Kayaks in Meredith Bay

[Bear Islander]

Originally Posted by Seaplane Pilot

I used the highway comparison/analogy strictly from a common sense point of view. Obviously someone at some bureaucratic level felt it necessary to restrict bikes, horses and the like from these roadways for specific reasons, but the fundamental reason was that they felt it was dangerous. Which is exactly my point. What is so wrong with requiring a kayak to have a flag for visibility? Same reason that lights are required by any vessel (motorized or non-motorized) at night - so they can be seen by other boaters. These kayaks are difficult to see on sunny days and/or in choppy water. Therefore, they should be required to do something that improves their visibility to other boaters.

If a power boater can't see a 17' kayak why would they be able to see a 1' flag? And a flag will clearly make it at least a little harder to right an overturned kayak. People down in kayaks quite regularly.

I will agree that anybody that goes out in a navy blue kayak wearing a navy blue life jacket is a moron. However there are many ways to increase conspicuity other than flags.

Kayaks do not not have the same right to be anywhere on the lake that power boats do. They have MORE right to be on the lake than power boats. If there really is a safety conflict between power boats and kayaks it is the power boat that needs to be restricted.

[Seaplane Pilot]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

If a power boater can't see a 17' kayak why would they be able to see a 1' flag? And a flag will clearly make it at least a little harder to right an overturned kayak. People down in kayaks quite regularly.

I will agree that anybody that goes out in a navy blue kayak wearing a navy blue life jacket is a moron. However there are many ways to increase conspicuity other than flags.

Kayaks do not not have the same right to be anywhere on the lake that power boats do. They have MORE right to be on the lake than power boats. If there really is a safety conflict between power boats and kayaks it is the power boat that needs to be restricted.

Why do they have MORE right to be on the lake than power boats? Sorry, I'm sticking to my argument that kayakers have some burden to make themselves visible to other boaters. I don't believe they have the majority of burden, but they should have some. A kayak sits just inches above the water, and is arguably difficult to see due to a number of factors. A flag, on the other hand, would sit feet above the water and would be required to be of a color visible from a distance. I think hunter orange would be an appropriate color for a flag.

Speaking of hunters, maybe we could use that as an analogy as well. The State mandates that hunters wear orange so they can be seen, even though common sense would say that they would wear it regardless. Why is the argument with kayaks any different? I just don't understand all of the resistance to something so simple, yet so beneficial. Could it be that kayakers don't like the State breathing down their backs and imposing rules? I wonder???

[RailroadJoe]

Hunters in New Hampshire DO NOT need to wear orange. Only in good old Massachusetts is it mandatory.