Comments on: Update: Kayaking the Mystic – Wake free, thanks to Rep. Garballey http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/ Life and adventure in the Adirondacks Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:42:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-12373 Dave Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:03:02 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-12373 When it comes to sharing public outdoor resources, my personal opinion is that when usage conflicts arise the activities with the least impact on others should have right of way. Not just for safety reasons, but as a matter of allowing the most amount of people to enjoy the resource. Kayakers can share something like the Mystic Lake with LOTS of other users... including motor boats going a reasonable speed. Motor Boats racing around at high speeds however, can really only share a lake like this with themselves. More so than anything though, this is about the size of this particular lake. It is just too small. Even if you kicked all other users out, I'm still not sure this is a good body of water for that activity. I can't tell you how many times we watched boats have near misses with each other on that lake when they were not following the speed restrictions. The small size of the lake is also what plays into the problem of shoreline erosion when it comes to boat wake. We no longer live in that area, but these sorts of public use questions exist everywhere. In our new home this plays out between snowmobilers and cross country skiers, or hunters and hikers, for example. When it comes to sharing public outdoor resources, my personal opinion is that when usage conflicts arise the activities with the least impact on others should have right of way. Not just for safety reasons, but as a matter of allowing the most amount of people to enjoy the resource. Kayakers can share something like the Mystic Lake with LOTS of other users… including motor boats going a reasonable speed. Motor Boats racing around at high speeds however, can really only share a lake like this with themselves.

More so than anything though, this is about the size of this particular lake. It is just too small. Even if you kicked all other users out, I’m still not sure this is a good body of water for that activity. I can’t tell you how many times we watched boats have near misses with each other on that lake when they were not following the speed restrictions. The small size of the lake is also what plays into the problem of shoreline erosion when it comes to boat wake.

We no longer live in that area, but these sorts of public use questions exist everywhere. In our new home this plays out between snowmobilers and cross country skiers, or hunters and hikers, for example.

]]> By: Shauna Winterol http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-12369 Shauna Winterol Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:08:13 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-12369 John, You said it yourself, " As it stands now, the only place you can legally ski, or use a boat at faster than headway speeds in the greater boston area, is out in open ocean in the harbor." Why not just ski or use your boat at faster then headway speed there? We kayakers should not have to go to a different lake because you would like to break the law and create an unsafe environment for others to use the water. The reason you cannot ski or go faster than headway speed is because a small body of water with multiple fast moving boats is not only unsafe for kayakers and canoers but it's equally dangerous for boaters and skiers. In addition it causes shoreline erosion. John,
You said it yourself, ” As it stands now, the only place you can legally ski, or use a boat at faster than headway speeds in the greater boston area, is out in open ocean in the harbor.”

Why not just ski or use your boat at faster then headway speed there?

We kayakers should not have to go to a different lake because you would like to break the law and create an unsafe environment for others to use the water. The reason you cannot ski or go faster than headway speed is because a small body of water with multiple fast moving boats is not only unsafe for kayakers and canoers but it’s equally dangerous for boaters and skiers. In addition it causes shoreline erosion.

]]> By: John http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-12365 John Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:01:08 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-12365 With the upper mystic lake approximately 10 feet away from the lower mystic lake, why not just paddle there instead? The lower mystic lake would be a great spot to allow skiing and faster-than-headway speeds. If your kayak can't handle the wakes from small boats and pwc's, then just hop over the dam and enjoy the disconnected upper mystic lake. As it stands now, the only place you can legally ski, or use a boat at faster than headway speeds in the greater boston area, is out in open ocean in the harbor. With the upper mystic lake approximately 10 feet away from the lower mystic lake, why not just paddle there instead? The lower mystic lake would be a great spot to allow skiing and faster-than-headway speeds. If your kayak can’t handle the wakes from small boats and pwc’s, then just hop over the dam and enjoy the disconnected upper mystic lake. As it stands now, the only place you can legally ski, or use a boat at faster than headway speeds in the greater boston area, is out in open ocean in the harbor.

]]> By: Chronicle HD on Boston’s Channel 5 to Feature the Mystic River | Towns and Trails http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-8380 Chronicle HD on Boston’s Channel 5 to Feature the Mystic River | Towns and Trails Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:43:56 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-8380 [...] reading our recent posts on the Lower Mystic Lake and the Mystic River, a colleague sent me an email letting me know that Boston’s Channel 5 [...] [...] reading our recent posts on the Lower Mystic Lake and the Mystic River, a colleague sent me an email letting me know that Boston’s Channel 5 [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-527 Dave Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:21:20 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-527 Thanks for this info Shauna - and for your original comment, which pointed me toward our elected officials. Thanks for this info Shauna – and for your original comment, which pointed me toward our elected officials.

]]> By: Shauna Winterol http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-479 Shauna Winterol Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:50:16 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-479 Dave, Great work! The State marine Police have issued over 50 citations in the last 2 weeks! Now that sure sounds like an issue that needed to be addressed!!! Dave, Great work! The State marine Police have issued over 50 citations in the last 2 weeks! Now that sure sounds like an issue that needed to be addressed!!!

]]> By: Chronicle HD on Boston’s Channel 5 to Feature the Mystic River | Towns and Trails http://www.townsandtrails.com/kayaking-the-mystic-wake-free/comment-page-1/#comment-474 Chronicle HD on Boston’s Channel 5 to Feature the Mystic River | Towns and Trails Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:00:48 +0000 http://www.townsandtrails.com/?p=1248#comment-474 http://www.townsandtrails.com/chronicle-hd-on-bostons-channel-5-to-feature-the-mystic-river/ http://www.townsandtrails.com/chronicle-hd-on-bostons-channel-5-to-feature-the-mystic-river/

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