoon boat

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Originally Posted by John Mercier

I don't think EKAL is going to change launch locations.
And I doubt that paddle boarders would accept another location easily.

The public space is simply the public space, with non-motorized having ROW.
The fact that traffic has increased is problematic, but traffic... especially motorized could quickly fade.

Non-motorized users are a more steady stream of income... they aren't likely to zip across the lake to other dining/shopping outlets.

Well EKAL can simply live with the bad press if problems continue,,,

As for ROW, that does little heal the injured that will surly continue to occur if you continue mix such extreme levels of watercraft in that same space.

And regarding "Non-motorized users are a more steady stream of income" I could not disagree more, Meredith is a destination. Clearly you spend little time on the water at the Meredith docks. Even during the week its tough to get a spot to dock for your boat without some wait, and boaters go there for shopping and food and they wait and they spend. I seriously doubt Non-motorized users spend even a fraction of what the power boaters spend in Meredith.

And finally, regarding "motorized could quickly fade" no idea what you base that on. During the height of the pandemic, I struggled to get dock space in Meredith during the middle of the week, and its not getting better as the pandemic restrictions are being rolled back. Last week we were quoted a 1 hour wait for lunch at one of the restaurants close to the dock location and it was evident that many there were boaters. In the last year we recorded record boat sales and this year you cant even get one as there is very little inventory. Formula is currently telling people to put orders in now for next years delivery or risk not getting one and they are running at full capacity.

This challenge of boaters and paddle boarders both operating in the close quarters of public dock space will not get better until towns make better and safer locations available to paddle boarders. Well not until someone invents deflector shields,,,