Member Forum

In response to the letter "A Pain in Maine," I offer the following response: I spent two months in Maine this summer, mostly in Bar Harbor and Swan Island. The density of lobster pots is one of the finest mystiques of Maine. Transit on the water is first for commerce and harvesting the seas, pleasure boating is a distant second. Love the pots with a sharp eye.

Stan Gladych

Stonington, CT

Going To Pot

Bruce MeDougal complains about the lobster pots in Maine. This problem is not particular to Maine; he should sail down Long Island Sound or the surrounding waters. I used to jump off the boat to release the pots, but an old salt gave me a tip. So, I bought a tree saw. When a lobster pot wraps my rudder or prop, I use the tree saw and stay dry. I feel sorry for the commercial lobsterman, but the waters belong to everyone. Lobster pots are impossible to see at night and very difficult to see during the day, especially if there is any chop. The lobstermen around Shelter Island, NY, put a cross on top of their buoys. They stand proud and the pots are easier to see and avoid. The lobstermen complain about the expense of replacing their pots.

I complain about the damage pots have caused to my boat, not to mention the physical harm suffered trying to release the line wrapped around my rudder or prop while the boat is bouncing around in waves and wakes. Perhaps if the lobstermen were responsible for damage to boats, they'd make their pots more visible.

David L. Raskin

Trumbull, CT

Buckle Up

I too share your hopes that the little tyke on your November cover is our bright future, but his skipper had better cinch up his PFD on the sides and buckle it snugly in front to keep that little boy safe. No parent, or skipper, (or editor) should allow someone to wear an improperly fitted PFD.

William A. Murphy, Sr.

San Angelo, TX

A Deep Subject

My wife and I have just returned from taking our boat south for the winter on the Intracoastal Waterway, when your November magazine arrived.

There are several issues that interest me about the ICW. First, the condition of the waterway: With the exception of about a mile in the Little Mud River in south Georgia, we had no real difficulties with the water. True, there were a couple of markers missing and one needed to be careful near the channel edges, but overall it was okay.

As for the economic impact of the ICW, one only needs to travel up and down once or twice. It soon becomes apparent that there are several thousand jobs generated from the ditch, many of them are not necessarily on the water. Restaurants along the way benefit, as well as local grocery stores and other businesses. The impact spreads much farther north and south, just look at the boats stopping in Chesapeake Bay ports on the annual winter migration and during visits in the summer. The same is true in Florida.

Along the way there are countless fishermen who use the waterway for access to fishing grounds, shrimpers traveling to shrimping grounds, and many crabbers who make a living alongside the waterway. I am not sure all of these activities get counted.

Clyde Martin

Wilmington, NC

For the Birds

Your article, "Turning the Tide on the ICW" in November covered only a portion of the problem. As a Westsail owner of 22 years in the Pacific Northwest, I decided to explore the ICW from Galveston to Florida.

I purchased and studied the latest editions of the Coast Pilot for the Gulf as well as complete charts for the ICW and Gulf of Mexico from Galveston to Panama City. The Coast Pilot listed marinas and facilities in Texas and Louisiana that had not been in operation for years. Tugs and barges rule! When two tugs with their six packs pass, a lady on her sailboat which draws five feet can't afford to be in their way. I find it impossible to believe that the ICW is dredged to a 12-foot depth as stated.

The ICW from Texas to Mississippi affords the best birding opportunities that I have found in the country. Just don't make the trip in a full keel boat. States that ignore the economic benefits of recreational boaters really are missing the boat, so to speak.

Joyce Batezel

Moose, WY

Treacherous Tricks

I am a powerboater with 30-plus years of boating experience and have personally witnessed many "Stupid People Tricks," but I find the ones your magazine is reporting to be quite disturbing. The article about houseboats and carbon monoxide poisoning was quite troubling. Since when did the average boat owner need a generator to operate the boat's electrical system? Has this society become so addicted to electronic gadgets that a generator is required? What happened to the time when you got on your boat to get away from it all? Am I that much of a throwback to think that all one needs to enjoy the water is a "tall ship and a star to steer her by"? I certainly don't consider myself to be an old fogy (39).

I read the article on drag surfing in total disbelief. I can't imagine any responsible vessel operator allowing anyone to be that close to the transom of a vessel with its engine running or under way, inhaling carbon monoxide, let alone being in close proximity to a rotating propeller blade! I would consider this gross negligence. This is quite indicative of the shortage of common sense in today's society.