M/S Mount Washington: The biggest wake of all?
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Enjoying the Lake. No speed limit needed!
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With the House scheduled to take up the boat speed limit bill targeting Lake Winnipesaukee tomorrow, a regular ‘Grok reader submitted the following:
I’m a little surprised that it is taking so long for the NH Legislature to pass the boating speed limit law. This cast of characters seems to put a high priority in passing new laws that strip NH citizens of their freedoms. What’s next? Will it be safety belt laws, helmet laws, Big Mac hamburgers, alcohol, carbon limits, or whatever else they can think of? No matter what’s your pleasure in life, sooner or later they’re coming after you..It would be one thing if the need for a boating speed limit would actually change any of the problems they claim exist. There are zero facts to support that speeding boats are a problem on the lake but I suppose if you say it enough times it becomes the perceived truth. In a recent lengthy tome in the Citizen newspaper, a writer claims that speeding boaters were deterred by officials all over the lake with radar guns. In reality, the officials confined themselves to just few spots. I would be very surprised if many boaters even knew about or witnessed any officials clocking their speed.
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It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the boating volume has been significantly reduced. Most people, even those with money, aren’t in the mood to blaze up and down the lake burning up fuel at nearly $4.00 a gallon. You could simply ask any marina that sells boat gas how their fuel sales were last year..Seriously, if this was about safety then facts show that the legislature should pass a law making it illegal to swim or jump from a boat. A few minutes of research would prove that nearly all boating fatalities occurred when boaters were swimming from their boats. If this was about shore line erosion then they would outlaw big cabin cruisers that put up a huge wake at slow cruising speeds. Unfortunately, I don’t expect the current NH Legislature to make any decisions based on facts. It’s far easier to pass meaningless feel good laws that allow them to pat themselves on the back and claim they did something. It would actually require competence to tackle the difficult REAL issues that concern NH residents– Something this legislature is seriously lacking!.T. StewartGilford, NH
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