Making less of a splash

[rick]

By CINDY SWIRKO

Sun staff writer

In case you can't tell by his name, Jib Davidson is into boating. He's got motorboats and sailboats. When he's in the mood, he takes out his kayak or canoe.

So Davidson is especially tuned in to a waterways master plan being developed by the Alachua County Commission to try to minimize conflicts between various boaters and to learn what sorts of facilities are in demand.

"There are a significant amount of boaters in this county, but you don't really think of that. You can't live in Florida and be as far away from the ocean as we are, but Santa Fe Lake is great and we have the Santa Fe River," Davidson said. "There are just some wonderful places to explore."

But the water can be choppy.

Airboaters have created a ruckus over their noise and maneuvers such as "pond-hopping" — skimming over dry stretches between the watery spots at Watermelon Pond, for instance.

Sailboaters on Lake Santa Fe sometimes feel...

...Here are possible proposals that could come out of Alachua County's waterways master plan:

AIRBOAT RESTRICTIONS

A curfew placed on airboaters to minimize disturbance to lakeside residents....

Full story here: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/LOCAL/702230310

 

[Whitebear]

Reminds me of playing sandbox in kindergarten. Johnny you sit over there, Bobby stop pulling her hair and use the bloue bucket. Janice you use the pink bucket.

Growing up with siblings I was told I had to get along. I was never told what I had to do but when there was a conflict I was whipped for not getting along, not for whatever the issue I had was.

Seems to me the complainer is the one should get the first whipping then everyone else involved. I learned early on to keep my mouth shut when sis made me mad. She, being a bit if a slow learner , never did figure out she got a whippin too when she cried or complained.

I just wish the courts and commissions would stop trying to come up with micro managed solutions to everyones problems and just tell them.... "Go back and get along, if ya don't your going to face public whippings!" Then actually do it.

Scotty

 

[jrstultz]

Scotty,I could not have said it better myself. Good way of puuting it :thumbright:

 

[airboatman631]

Watery Spots!!! Sounds like a non-native to me.

 

[Olf Art]

631, I thought the same thing. Kinda seeing a pattern here ? :roll:

 

[SwampMatt]

Wally Grant of Gainesville is a fisherman involved with several groups. He heard the initial presentation, and has been involved with other waterways issues in the past.

Grant does not have much confidence that well-rounded recommendations will be made. Grant said it was clear from the meetings and from the questions in the survey that the process is skewed in a way to produce results that will not be favorable to fishing interests.

At the Lake Dwellers meeting, for instance, officials said the quality of fishing is declining on Lake Santa Fe because of motor boats, Grant said. But Grant added he has fished there for years and has found it to be better than ever.

Again - the waterfront homeowners are reaching and grabbing for ANY TACTIC (incl lying and cheating) that will push them toward their goal: No one in their back yards.

They may own the waterfront land, but who owns the waterway?

It's the same problem we face - if we want to GUARANTEE that we have areas to boat - we need to buy the land/waterway.
If they want to GUARANTEE that they have noiseless lakefront - they should have to buy the land/waterway as well.

But buying the waterway is not feasible for either group - so they go whining to Daddy Gov't. to get their way.

There is a connection - I just can't put my finger on it.... Between these people with their whiney whitebread complaints, and the people who are born, live and die while on the welfare roles. They expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter while we hard-working folks take our boats out and have our fun right in front of their miserable selves - and they complain to the government because we are having fun while they are living their miserable disenchanted lives.

AND THAT"S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS..... Not some complaint about sound, (other than the sound of fun), not about fishing, and not about the environment. It's about we're having fun and they're not.

I'm all for gov't helping those who cannot stand on their own. But sometimes the whineyness of the complaints is just plain ridiculous.

Yep Whitebear - we need to get along. The more I read about these things going on, the more I get hot under the collar about all waterfront homeowners. I'm starting to stereotype them unless I see an airboat in the side yard under a tarp.
and that feelin' ain't very conducive to 'getting along'.

 

[elviswho]

I'm one of the waterfront owners, it's kind of funny how everyone wants to complain about the noise or how something looks. My neighbors are about as snobby as it gets...want to put a gate up half way down the road to keep out the undesirables.
I bought an airboat and I thought they were going to burn down my house . Then another neighbor thought my boat wasn't new or pretty enough and it was a eye sore.
But I do have a good friend who thought it was cool so he bought one too. Now all the neighbors want a ride in those loud ugly things...go figure.

 

[Olf Art]

Elvis, I love that story. Thanks for posting it.

Mood makes a very good point in his post above when he writes (paraphrased) that the waterfront owners may own the waterfront, but who owns the water ? That is the heart of the matter if it's ever been told.
You (and I) own homes on the water, but the water is the rightful property of every taxpaying citizen of this State.

That is not to say that I have a right to make my presence on that water something uncomfortable for you while I'm close by, but I have a right to be there as long as I do it considerately.

One of the best ways I know to win over an anti is to take them for a ride.