Speed limits on lakes?
 

With all of the buzz surrounding about a proposed speed limit, 45mph/day and 25mph/night, in New England on some of our best boating lakes I figured I'd see what the rest of you around the country though.

Thanks for your time and opinions.

Adam

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

if i wanted speed limits i would just drive a car all the time, much cheaper than boating....

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

The best speed limit is basic common sense.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

It really depends on the lake. One bigger lakes I don't see the need. But on smaller lakes then I might not object to a reasonable speed limit - say 150 MPH :)

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I agree, 150 is a good limit for small lakes, you know anything under 5 acres!

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

A speed limit during the day is ridiculous, it should be based on common sense. I do believe a speed limit at night is a good idea, it might cut down on late nite run overs!!!

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

you know it's a tough question to answer when you consider the viewpoint of other people that use the lake. There is a lake in California called Elsinor, it's a nasty lake that is a murky green and smells funny but they have a great system. There is an outer ring to the lake about 100 feet wide that has a 45 MPH speed limit. The middle of the lake has no speed limit. I think this situation provides safety and comfprt for everyone on the lake, if you want to sight see or water ski, use the outside and make the standard CCW rotation, if you want to ring it out head to the middle and use common sense and watch what youa re doing. Unfortunatly the lake isn't big enough to get up to much over 80 though and like I said it is a nasty place but the idea works if you ask me and could be applied to much larger bodies of water. also most lakes in California have an idle/15 MPH speed limit after sunset wich I don't have a problem with, do we need to runniong around at any kind of speed in the pitch black, especially as by this time most of us already have atleast a few drinks in us ?

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

hillbilly24, I agree with what you said. I wouldn't have a problem with extending our existing speed boundaries. Currently we are not allowed to even produce a wake within 150' of shore or other boaters. A setup like you mentioned on Elsinor wouldn't bother me at all. Nor would a night time speed limit. Speed limits for the day however I feel should be based on ones own common sense.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

Speed limits should be dictated by lake size.
Around Kissimmee and Orlando some of the lakes are small and there's not enough room to get up to speed. On one lake I has just barely gotten the boat up to WOT before I had to back down to keep from hitting the other shore. That was before I found there's a 40 MPH limit on that lake. :rolleyes:

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

150MPH is a good speed limit, only because I can't afford to go that fast! A speed limit after dark would be difficult to enforce. I don't think any speed limit should be required, but unfortunately some operators of high powered boats seem to be common sense deficient! If they would be so kind as to remove themselves from the gene pool without hurting innocent bystanders all would be well! But it never works out that way. I don't know what can be done without taking the fun out of power boating. :( :(

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

Speed Limits should be more like they are on the highways. Meaning, in different areas where necessary (which is also where common sense should tell you to slow down) there should be different limits up to and including No Limit. There is a lake in Eastern NY that has no limit, unless you are near the bridge crossing it, that also has a ferry, and has several waterfront restaurants and bars. they limit you to 10mph through the "channel" between the shores, and of course no wake within 300 ft of the docks (this also applies throughout the lake). If your lake is big enough to support No Limit, then that is great, but if not, then limits are needed. Not everyone has common sense obviously, so limits are needed to protect all of us. Kinda like drunk driving laws (when enforced), who needs them. We all do, cause too many people are injured or killed when someone with no common sense does it. As for night time, I see no problem with limits for that.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I generally have more "close calls" with 15 MPH Pontoon boats not the fast boats :blaster:

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

Loto has 99 mph during the day and 30 mph at night. I'm pretty sure that some of the faster boats are unaware of the day time speed limit.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

i have asked water patrol about the daytime speed limit and was told it would be a reckless issue and not a speed issue... and there is no written policy in any of the water patrol publications about daytime speed limits, just night time and no wake zones....

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I could live with a speed limit of 150 in the manatee zones as long as they gave us a 5-mph over margin of error. But once out of the Manatee zones I really think everyone should slow down.

Roby

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

My local lake has had a 35 limit but it was never inforced until the owner of HTM was killed on a high speed run now they have radar guns and use it to make money weather it is safe or not to go faster. i'll use the lake to flush the salt water off and thats about it.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

They started enforcing it cuase Lia, the owners widow and now owner of HTM tried to sue the county for allowing her husband to speed on the lake. :mad:

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I like to boat to get away from everyone...
so offshore only it is, and they can't stop me out there!

I guess it depends on the lake size.
I agree on the common sense thing, but most bozos out there leave theirs' onshore.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I have no problems with the speed limits or noise laws after dark. Although during the day, if your lake is big enough, and your pockets are deep enough then drive it like you stole it!!!

