For Wake Boat Opponents, New Vermont Rules Mean New Battles

[sl8]

Last edited Thu May 23, 2024, 08:25 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/for-wake-boat-opponents-new-vermont-rules-mean-new-battles-40955281

For Wake Boat Opponents, New Vermont Rules Mean New Battles

By ANNE WALLACE ALLEN
Published May 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.



People surfing behind a wake boat - courtesy of the National Marine Manufacturers association - ANNE WALLACE ALLEN ©️ SEVEN DAYS

Vermonters seeking to limit the use of powerful wake boats on the state's lakes and ponds made it partway to their goal this year. A new rule limits where the motorized craft can be used for surfing, and it's the most restrictive in the country.

The Department of Environmental Conservation's rule, which went into effect on April 15, restricts wake sports to lakes that have a surface area of at least 50 acres and a depth of 20 feet. Even then, surfing must be undertaken at least 500 feet from shore.

Only 30 of the several hundred lakes and ponds in Vermont are large enough to accommodate a wake sports zone. Now people who live or boat on some of those lakes are looking for other ways to limit the sport.

"The situation is now potentially worse than it was before," said Meg Handler, who lives in Hinesburg on 229-acre Lake Iroquois. "Now wake sports are explicitly welcomed onto what is a tiny lake. The potential for abuse is there, and there is no enforcement."

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Wikipedia: Wakeboard boats

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakeboard_boat

[3Hotdogs]

1. These wankers have hit and killed people along estuaries at N.J. shore lines.

[erronis]

2. These will destroy the coastlines and any sense of idyllic nature

Have to imagine that there's a substantial overlap between these users and climate denialists and MAGAs.

[Bumbles]

3. Why are so many hellbent to destroy what is beautiful and enjoyed by others?

Last edited Thu May 23, 2024, 10:40 AM - Edit history (1)

I live in Maine near a shallow saltwater bay that is enjoyed by boaters, fishermen and appreciators of nature. The bay has been taken over by a commercial oyster farm, which is depositing sludge along the banks of this shallow, not-self-cleaning body of water. Our local government is reviewing their application for a 150-foot-long pier out into the near reaches of the bay, disrupting the quietude of neighbors and others who enjoy the serenity still present. I believe the fix is in. This water, which used to nourish shellfish and other spawning species is now bereft of precious eel grass that was the critical component for the life of this bay. This loss is probably irreversible. As has been said, follow the money.

[SarahD]

4. The right to have fun.

Many people believe recreation justifies environmental destruction. Dune buggies run over animals. Mountain bikers build trails and destroy sensitive vegetation. And so on. If you try to restrict my fun in any way, you're a Nazi.

[RainCaster]

5. The operator is legally responsible for their wake

That's been international maritime law for centuries. I was very well aware of that whenever I was out on the water.