Bill would allow 'switchable exhausts' on boats

[Coastal Laker]

I have a 26' Chaparral cuddy; it's not an obnoxious boat. When switched to "loud," for lack of a better term, it doesn't sound obnoxious or even remotely close to annoying. It has a nice rumble to it. I'm thrilled that I can now switch to quiet when coming into a marina at night or other area where people would appreciate me switching to "quiet" and not get in trouble for trying to be considerate.

I've actually gone the last few years with the system disabled because of the law. Now I am going to use it the way it was intended to be used. I will be enjoying it during the day as I have been but coming in quietly to marinas at night.

I don't understand why some people just assume the masses are reckless with poor intentions. I think there are more people like me than not.

[VtSteve]

Originally Posted by Coastal Laker

I have a 26' Chaparral cuddy; it's not an obnoxious boat. When switched to "loud," for lack of a better term, it doesn't sound obnoxious or even remotely close to annoying. It has a nice rumble to it. I'm thrilled that I can now switch to quiet when coming into a marina at night or other area where people would appreciate me switching to "quiet" and not get in trouble for trying to be considerate.

I've actually gone the last few years with the system disabled because of the law. Now I am going to use it the way it was intended to be used. I will be enjoying it during the day as I have been but coming in quietly to marinas at night.

I don't understand why some people just assume the masses are reckless with poor intentions. I think there are more people like me than not.

There are quite a few like you CL, wish there were more, but not bad.

When you have people that want everyone to like what they like or else, then you have issues. I live next to someone that likes complete silence 24/7. He's a hoot for sure. If I had a loud boat, I'd certainly be overly sensitive to the noise, and probably take it out less because of it. At least with the switchable exhaust you can do exactly like you do, and quiet it down at the channel, at night, coming into and leaving a dock.

It's a common courtesy that those that hat the switchable exhaust would never extend to you. My boat is very quiet, and not overly fast. But I still get sneers and even the infamous bird from blowboaters. I smile and wave, a real wave. If you read enough of these threads, you can certainly pick out the attitudes.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Coastal Laker

When switched to "loud," for lack of a better term...

No better term exists.

Originally Posted by VtSteve

I live next to someone that likes complete silence 24/7. He's a hoot for sure.

Then I don't think it's a good idea to take the muffler off, and run your lawnmower at night!

Originally Posted by Coastal Laker

I don't understand why some people just assume the masses are reckless with poor intentions. I think there are more people like me than not.

1) "Switchable Exhausts" are clearly in the minority. Why anyone would draw from their discretionary funds, to enable extra noise is very unclear to me. Too much money?

2) The masses are heard very well by those who are lakeside. As another has written on these pages: "I love the sound of my own horn".

3) For 30,000 years, Lake Winnipesaukee has been silent. No matter how "enjoyable" one's noise-pollution may seem, why would anyone with good intentions, change that primordial image of Lake Winnipesaukee for everyone else?

Originally Posted by Coastal Laker

I've actually gone the last few years with the system disabled because of the law. Now I am going to use it the way it was intended to be used. I will be enjoying it during the day as I have been but coming in quietly to marinas at night.

That's just fine for your neighbors, but what about those who are not your neighbors?

[VtSteve]

It's nice to have some peace and quiet once in awhile for sure. Weekdays on the lake are fairly subdued no? There were probably 4 dozen boats that passed in front of my house here on the broad lake in Champlain yesterday, probably a new record. A small Hobie Cat nearly ran into me yesterday near the beach. I was at anchor Good thing those boats can tack quickly.

Personally, I think the switchable exhaust is a win-win situation. In fact, if more people that had them used them when appropriate, it would alleviate some of the closed quarter noise in channels, at night at the docks, and similar situations.

Yes, there are boats that are noisy when running on plane, some more so than others. When you're on a larger lake, not everyone is going to be happy all the time. Heck, many problems occur on small lakes with slower speeds due to congestion. You have to pick your happy medium of tolerance.


Acres per Second

1) "Switchable Exhausts" are clearly in the minority. Why anyone would draw from their discretionary funds, to enable extra noise is very unclear to me. Too much money?

2) The masses are heard very well by those who are lakeside. As another has written on these pages: "I love the sound of my own horn".

3) For 30,000 years, Lake Winnipesaukee has been silent. No matter how "enjoyable" one's noise-pollution may seem, why would anyone with good intentions, change that primordial image of Lake Winnipesaukee for everyone else?

In number 1 You relate Switchable Exhausts to "enable extra noise". It's not only an irrational statement, but inaccurate as well. Yes, there are smaller boats that have engines perfectly capable of using underwater exhausts. In some cases, these small boats offer the switchable exhausts as an option. Not my cup of tea, and doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Having a noisy 23' bowrider just never appealed to me, nor a noisy wakeboard boat, etc.. It's the larger boats with engines that require different exhausts where the Switchable option is a good choice.

#2 Not my cup of tea either, but many like it, and some do want to draw attention to themselves. Surprise surprise, people are different all over.

#3 There's never common ground for those that want to return to yesteryear, versus those that accept some degree of change. Be that cottages to houses, small boats to larger boats, and the inevitable sailors versus the world discussions. There were no race tracks or loud crazy cars 30,000 years ago either. No airplanes, no Mount, not much of anything. Imagine how the people that live close to your racetrack feel about the noise, the ones that lived there before it was built.

Your all or nothing approach will never work, as it always revolves around your personal interests only. That's never been how the world works, even well before engines of any time period.