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#1
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
Interesting response to this tragedy.....
At least the proposed horsepower restriction isn't entirely draconian- 500-HP is enough for most applications. Question would be; does the local government really have the right to dictate who can run a boat and how that boat can be rigged on a public waterway- or should the government's role be limited to ensuring that whatever boat is operated by whomever- it is operated safely?. Can Joe Doaks rig his boat with 3000 HP, as long as he obeys the 10-knot speed limit? Item: ********************** AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - An incident in which a large boat sliced through a smaller boat - killing two people this summer on Long Lake - has prompted a legislator to propose limits on motors allowed on that lake. Rep. Richard Sykes, R-Harrison, wants to submit a bill limiting boat motors to 500 horsepower or less on Long Lake, where the accident happened Aug. 11. Sykes also proposes better enforcement of boating laws, including hiring a summer warden on the lake during high-traffic periods, and requiring boaters to take tests before they can operate on Maine waters. Other lawmakers want to submit similar bills during the 2008 session, which begins in January. Legislative leaders must vote to allow the bills to be introduced if they are to be considered. Two people were killed when 34-foot, high-performance boat with twin, 435-horsepower engines slammed into a smaller, 14-foot boat in Harrison on Aug. 11. Robert LaPointe Jr. of Medway, Mass., has been indicted on charges of manslaughter and operating under the influence in connection with the collision, which took the lives of Terry Raye Trott, 55, of Naples, and Suzanne Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick. LaPointe, 38, and his passenger, 19-year-old Nicole Randall of Bridgton, were thrown into the water while their boat raced ashore. LaPointe posted bail earlier this month and was released from jail. Under present state law, the high-powered boat that was involved in the Long Lake accident "could have been operated by a 12-year-old kid," said Sykes, who wants to set a minimum age of 16 for the operation of certain boats. State law currently allows a 12-year-old to operate a boat of more than 10 horsepower if someone at least 16 is supervising. The state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which enforces boating laws on the state's lakes, is not taking a position on the bills until the final language is drafted. |
#2
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictionsfor boaters
Chuck Gould wrote:
Interesting response to this tragedy..... At least the proposed horsepower restriction isn't entirely draconian- 500-HP is enough for most applications. Question would be; does the local government really have the right to dictate who can run a boat and how that boat can be rigged on a public waterway- or should the government's role be limited to ensuring that whatever boat is operated by whomever- it is operated safely?. Can Joe Doaks rig his boat with 3000 HP, as long as he obeys the 10-knot speed limit? Item: ********************** AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - An incident in which a large boat sliced through a smaller boat - killing two people this summer on Long Lake - has prompted a legislator to propose limits on motors allowed on that lake. Rep. Richard Sykes, R-Harrison, wants to submit a bill limiting boat motors to 500 horsepower or less on Long Lake, where the accident happened Aug. 11. Sykes also proposes better enforcement of boating laws, including hiring a summer warden on the lake during high-traffic periods, and requiring boaters to take tests before they can operate on Maine waters. Other lawmakers want to submit similar bills during the 2008 session, which begins in January. Legislative leaders must vote to allow the bills to be introduced if they are to be considered. Two people were killed when 34-foot, high-performance boat with twin, 435-horsepower engines slammed into a smaller, 14-foot boat in Harrison on Aug. 11. Robert LaPointe Jr. of Medway, Mass., has been indicted on charges of manslaughter and operating under the influence in connection with the collision, which took the lives of Terry Raye Trott, 55, of Naples, and Suzanne Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick. LaPointe, 38, and his passenger, 19-year-old Nicole Randall of Bridgton, were thrown into the water while their boat raced ashore. LaPointe posted bail earlier this month and was released from jail. Under present state law, the high-powered boat that was involved in the Long Lake accident "could have been operated by a 12-year-old kid," said Sykes, who wants to set a minimum age of 16 for the operation of certain boats. State law currently allows a 12-year-old to operate a boat of more than 10 horsepower if someone at least 16 is supervising. The state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which enforces boating laws on the state's lakes, is not taking a position on the bills until the final language is drafted. Simply limiting the HP is not going to resolve the underlying problem. Even at 500HP, those two poor souls would not have had a chance. The issue of whether or not a 12-yr old could operate that boat is irrelevant to the crash. It is highly unlikely the average 12-yr would be operating such a boat after 9 pm after a day of drinking. What good would a change in law for an increased minimum age be to prevent this from happening again? Something else sounds a bit fishy here. What reason can a 38 yr old use to explain being out drinking with a 19 yr old 'family friend'? |
