Slow Down in Palm Beach County?

Seven areas in Palm Beach County have
been deemed as “high risk” in a recent study being done by the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission. This has the potential of reducing speeds along
these areas to “Idle Speed.” Could this be just what it takes to save boaters from
themselves, or is it another case of Big Brother making more rules to legislate
everything under the sun?

So just how fast should you be able to go on Palm Beach’s Intracoastal Waterway?

By Captain Steve Larivee

Just the Facts



The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission looked at records of vessel
crashes and aerial surveys measuring boater congestion and found 66 accidents between
2002 and 2006. A draft study also identified several stretches as high-risk areas
for crashes or injuries: the Jupiter Inlet, the area south of Bert Winters Park
in Juno Beach, the Peanut Island area near Riviera Beach and the Highland Beach
area just north of Boca Raton.



Further, the commission estimates that the number of registered boats in Palm Beach
County will increase 20 percent from 44,416 in 2007 to 53,306 by 2020. According
to the commission, that much additional boat traffic means more congestion, and
that will require slower speeds in some areas.


Capt. Steve’s Opinion



First of all, what’s up with the FFWC doing the study? Isn’t that like the fox guarding
the chickens? If this is going to start a controversy (and it already is) then a
neutral opinion might be in order here. But why bother at all! Let’s just cut to
the chase and outlaw boats entirely from Palm Beach County. There are already enough
speed zones there to protect the manatees. Now it’s time to protect the boaters
from themselves!


Heal Thyself



Okay, obviously this ranting is a bit extreme, but the point is, if we boaters (and
NOT just Palm Beach boaters) are not going to regulate ourselves, then sooner or
later someone is going to do it for us. Just because your boat can go 60 knots,
doesn’t mean you should go 60 knots in a congested waterway. That sort of action
only serves to make us all look reckless until the point where someone is going
to create a law to tell you the obvious.



You need to operate at a safer speed. If you aren’t able to determine what an obvious
safe speed is, then you’ll simply be told that “safe” is “idle speed” and that’s
that! Then you can get used to taking 45 minutes or more to get to open water where
you can let it out. Helmet laws, seatbelt laws, laws to tell you to slow to idle
speed -- where does it end?



What do you think?