Besides being a massive regulatory over-reach, this would cause lots of economic problems
“This would be the greatest regulatory overreach in American maritime law” — that’s how Frank Hugelmeyer describes a proposal by the Biden administration to limit the speed of all motorboats over 35 feet from Florida to Massachusetts. “Not only are they creating a serious safety issue, they are creating a massive negative economic impact.”
Hugelmeyer is president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and he is just one of a growing number of voices expressing outrage over the proposal put forward by the U.S. Commerce Department under the auspices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“It’s stupid,” said Jeff Angers, the president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “It’s not what government is supposed to do.”
The far-reaching regulation would restrict speed to 10 knots or 11.5 miles per hour for all boats over 35 feet — for up to seven months out of the year and up to 100 miles out at sea for most of the East Coast.
The purpose: to prevent the boats from hitting an endangered right whale.
Well, that sounds like a worthy goal, right?
The (NOAA) statement admitted, however, there have only been five deadly whale strikes by boats between 35 to 65 feet in length over the last 15 years. (Boats over 65 feet are already subject to a speed restriction.)
A one in a million chance of this happening. So, what, exactly, is the point? Did they even consider the implications? Of course, this does have to make it through the rule making process, but, with all the nuts in the federal bureaucracy, it stands a good chance.
Edmonston said most boats can’t get on a “plane” if they are going under 10 knots. A plane is the speed at which the bow of the boat lowers in order to cut through oncoming waves.
“The boats are designed to ride on top of the waves,” he said. “This is going to make them wallow in the waves — up and down, side to side, pitching,” he explained. “It’s going to be hard to maintain control. You can take waves over the side.”
And people will be thrown around, cargo could be damaged, boats can take on too much water and sink
“The port will be closed any day it’s rough [or] windy. [And] not just this port. All the ports on the East Coast,” he said.
Which will slow down commerce, affecting profits and costs.
“This overreach is going to basically all but halt fishing off the East Coast of the United States,” said Glenn Hughes, the president of the American Sportfishing Association. “It will just keep people from fishing.”
He points out there are 9 million anglers who fish the Eastern coastline.
“Instead of getting to a [fishing] destination in an hour, you’re talking about something that’s going to take three to four hours both ways,” he said.
Who wants to do that? We used to go out 16 miles or so out to fish for blues. Who wants to sit on a boat for hours doing nothing? Then hours back to port? And then there will be fewer boats purchased over 35 feet, meaning fewer built. It’s just a mess. There are better ways, like tagging the whales, which would allow the boaters to know where they are an avoid them. The Brandon admin doesn’t care.
Cigarette boats should get cheap
They don’t have enough people to enforce this. And owners of large yachts ( over 130′) will get a carve out or force retraction by cutting off political donations.
People need to read up on their Alinsky tactics.
If everybody refuses to adhere to the rules – what are they going to do about it? How could they possibly enforce this – Coast Guard cutters with radar? Good – inundate the Coast Guard with stupid shit like this – and they’ll not be able to interdict drug boats or something like that. Add some sort of speed monitor to everybody’s boat? Good – SPEED ON PURPOSE. Everybody – every time.
Breaking the rules – eventually breaks the system. Tyranny relies on a large measure of willing compliance.