Hb 847 Meeting In Concord.

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by EricP

. . . This transaltes to congestion, not speed as a problem. That's why she's afraid to teach people to ski, to many boats at certain times so you adjust your pattern. Simple solution.

Congestion is certainly a factor. But it is not the only factor. My best friend and I have only kayaked on Winni during the week – yet we have had close calls with high-speed boats in the middle of the week – when congestion was not a factor at all.

The 150' rule is probably our best safety measure by far, and this is the first year that boating certification is mandatory so I think we should let it bake, it's been demonstrated time and again that NH is a safe state to boat in with our current laws and there's no need to change that.

The 150 foot rule hasn’t protected me from people who were going faster than their ability. Boats have violated my 150 foot zone just because they were going too fast.

Another guy spoke to the fear of kayaking across the broads. I liked his analogy. He stated he has a 38 foot boat but you won't see him driving it to China. It's not safe. Same goes for kayaking in the broads on a weekend when there's a lot of traffic, it's just not safe.

Winni is not all that big. It’s only 20 miles long – and there’s only about 2 square miles of the entire lake where you can be more than a mile from a shoreline. The only reason that it is not safe for me is because there are boats that are traveling too fast. My sea kayak is made for large bodies of water. I have safely kayaked out in the middle of Squam on the busiest weekends of the summer – because it has a speed limit.

Now if someone, like Evenstar, has good skills and wants to kayak in the broads, then you have to understand the risks and compensate for them. Like someone else here suggested, put a flag on the bow or stern so it's easier to see you. It's perfectly legal to walk down Meredith Neck Road at midnight on a cloudy weekend night in the Summer, but if I were to do so I's understand that it could be dangerous and wear something light in color, maybe even reflective or carry a flashlight so I am visible. It's not required but I ain't no dummy! Safety goes both ways. When you engage in something you know could be risky you make sure you account for it. It's so crazy to scream "I want a law" rather than to accept some personal responsibility for our endeavors.

How many times do I have to explain this?

Why don’t you people stick to what you know?

A sea kayak is long and narrow. My kayak is only 22 inches wide! I control it with thigh braces . . . and by leaning (which is called “putting it on edge”). Paddling a sea kayak is a constant balancing act.
A flag that would be large enough and tall enough to actually make a difference in my visibility would make my kayak very unstable – and it would make my kayak practically impossible to steer in even a moderate breeze, since it would make my kayak like a weathervane.

My kayak is very visible – its upper hull is bright red and its lower hull is white. My friend’s kayak it bright yellow. My paddle blades are bright orange and my PFD is red.

We are extremely visible!

Yet some high speed boats have still violated our 150 foot zone – in the middle of a sunny afternoon – because they were going too fast and they didn’t see us in time. That is the problem.

In decent visibility I can spot most other kayaks up to a mile away – but I’m only going about 5 mph.

I bought an expensive sea kayak because I wanted a kayak that was safe to use out on large lakes and on coastal waters - my kayak was designed expecially for this. I carry safety equipment with me and wear the proper clothing for the water temperature. I have taken seminars on advanced paddling and on coastal navigation. I have done everything possible to ensure my safety.

I'm "screaming" because, no matter how skilled I am, or how prepared I am, or how visible my kayak and I are . . . high speed boaters have endangered me on Winni - because they were going too fast!

This is not about me being unsafe or doing unsafe things - this is about high speed boat operators who will not slow down to a safe speed without the state enacting a speed limit.