Boater Education for Maine Paddlers?

New Bill-- yes on Paddlecraft
You won’t be able to read the new bill yet. It’s just now being drafted. Watson sent the lobbyist to the MASKGI meeting for soliciting input. The plan is definitely to include paddlecraft.



I’m sure the sponsors of the bill would not be pleased to know that their planned bill is already being discussed. They seem to realize that the bill will be controversial and were seeking input from MASKGI guides as a way to make it more palatable.



Here’s the URL for my VillageSoup blog on the topic:

http://waldo.villagesoup.com/Blogs/story.cfm?storyID=135030

hmm --Watson is

– Last Updated: Nov-17-08 8:59 PM EST –

a registered Maine Guide--he should know better---the original bill 2067 did not include paddlecraft---It would seem that the surest way to guarantee its defeat is to include canoes, kayaks and rowboats--but that could be what the motorboat lobbyist wants. that inclusion would be likly to insure the whole thing is shot down---after that tragedy on sebago(or was it long lake) there would be a lot of support for that kind of thing governing power boaters.

The Wizard
NASBLA National Association of Boating Law Administrators has been after the non-motorized side of this for a while. I would not be surprised if they and their President (long time head of Maine Marine Patrol) are behind the curtain on this one. They have spent the bucks to study boater education and its impacts. THis organization, which not many have heard of, has a very long reach . . .

well if the law
is applied to those paddlers who go on guided trips with Registered Maine Guides it will destroy an entire industry.

Ummm…
These people refer to us as speed bumps . . . I am not sure they see us as an industry. Just poor misguided souls that they will need to rescue some day.

Another Slant
on the subject may be to change the reference from Paddlecraft to Human Powered Watercraft. Concentrate on the positive mental and physical aspects of the sport. Focus on the fact that the sport consumes zero resources and requires absolutely no external resources other than free flowing water. Change the dialog to how much revenue will be lost. I would be expending a fair amount of financial resources to come to Maine for a week or so. Also make them justify the value added for anyone.

Amen to that
and I dont know of a single guide that can afford to register a fleet of paddle craft. For most its living on the edge and all of the Guides I know have to work other jobs.



Maine touts tourism, especially outdoor tourism, and this would certainly put a damper on the paddling side…



I live one lake over from Long Lake where that double fatality happened and I think its a money grab playing on public outrage. And I dont think it would do anything to prevent that sort of accident. Most people know boating while drunk is irresponsible. And those that do just dont care.



Talking to them and “educating” does no good. A lifetime in the slammer might.

Human-powered watercraft

– Last Updated: Nov-18-08 10:13 PM EST –

Thanks. I think that is a helpful way to frame the issue in our favor.

One of the ironies of the still-in-draft-form bill is that it would place restrictions on canoes and kayaks but not other less seaworthy things (inner tubes, inflatable rafts, inflatable cartoon characters) that people take out on the water. Pretty ironic that I could paddle a kayak across the lake and my buddy could paddle an inner tube -- and I would be the one to get cited.

So yeah, human-powered craft. Help them see that a kayak or a canoe is more like an inner tube than like a motorboat.

Supporters of this bill?
Someone who I am close to has been heavily involved in the many negotiations that are and have been going on in Maine over the fate and future of the numerous large tracts of land that are being let go by the former paper industry and negotiations on the number of dams that have been coming up for re-licensing. One of the things that he has seen happen is groups that you might think will support your specific position then suddenly do an about face. Why? Simple, bought off or offered something they choose not to refuse behind closed doors. This happened with one of the large rafting companies once when they fought tooth and nail against some proposals that would have drastically changed one of the state’s more famous white water sections till one day they came out for it and announced it was the best idea since sliced bread. Apparently they were offered enough that they were willing to shut shop and a wild section of a river to switch their support.



The fact that there now has been mention of somebody who is a guide or connected to guiding makes me wonder if this individual has a little more than a personal philosophy floating in the mix. From my perspective it might be just as important to find out who would most benefit if this passes and attack that as well working up talking points against it. As Woody Gutherie once said “Money doesn’t talk, it swears!”








