I just heard from a friend of mine who is on the boating safety regulatory commission. He tells me that a new law is being drafted that would allow for a 30mph speed limit on ALL tidal waters in the state of NJ on weekends. This could be in effect by next summer.

I want to know if any other states have speed limits on tidal waters other than no wake, or manatee zones.

I would think that the local poker run club and some boat manufacturers/engine builders might want to form a group and hire a gun, I mean a liar, I mean a lawyer to represent thier case to this small board before the ball gets rolling.

How do you stop this from happening? How do you plead your case that you need to go 100 mph on weekends? How can you plead your case to go 60mph on weekends.

And OH MY GOD 195mph. How do you justify that????? We knew this day was coming. Now what?

We have speed limits on a lot of the rivers that feed the Chesapeake. Maryland did this while a member of our Association was the head of the Boater Advisory board!!! These do-gooder pols listen to the prissy ass property owners and sailboaters and the next thing you know-35 knots days, 20 knots nights
I personally went to the meetings for "public input" where it was 60 to 10 against speed limits and we still have them. What it serves to do is bunch up the boats all traveling at the same speed and makes the rivers even more dangerous. It is difficult to justify why you need to go fast though. They want everyone to be "safe" and feel you can go out to open water to use your big old LPB. Let's be frank here-they are simply jealous and envious and can't stand to see anyone have too much fun.

Ron
Yeah this definitely needs clipped in the Bud!! You are right A Lawyer is called for here.
Jersey, Dam I thought you guys would be last with this kind of a problem!

Thanks for the input, are those tidal waters? We have speed limits on the one big lake in NJ already.

I understand that the person who drafted the original law is an 80 year old sailboater from Bay Head NJ. The snooty capitol of NJ.

Oh Muffy, yes Biff... are those flames coming out of that boat?

The police say that they couldn't enforce it. Radar guns don't shoot fiberglass real well and how could a 40mph cop boat catch a 100 mph cruiser. Radios you say.. there just aren't that many cops on the water.

What argument can possibly be made that doesn't sound idiotic.

Stupid people with too much time on there hands!!! It seems like we can't win! Why do they have to pick on powerboaters! Good luck in your new fight.
Dan

RonP: I do not know what the law is hear in MA, however in all intercoastal waterways in MA the max speed is 45 MPH. There are of corse exceptions like NO WAKE zones and the back sides of some beaches (common Sence stuff). But all lakes and intercoastal waterways for us

THIS **** NEEDS TO STOP RIGHT NOW !

I say we find the head of this idea and send the "BOYS" down to "explain " how we feel about it !

I would think that if this does go through, then perhaps we all put #'s on our boats and go for the race test permits... Oh wait.....they already banned that too on weekends.

I would think we would have the support of the NJSMP on this one, but will that be enough?

sick environmentallist on them. Geta quack college professor to say taht high speed boat traffic actually jelp preserve mash land and in turn aids procreation of small migratory birds. and that an impact study of the lack of boat traffic washing fresh mud onto the shore due to decreased speed.

That will take at last 3 year to study. the ket it to find yoruself a crack pot research professor that actually believes that kind of crap. They are out tehre You just have to find them.

Is this proposed law only for inland waters?

Most of the area lakes are 40mph while the non-manatee areas are 50mph. In the Manate zones it ranges from no boat access, to no wake then up to 25mph while in the channel only.
Some stretches of no wake are as long as traveling from Barnegat Inlet to Manaloking. Picture that.
Hope you beat it, speed limits are a real pain.