Wakesurfing legislation call to action

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

To be a little unbiased/balanced. It’s not just property values.
It’s businesses too. And those businesses do draw people to spend money in NH.
And increase demand for property.
The boat dealers argument was if you do this everyone would pack up and leave.
Which was of course BS.
.

Can you be sure that the wakeboats with the loud stereos do not decrease the demand for property? If a renter on the lake listens to 2 hours of bad music every day of their vacation, blasted across miles, with waves washing up on shore, will they rush to come back?

Originally Posted by lakewinnie

So I have a question on the proposed House Bill - is the 250 foot setback only applicable to the nearest land/shore, or would it also apply to other boats (i.e., would it supersede the 150 foot rule for the wakeboard boat)?

I don't know the answer to this but if it is also 250 feet from other boats then what happens when a regular boat with a 150 foot restriction gets within 250 feet of a wakeboat? Who is the violator?

I can't see how that could become an enforceable law.

[lakewinnie]

I should have looked this up before my previous post. The following language is in House Bill 1071:

"Any boat underway for wake surfing on inland waters shall maintain a minimum distance of 250 feet from the shore, docks, and other boats"

TiltonBB's question is a good one with regard to distance from other boats - how do you enforce it?

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Can you be sure that the wakeboats with the loud stereos do not decrease the demand for property? If a renter on the lake listens to 2 hours of bad music every day of their vacation, blasted across miles, with waves washing up on shore, will they rush to come back?

I don't know the answer to this but if it is also 250 feet from other boats then what happens when a regular boat with a 150 foot restriction gets within 250 feet of a wakeboat? Who is the violator?

I can't see how that could become an enforceable law.

The Wake boat impede 100 feet before changing direction to navigate away from the known violation.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

The Wake boat impede 100 feet before changing direction to navigate away from the known violation.

You seem to be an expert on most things so please explain this.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

You seem to be an expert on most things so please explain this.

If the law is enacted and you are operating a wake boat... you must either adjust course to maintain the 250 feet or cut your throttle. This is regardless of whatever anyone else does.
If I am operating a boat, not a wake boat, and approach you directly... as we encroach on the 250 foot mark... you must act. I need not change anything in direction or throttle until I reach 150 feet from you.

If we both reach 150 feet without a change in course or cutting the throttle, you have impeded 100 feet into your legally required safe zone... broke the law... and are subject to fine. I will not have done anything illegal until I break the 150 foot safety zone required of me.

[chachee52]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

If the law is enacted and you are operating a wake boat... you must either adjust course to maintain the 250 feet or cut your throttle. This is regardless of whatever anyone else does.
If I am operating a boat, not a wake boat, and approach you directly... as we encroach on the 250 foot mark... you must act. I need not change anything in direction or throttle until I reach 150 feet from you.

If we both reach 150 feet without a change in course or cutting the throttle, you have impeded 100 feet into your legally required safe zone... broke the law... and are subject to fine. I will not have done anything illegal until I break the 150 foot safety zone required of me.

Is this true? I have always been under the impression that if a boat is towing a skier than I have to (maybe its just should) heed to them if they are on a straight path within reason. If they are tubing zig-zagging around than right of way should win. Maybe I've just been too nice out on the water. I have been swamped by throttling down when approaching another boat within 150' only for them to fly past me within 20 ft.
Also I know that the surfboarding community already used the "they aren't towing anyone" thing for the surfing at night and that NH did change the wording of that rule to include wake surfing. so I am including them in the towing community still.

[John Mercier]

The boat flying past you at 20 feet would be violating the current law. When new law is enacted, all previous legislation is considered amended.

As it currently stands, the wake boat could pass within 150 feet of a non-motorized craft like a kayak, canoe, or paddle board and swamp them... but still be legal in their operation.

But the question was how it could be enforced? Not whether it was prudent based on any existing precedent.

Operators tend to heed ROW under logical terms... the legal requirement is NH RSA 270-D:2
It does not provide a special provision for towing except ''Starting skiers from shore, docks or floats, as long as neither the boat nor the skier is endangering the life or safety of any person.''; which is the provision that keeps boats at least 150 feet from others and shore.

[Alton Bay]

It seems this law covers a large amount of the responsibility of any boat driver or boat

270-D:2
VI. (a) To provide full visibility and control and to prevent their wake from being thrown into or causing excessive rocking to other boats, barges, water skiers, aquaplanes or other boats, rafts or floats, all vessels shall maintain headway speed when within 150 feet from:
(1) Rafts, floats, swimmers.
(2) Permitted swimming areas.
(3) Shore.
(4) Docks.
(5) Mooring fields.
(6) Other vessels.

[John Mercier]

As long as they stay 150 feet away... but it does not remove responsibility from the towing vessel to also try to maintain the 150 feet.
The earlier part of it lays out the ROW that every boat is to act upon... nothing specifically exempts a boat in tow from acting outside that.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Alton Bay

It seems this law covers a large amount of the responsibility of any boat driver or boat

270-D:2
VI. (a) To provide full visibility and control and to prevent their wake from being thrown into or causing excessive rocking to other boats, barges, water skiers, aquaplanes or other boats, rafts or floats, all vessels shall maintain headway speed when within 150 feet from:
(1) Rafts, floats, swimmers.
(2) Permitted swimming areas.
(3) Shore.
(4) Docks.
(5) Mooring fields.
(6) Other vessels.

It would be nice if this rule was followed.