User Conflicts - An Analysis
The Symptoms
Accidents, close calls
- Wreckless Operation
- Intentional and blantant disregard for other's safety
- Ignorant Operation
- Regard for other's safety, but don't understand boating/water limitations and rules
- Continuous cruising near anchored vessel, creating annoying wake
- Anchoring in popular cruising area, expecting others to stop
- Going out in a storm
- Unreliable equipment (motor, hull, extinguisher...)
- Unaware of wake impact on others
- Careless Operation
- Modest risk taking, mostly lack of courtesy
- Making large wake close to anchored vessel
- Cruising mid-channel despite oncoming vessel
- Taking on oncoming vessel at faster than idle in narrow channel
Tension between boaters - an equivalent to "road rage"
- Cruising vs anchored
- Towing vs trolling
Tension between boaters and homeowners
- Noise
- A few loud engines, personal watercraft operated near homes
- Pinellas County already has an ordinance for this situation
- New model boats and personal watercraft are much quieter
- Most don't know about existing law, ask for more restrictions
- Existing 200' from shore no wake zone is result
- Homeowner's desire for privacy
- Purchasing a home on a public recreational facility such as a lake means giving up some
privacy
- Homeowner must expect a certain amount of noise
- Homeowner desire for protection of docked boat from wakes
- Less expensive to ask for No Wake zone than to buy boat lift
- Imposes burden on thousands of users to benefit one (or few) homeowner(s)
- Greatly increases pollution due to non-planing speed
- Usually increases wake size from operation at slightly above idle
- Creates resentment from users
The Causes
- Lack of information
- Lack of knowledge
- Excessive Restriction
- Invites intentional disregard - very common with no wake zones (how many highways
drivers actually obey speed limits?)
- Expensive to enforce
- Banned users forced to break law
- Lack of designated personal watercraft areas
- Often causes more damage than without restriction
- increased boater/boater tension
- Larger wakes with slower speed
- Absolute idle is unusual
- Slightly above idle usually causes large wake
- Human Error
The Cures
Enforcement
- Enforce existing laws against careless operation.
Education
- Posting - Channel markers, obstruction/shallow markers, Informational (usually at entry
points such as boat ramps)
- Suggest, don't legislate
- "Blind corner - Maximum safe speed 25"
- Printed information - pamphlets distributed via mail, handouts, stores
- Lake Tarpon pamphlet was distributed several years ago. Should be continuous
effort.
- Classes
- The most effective and thorough method
- Not mandated, therefore most boaters have not attended
- More complete information
- WHY a law exists, WHO wanted it
- "Common knowledge" that isn't so common
- A boat going 10 MPH makes more wake than at 20MPH
- Fellow boaters
Separate conflicting activities
- Least costly to enforce - praised by law enforcement
- High cooperation from users due to feeling of "ownership"
- Best in high traffic areas
- Requires the most creativity and cooperation from planners
- Some solutions require administrative work
- Permits, possibly a fee to enter a specific area
- Mandated education, written acknowledgement of rules
Above all, one must accept that there will always be those who don't cooperate
Old Solutions that no longer make sense
Ban an activity (no wake, idle speed, minimum speed, no
fishing/skiing, speed limit, no power boats, no boats...)
- Easiest to get implemented by legislation, therefore the most common
- Easy for planners to create
- legislation is best where a static, permanent solution is desired ("no entry -
crocodiles")
- Elected officials please a few vocal voters
- Apathy by affected users allows this to happen
- Most intrusive and wasteful method
- Most controversial
- Costliest to enforce
- Most likely to be ignored
- Creates resentment from those affected
- Difficult to enforce due to the resentment
- Favors one group over another
- Often used when conflicts and activities are not thoroughly understood
- Panic answer to perceived problems
- Usually creates larger wakes from boats not on plane, running just above idle
All of the following approaches seek to lessen the need for law enforcement by banning
an entire category of boats.
- Limiting Horsepower
- An attempt to regulate speed
- Large speed difference between boats remains
- Unintentionally bans large slow-moving boats
- Limiting boat length
- An attempt to regulate speed and wake size
- Hull shape has more effect on wake size than length
- Horsepower, weight, hull shape have more effect on speed than length
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