NYCkayaker Ferries/Barges vs Cigarette boats -- some points....

[David Gottlieb]

I watched the Poker Run from my patio in Rockland County and have some
observations....

* The Cigarette Boats were traveling at outrageous speed and creating
incredible wake....
* They paid no attention to sailboats or other less powerful power boats and
came very close in many cases to these boats... (so obviously not everyone
knew about these races)
* They seemed to not stay in any one area but tended to be racing on a large
width of water, at least in the area of the river opposite Dobbs Ferry in
Westchester county and Palisades in Rockland County
* The noise, of course, was ridiculous and extremely loud (no broken windows
this year!!!!) 
* The wake was strong enough to rock many piers and actually the next day, a
large 30 foot long pier ended up on my property at low tide.... (this
usually only occurs after heavy storms with gusty winds which cause heavy
wake) 
* The displacement of water from some of the larger boats was huge
* The good point: It didn¹t last that long

So, in writing to the authorities, perhaps the following points about safety
should be stressed....

* The citing of deaths in other areas due to similar Poker Races with
Cigarette boats (as cited in a previous post)
* The danger to anyone on a dock when the boats are going by at high speed
* The danger to other boaters due to the reckless speeds of dozens of
cigarette boats going up and down river with their throttles wide open
* The danger to life and property (boats and docks in particular)

Of course there are other reasons already expressed by other posters on this
thread, such as the environmental and ethical ones stated by others, but I
think safety issues are of top concern. Also, perhaps, other agencies should
be given a cc, such as the Coast Guard, etc...

David

PS As far as comparisons with food preferences, I don¹t get the argument at
all. I don¹t have to order bell peppers if I don¹t want to -- and can ask
that they not be included in my dishes when I order in a restaurant. I can
freely pass by bell peppers, or whatever other food I dislike, when shopping
and not put them in my basket. I have no say in whether the Poker Race goes
on or not. It, along with all the disturbances that it creates, is thrust
upon us with little thought.
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