PBO facts?

Lakesailor

Lakesailor

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I've just read the October issue of PBO. In the article about red diesel in the side bar on Windermere they say that the Petrol station has closed as a result of the lack of trailer-boaters. Anyone know which petrol station they refer to?
Rayrigg Motors still sell (expensive) fuel. The one up Kendal Road hasn't sold fuel for years. It was a used car lot and is now housing.
Am I missing something?
Quite a few other assumptions as well. The whole country's hospitality trade suffered as a result of the World Cup, but apparently in Windermere only the Speed Limit (in it's second year) was soley responsible for this year's slow start to the season, not even the lousy early weather and the late Easter.
 
Perhaps the author knows, or imagines, that a substantial proportion of PBO readers are MOBOs, and that "Windermere suffers from draconian speed limit" is what his or her readers like to hear.

Three cheers for the speed limit. My only regret is that it came too late to save the life of the child killed by a waterskier. Speedboat went one side of a rowing boat, skier went the other, dad (I think) in rowing boat saw line coming and ducked, but his child to the line full on the neck. I feel for the dad, and safety alone justifies the ban, but another benefit is surely to the enjoyment of the lake and its shores by everyone else.

Mark
 
I do find it very annoying that the article is so one sided. It seems to ignore the fact that a large part of the small yacht community is in favour of the ban, or does not actively oppose it. Most of the people I know are a bit p*ssed off that the RYA is spending so much time and effort fighting this when they didn't appear to care less when the two-stroke engines were banned.

I know all this has been said before, but I just wish PBO wouldn't produce that kind of article. Added to the 'how to cook without gas' article (just use a microwave & electric kettle apparently) this wasn't PBO's finest edition in my view. A few more like that and I might stick to ST.
 
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It seems to ignore the fact that a large part of the small yacht community is in favour of the ban, or does not actively oppose it

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I wouldn't agree. Are there any forumites that are in favour of the ban? ... can't see a reason why they would be, except for costing them almost double per litre. Why change it?
 
I'm in favour of speed limit / ban on fast boats on Windermere. That was how I read the posting above.

Don't think that was what doubles the price of diesel. I think ideas have got muddled.

But planing boats going slow create very big wash, which is a pain on my mooring ....
 
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But planing boats going slow create very big wash, which is a pain on my mooring ....

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Yes they are a pain. At high speed they are a danger to others and at low speed they are a nuisance to others.

So Ban Planing Boats I say!
 
Yes, just what is the problem with upholding some peace and order in the Lake District. Lake Windermere is there to be enjoyed by the majority, not the minority of petrol heads who want to create noise, wash, and tons of carbon in the process.
 
Tragic though that is, it is such a million-to-one-chance event that it is no argument for the ban on the lake, though possibly it is for the driver / skier / look-out. There is probably a greater chance of death or serious injury by novices trying to sail in non-tidal waters with 360 degree wind shifts than the occasional power boat accident.

What would have happened on Ullswater the other Saturday afternoon, had it been covered with power craft? Maybe the 3 people who drowned would have been saved.

Meanwhile "enjoyment of the lake and its shores by everyone else" clearly means ALMOST everyone else, not actually "everyone else".
 
The answer to Windermeer and places like it, is zoning to separtate incompatable activities. Zoned speed limits, no ski zones, etc. Simple and it works all over the USA. The water belongs to everybody, just separate certain activities for safety and limit wake and noise to certain areas. Difficult I know as the lake is not very large.
 
Difficult?

Bloody impossible.
There has always been a 6mph limit between Rough Holme to the North and the car ferry to the South. It's always been impossible to police speeds in that area properly, so how anyone could seriously propose that skiers would stay in one area, jetskis in another I don't know. There were a lot of novice and 1st time sport boaters who couldn't recognise shallows buoys let alone zoning buoys. That would also assume that yachts, row boats, put-puts (hire craft) and canoes wouldn't be allowed in the zoned areas. The winds here don't always yachts that much choice as the lake is mainly long and narrow.
Oh! I forgot the fishermen who take no notice of anyone anyway.

Add to all that the fact it is a highway and has a right of navigation and you can see that the speed limit (for it's not a ban of anything) was the easiest way to achieve a reduction of noise and congestion (and to get rid of PWCs) Perhaps a bit more effort would have realised a way to get rid of just PWCs.
I was having a little sail last Saturday and a couple of very large flybridge cruisers were pushing the limit and creating enormous wash with breaking waves. Now they are entitled to do that, but to endanger the row-boats and small put-puts, not to mention the new influx of canoeists and dinghy sailors was dangerous, unfriendly and, I'm afraid, typical.

Most of the powerboaters left just cruise the lake and moor or raft up. Some still go out for a blast, but usually on a quiet day during the week or an evening. I don't think the wardens are too worried by that as it's a safe way to break the law.

It isn't like powerboating at sea. On the lake, on a still day, wash bounces back and forth 3 or 4 times. Wash from a few boats becomes very confused and violent. It used to be like that, but canoes, home-built skiffs and dories and little trainer dinghies didn't come here as they knew the risks. Now boaters need a bit more consideration.
 
Re: Zoning

There has always been a 6mph limit between Rough Holme to the North and the car ferry to the South. It's always been impossible to police speeds in that area properly, so how anyone could seriously propose that skiers would stay in one area, jetskis in another I don't know
 
Re: Zoning

I absolutely agree with Lake Sailor. The majority, and I mean MAJORITY, of people using the Lake District are walking, rowing, sailing, canoeing, or just enjoying the scenery. Don't those people have a right to do those things in safety? So I don't understand why anyone could make an issue of the restrictions on Windermere.
 
Re: Zoning

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Don't those people have a right to do those things in safety?
>>>

Please. Not "rights", that have been invented by lawyers to make money. This is one of those "my rights are more important than your rights" scenarios, where verybody forgets that rights are the reward of responsibilities and that only the irresponsible should fail to gain "rights". Not the responsible doing the same activities as the irresponsible, but sensibly, otherwise one silly sailor would queer the pitch for the vast majority of sensible ones.
 
Re: Zoning

[ QUOTE ]
I absolutely agree with Lake Sailor. The majority, and I mean MAJORITY, of people using the Lake District are walking, rowing, sailing, canoeing, or just enjoying the scenery. Don't those people have a right to do those things in safety? So I don't understand why anyone could make an issue of the restrictions on Windermere.

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The "Lake District" is a bit bigger than just Windermere though!

If the "MAJORITY" really want peace and tranquillity they can have it in spades on Ullswater, Coniston, Derwent water, Haweswater, Ennerdale water, Wast water, Bassenthwaite, Crummock, Loweswater, Buttemere, Grassmere, Thirlmere...

...need I go on?

Couldn't the "MAJORITY" have settled for the "MAJORITY" of the Lake District rather than the "ENTIRETY"?

...and I write this as a yachtie with no interest in power boats. One, in fact, who has kept a yacht on Windermere as well as trailing and sailing there. One who has, on occasions, been extremely frustrated at the selfishness of many power boaters. There's nothing worse than having a long keeler drawing 4'6" full of kids who want to stretch their legs only to find that the deepest water round all the jetties is taken up by powerboats that barely draw 6". Or sitting on a mooring and having your tea dumped in your lap by someone else's wash. Or sitting in a seething queue waiting to launch at the slipway while some muppet in a powerboat suddenly realises that his engine won't start or his power tilt won't work...

The question is, does the "minority" have any rights at all?
 
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