What's wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

[petem]

What\'s wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

I've just returned from a few days holiday where we stayed next to Lake Windermere. Whilst we were there we had a boat trip up and down the lake.

We noticed a few boats out towing waterskiers but these seemed to be very quiet petrol engined jobs making little noise and I suspect little polution. There were a few motor cruisers out but again these were'nt creating any problems. So why are power boats being banned from Windermere? Are they also going to ban yachts from using their engines too?

To be honest the biggest annoyance was the fighter planes that seemed to be constantly flying up and down the lake.

 

[Guest]

Re: What\'s wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

In a nutshell there is a small group of people who control the water in the National Park. They are called the Lake district special planning board, they have decided, against massive public opinion to place a 10mph speed limit on the lake.

There is'nt even any any enviromental evidence to support the limit.

My boat is out of the water at the moment ready for the journey to the Bollyolics,but on Wednesday I went up to the Lake and took my Dads Jeanneau out for a sail, there was'nt much wind so I moored up and went for a run on the Jetskis instead- as you say, with the exception of the trip boats, there was no one else out on the lake. I had a fantastic afternoon on the lake with my wife and 2 young children followed by a meal in an Ambleside restaurant.

I enjoy sailing but I also like a blast round on the jetskis or watersking the enjoyment of thousands is about to be ruined and I have yet to speak to anyone at all who supports the ban.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: What\'s wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

The few ruling the majority, sound familiar? Trouble is it's already been passed by the government, now you have no chance, "Its all those rich people having fun again, lets stop them, Yeh!!"

 

[numenius]

Re: What\'s wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

Hate to disagree but whats wrong with a bit of peace and quiet? Plenty of room for us to zoom up and down at sea and make as much racket as we want.
Is it really so bad that there might be some peace and quiet somewhere (remember that noise effects not just us on the water, but the vast majority of folks who are on shore enjoying the countryside). As for the fighter planes - well perhaps the interests of having trained fighter pilots might just be in a different league from us wanting to waterski in a particular place?

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[Guest]

Re: What\'s wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

I think you've missed the point. The full enviromental study commissioned to help the LDSPB get the ban in the first place found no grounds at all for ban. It found that there was no significant noise nuisance. The problem seems to be that people who have never visited the place assume that the lake is packed full of high powered boats all doing 50kts and producing mega decibels, they are then quite happy that these power boat gin palaces have been banned. But in reality, as described above, even on a sunny week in August high season there are few boats about. You can barely here the boats from the shore line any way- its a big lake.

As for somewhere to get a bit of peace and quite- every other lake in the national park has a total powerboat ban or a 10mph speed limit, all we want is to leave 1 single lake accessable for fast watersports, you can use any of the other 20 odd lakes to be as tranquil as you like.

 

[stamfordian]

Re: What\'s wrong with Power Boating on Windermere?

Agree , i come from the pennie s....used to to be fun to be there ..now thjere,s always some enviromently friendly arsehole on a enviromently friendly mounting bike riping the **** out of the footpaths and every thing else they can run over.Windermire is big enough to allow for all watersports...

http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/stamfordian