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I have a boat that might run 68 so I'm not an expert although I did the southern drag boat thing for several years 162 in the quarter the last time I raced. But back to the speed limit question do everything you can to stop it. If your lake gets a speed limit of lets say 70 it will not stop there it will be 60 then someone will get hurt and someone will want to make it 40. It will not stop after they get there foot in the door. Just like the noise laws they won't stop at what they are now wait and see! Fight for your right to have some freedom.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

We have a 45 mph speed limit on Lake George, but its rarely enforced.
If your not acting like an as$hole,they really dont bother you. They are
more concered with noise right now. I have a house on the lake and like
the sound of thru hull,but I've got to admit,I dont like the sound of dry
stacks going by my house at 90mph at midnight!

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I agree! On Lake Travis there is a night speed limit. I think it is 30 mph. There is no "speed limit" during the day, but...

If you are driving in a manner that is unsafe to yourself or others, the water cops will cite you. And I'm glad they do! :D

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

none on SML rifht now, but a fear one is coming, they can always write you a ticket for reckless driving if they feel that you are, it's their call.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

Hope not.that means i'll have to buy another radar detector for boat too.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

LASER! they are high tech around here. :D:

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

This is the kind of crap I can't stand, the "Oh government, please protect me from myself."

There is a speed limit in Montana highways, because some stupid jackass passed a cop while the speed limit was "Reasonable and prudent", got a ticket, and fought it all the way to the state Supreme court, arguing that a non-numerical speed limit wasn't fair. So because some idiot was unable to use his brain, if he even had one, we end up with a speed limit.

It sickening how everything has to be dumbed down these days.

Michael

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

The federal government was also threataning to take away federal road money if they didn't enforce a speed limit, smae reason the seat belt law is now 50 state.

Do you own a yellow Baja that was surveyed at Maveric Marine ?

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

What they had an audoban in Montana and we didn't know it??? Damn I missed it!!! :evilb: :evilb: :evilb:

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

speed limit=as fast as your money get's you.
and for me it's not that fast :drink:

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

lake michigan, no limit, no noise issues..

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

Gulf Coast: no speed limits (except sea cow zones of course :blaster:) and NO noise issues. :drink:

Intracoastal usually can run 25/30/35/ or whatever in channel or WOT

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I guess I'll put my Valentine One on the Fountain .....

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

More people die each year in canoe and row boat accidents than in all of high-performance boating,including racing,put together.Speed is rarely a factor in any accident...

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

There are bouys but they are pretty far apart, like every 1000 feet or so, just enough for you to get the ides.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

Lets face the facts though. Most people don't have it!

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I don't know about Wisconsin waters but all of the Michigan waters of the great lakes there is a 55mph speed limit if your within two miles of shore, after two miles it's WFO.

I have no problem with that, their big lakes go out two miles if you want to run plus there's no noise issues either, I can deal with that any day over what the LOTO people are dealing with right now.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I like the idea of a minimum planing speed at night 25-35mph.

We have had a couple of very nasty night time accidents around here with High speed boats cutting through cruisers.

As far as daytime goes. Reckless driving should be punished regardless of the speed. Whats a safe speed one day may be way too fast for the conditions on the next. Then they try and set a speed that is safe for all boats in all conditions and everyone loses

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I think what Wobble said is right on the money. If most of these lakes would start actually enforcing the reckless driving laws that already exist they would most likely find it unnessesary to make speed limit laws.

Re: Speed limits on lakes?
 

I think the size of the lake should dictate a lot of things including, size of boat, size of wake, noise. and speed We boat on the great lakes and I agree with offshore when you are out there it is pretty wide open and you can get a fair distance away from shore.

However we live on a small inland lake and there are all sorts of headaches.
- Noise can be a big problem on a small lake, one of the homeowners has an everglades boat with a jet engine, you can hear him everywhere, he especially likes to take it out on Sunday evenings and ride around the lake close to shore! All the homeowners complain and the sheriff has nothing but excuses on why they can't do anything about it.
-Boat sizes, in this area a lot of people get these in between boats thinking they can use them local and then also trailer to a great lake. Instead they wind up being to small for the great lakes and to large for the inland lakes. Often they can't see over their bow if they are not on plane which is a problem when on a small recreational lake. We had a skier down and a small cruiser almost ran right over her :eek: We call them Wally boats :D
- Wake boarding, the lake is being over run with these boats that are designed to throw huge wakes, one or two boats in an area that is about 500 feet wide throw rollers big enough to crash over 6'ft sea walls. On a busy day you might have 4 wake board boats running continuous laps. I know this is not good for the shore line, or anyone else trying to enjoy the lake. It is sad just about every new boat that comes on the lake is a wake boat, and then makes me nervous about the future of lake living.

Funny thing speed is not one of the concerns around here, it is more about noise which of course can go hand in hand with speed