Tom Watson

– Last Updated: Nov-18-08 11:18 PM EST –

the sponsor of the bill is a registered maine fishing guide, not a sea kayak or white water guide--and that is a side business, not how he makes a living--he is retired military and a practicing lawyer in Bath-I can't imagine how he would personally benefit one way or the other from passage of this bill--but he should know better than to try to get paddlers regulated in this fashion---I'm going to withhold judgement until I see the text of the bill--and next time I see him I'll ask him about it.

Whose sponsoring him

– Last Updated: Nov-18-08 11:31 PM EST –

To write and or politically submit this bill?

You must live in a weird state if…
your state legislature isn’t a bureaucracy!



If you only had a longer summer, and your state legislature isn’t a bureaucracy, I just might enjoy it up there but they probably wouldn’t ket me stay since I don’t always wear a PFD, use front and rear tie downs and never never do a roll.



cheers,

JackL

doubt that he is

– Last Updated: Nov-19-08 8:56 AM EST –

in anybody's pocket---I've known him for 25 years---he has a deserved reputation as being a straight shooter--besides which I really can't figure who would benefit financially from this bill---it would be more work for IF&G and Marine Resources and the way the budget in the state of Maine is right now, those agencies are not going to get more money---in fact their budgets are being cut and they are losing programs and personel as we speak---any new bill that costs the state money is unlikly to pass--

like I said I want to see the text of the bill before I make any judgement on its appropriatness-

With all due respect to the members of P-Net who have posted in this thread--none have actually seen the bill--the only person who has talked about it with MASKI is a lobbyist for the power boat industry--not the most reliable source of information--the bill may not even include paddlecraft--some people confuse Personal Water craft with canoes and kayaks---PWCs are defined in MRSA Title 12 as moterized vessels under 14 feet. and the bill last session only covered motorboats and pwcs---so I am not going to get all excited about it until I actually see the language.

a bureaucracy is composed

– Last Updated: Nov-19-08 9:20 AM EST –

of full time government officials who are appointed or hired---to put it in simple language for you--legislators are elected by voters, bureaucrats are not. The theory is that elected officials are more responsive to the public than appointed bureaucrats.

our legislature is elected--and as indicated above in this state are only part timers---the majority of which are usually either twenty somethings who don't have real jobs yet or are retirees with a lot of time on their hands.

you sound just like a bureaucrat !
cheers,

JackL

that’s because
I am a bureaucrat-- but nothing to do with registering either kayaks or paddlers- Im a Hearing Officer for the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board–Thats HO for short. Among my three jobs, that’s the chief one.

Maine legislature for paddling safety
Education is the key for safe paddling and the responsibility of the owner of the kayak or canoe. I can’t imagine how legislation would regulate safety classes for paddlers unless they require registration for all water craft whether motorized or not and then legislate that no certification of safety class…no registration! I also operate a motor boat but have respect for my fellow paddlers. I certainly do agree,however,that there are lots of large lake power boats that have NO respect and think nothing of nearly swamping a paddler…I don’t think they even have a clue, they’re too busy laughing, partying and making even bigger waves for their friends or kids at the end of the tow rope ! They would probably do the same thing even after safety training!

The paddler just needs to be wiser and alert…I far prefer small lakes, ponds and quiet rivers.

Education is good, registration is bad
The problem is, how do you prove you got your education? They will want a sticker on your kayak or canoe. Then guess what’s next? A yearly registration fee. This is the backdoor method of getting paddle sports registration. When you pass the course and you get your certificate, they now have all paddlers names and addresses ready for the next step. A legislator will remind the state of all the money they can harvest by collecting an annual fee from these thousands of paddlers. “After all, they are using our waters”.



Ask if the boating course is gong to teach paddlers how to get back into their boat if they capsize. Fight for the last remaining freedoms that the US can offer to it’s citizens. Legislators in CT - when we fought it, agreed and did not want to ruin our freedoms.

I thought that was brought
up under the smokescreen of a way to control anti terrorism by some Branford State Rep… by that time we and our fleet had left the Shoreline…



We will see what this “education” brings…so far there seem to be more boater fatalities from things with motors(reading the papers only)…anyone got some stats from last yearf?