#3
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:22:50 -0400, DownTime
wrote: What reason can a 38 yr old use to explain being out drinking with a 19 yr old 'family friend'? rasises hand OBJECTION, your Honor. This is irrelevant and immaterial. Perry Mason |
#4
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
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#5
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictionsfor boaters
Dave Hall wrote:
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:10:09 -0500, lid wrote: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:22:50 -0400, DownTime wrote: What reason can a 38 yr old use to explain being out drinking with a 19 yr old 'family friend'? I can think of a couple of VERY good reasons that should not only be acceptable, but encouraged! (Now let's see, if he was 38 and I am 50 then the equivalent gal for me would be 31 - that's not bad, but I wouldn't mind younger). rasises hand OBJECTION, your Honor. This is irrelevant and immaterial. Perry Mason Well, i am 46, by your math, it gives me a 27 yr old 'family friend' for boating adventures. Legal in every state, except one, The Spousal State Of Mind. Ah, but a boater can always dream, can't he? |
#6
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictionsfor boaters
DownTime wrote:
Dave Hall wrote: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:10:09 -0500, lid wrote: On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:22:50 -0400, DownTime wrote: What reason can a 38 yr old use to explain being out drinking with a 19 yr old 'family friend'? I can think of a couple of VERY good reasons that should not only be acceptable, but encouraged! (Now let's see, if he was 38 and I am 50 then the equivalent gal for me would be 31 - that's not bad, but I wouldn't mind younger). rasises hand OBJECTION, your Honor. This is irrelevant and immaterial. Perry Mason Well, i am 46, by your math, it gives me a 27 yr old 'family friend' for boating adventures. Legal in every state, except one, The Spousal State Of Mind. Ah, but a boater can always dream, can't he? NO WAIT! I double checked the math, 19 is one-half of 38. That gives you a 25 and me a 23. |
#7
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com... Interesting response to this tragedy..... At least the proposed horsepower restriction isn't entirely draconian- 500-HP is enough for most applications. Question would be; does the local government really have the right to dictate who can run a boat and how that boat can be rigged on a public waterway- or should the government's role be limited to ensuring that whatever boat is operated by whomever- it is operated safely?. Can Joe Doaks rig his boat with 3000 HP, as long as he obeys the 10-knot speed limit? Huh? Governments determine how cars can or cannot be equipped. For instance, you can't run certain types of slicks on your car, at least not on public roads in NY. However, the problem is not how that boat was equipped. The problem is the DUI laws. Drunks who kill should face a different law - they should be tried for murder, not manslaughter, and judges' hands should be tied with rules for draconian mandatory sentences. Drinking and driving/boating is a conscious choice you make. Once you start the engine, there is intent to kill. Very simple. |
#8
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote
Drinking and driving/boating is a conscious choice you make. Once you start the engine, there is intent to kill. I see belong to both the temperance league and the drama club... |
#9
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
"Ernest Scribbler" wrote in message
et... "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote Drinking and driving/boating is a conscious choice you make. Once you start the engine, there is intent to kill. I see belong to both the temperance league and the drama club... Temperance? You never saw me say people should not drink at all. Drama? In a county south of here, the district attorney tried a drunk driver for murder rather than manslaughter. The jury almost went for it, too. |
#10
posted to rec.boats
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Deadly accident prompts call for engine limitation, age restrictions for boaters
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote
Drama? Yes, drama. I can't say what the guy's intentions were when he took 19 year-old Nicole for a ride in his big fast boat, but I wouldn't want to be the prosecutor who tries to prove that killing people was what he had in mind. |
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