Marine Patrol deals with fewer officers, more boats

[RailroadJoe]

WClarke I think you are a dreamer.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

WClarke I think you are a dreamer.

The speed limit has done nothing to make the lake any safer. The whole safety thing stems from lack of courtesy and respect for both other boaters and the laws. 150 foot rule, excessive noise and BWI are the things that speed limits have and will do nothing to prevent.
The only thing that has made the lake appear to be somewhat safer is the economy’s effect on boating. Less boaters out, plus less boaters that are out are traveling very far due to the cost.
As I remember the proponents of the speed limit came up with 7% of the boaters on the lake being the cause of all the problems and saying that is about the number of boaters who will be affected by the speed limit. We were at all the hearings and that is exactly what was said.
Now if you believe that a law that affects 7% of all the boaters, which totals in the thousands, on the lake is going to have a drastic impact on boating safety then you are out of your mind.
Just sit outside the Weirs or for that matter ANY town dock and watch all the weekend warriors; unless you are blind you will see what total chaos is.
This does not apply to all boaters, but a good majority of them from what we have seen over the years. Boater etiquette is almost none existent on Winnipesaukee.

[Lakegeezer]

Having seen how laws are purchased changed my attitude towards the value of law enforcement. I learned that they are paid, in part, to enforce what the 1% dictate. My experiences with the Marine Patrol have been nothing but positive, but I find myself feeling a bit glad that their budget has been cut. That way, they are forced to prioritize. Hopefully, their focus will be on true safety issues and less on the laws with questionable linage and value.