Speed Limit test zones dead in the water!

[bbarrell]

Originally Posted by KonaChick

Where are the boats he was racing? Was the end result an accident like in the video clip? Just showing a random picture of a boat in choppy water in Wolfboro catching air doesn't relate to that video at all. Sorry but all you're "reminding" me of is how choppy lake winni can be at times!!

You are correct KonaChick.......I WAS ON the boat when the pic was taken, choppy day going about 50 mph with the trim up. We were not racing, in the 25 years I've been on Lake Winni I've never been in a 'boat race'. So I wish the speed limit supporters would quit putting up this picture and trying to claim we were speeding or racing.....because we weren't. It's simply another day on the lake enjoying the ride. We were away from the shore and probably 500 feet from any other boat. Not breaking any laws or even going fast. This is a perfect example of how perception IS NOT reality.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Originally Posted by bbarrell

It's simply another day on the lake enjoying the ride. We were away from the shore and probably 500 feet from any other boat. Not breaking any laws or even going fast. This is a perfect example of how perception IS NOT reality.

We are on the broads side of RSI and can testify that after many many observations of boats going by, there seems to be an almost universal correlation between the speed of the boats and the distance they keep from shore and other boats. It must be a matter of human instinct since it seems so universally observed. My rough estimation is that less than 5 percent of boats above 40MPH are racing. It does happen and we do enjoy it. Even the racing boats are 200-300+ feet apart. Much more likely to see 150 rule violations on boats below 40MPH.

We also see boats with what seems like barley more than the prop in the water quite routinely. Looks like fun. Wish my boat could do that. The rougher the water the more likely the boats will ride a bit higher. We have observed that boats don't have to be going especially fast for them to get air. (I know some on the forum would say that above 30 is fast, to them I would say, yes it was above 30)

I would also say that the thing that seems to slow a fast boat most is if rough water lifts the prop too high. Most don't seem to want to risk the investment if the boat is not properly engaged with the water. I don't know if it's concern over control or lack of load on the prop but it does seem to be the natural limit the lake puts on everyone.

I find the operators of the boats going fast past our place to be paying much better attention to what's going on than the average boater. Out of self preservation they seem to avoid the unpredictable things in front of them.

[Phantom]

Kewl Pic-- bbarrell

Wish someone could snap one off of our boat like that !!

Damn, ours is only a bowrider, probably wouldn't look all that great anyway