Name:	Samdog -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/14/2019 9:51:18 AM

I certainly understand the reason for requesting a law prohibiting wake 100' from a dock structure but it seems this might be very restrictive in many parts of Lake Martin. I am just a pontoon boater myself but if I have to go no-wake throgh the many parts of the lake with narrow areas with docks on both sides, this would be a pain. The larger waves come from boats further away anyway.

You are not going to ban wake surfing and wake boarding on this lake. Plus this would be a law with no enforcement just like the "big boat" law.

Just my thoughts.

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/14/2019 11:42:05 AM

The big boat law must have been effective. 

Name:	OleBamaGuy -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/14/2019 2:17:31 PM

Must have been?

Tell that to the 30+ cabin cruiser coming out of Manoy creek slough, lives off Knox rd

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/14/2019 3:28:17 PM

I don't see wake boats being banned from the lake.  All of the Russell Marinas sell them.  Russell didn't keep a big inventory of Big Boats and the few they had in inventory and those that were already on the lake were grandfathered in.  I've been thinking about all of this, because the eronsion problem made it onto WSFA out of Montgomery last night.  Russell Lands is going to continue developing the lake.  That is going to bring more boat traffic.  People buying those houses will have kids and kids will want a wake boat because they want to wake board.  And those wake boats will continue to contribute to the erosion problem.  There is nothing that is going to change this, so it isn't even worth worrying about.  Enjoy the lake while you can, and when it gets overcrowded, sell your place and move elsewhere.  In the meantime, if everyone would just practice safe boating and courtesy, we can all live together.  

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/15/2019 6:34:52 AM

Who is going to measure the 100 feet? It would  be totally unenforceable law.,especially seeing the swim bouts that are allowed to be 25 feet from your doc. Some are well over 50 feet out.

Name:	realfast64 -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/15/2019 6:05:49 PM

  Why don't they/we just enforce the wake law that is on the books?  All boaters will be responsible for the wake they create.  Any boat that is/was designed to create a massive wake will be deemed in violation of law!

  That is what the other boating law that causes so much controversy was suppose to fix.  Now the local marinas the were really behind this law make massive monies on wake boats not ski boats. LOL 

  What a twisted web we do weave when we first practice to decieve!   The big boat law was a farse against Fountain Boats and Reggie Fountain.  Now it is a debacle. 

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/15/2019 6:24:06 PM

The big go fast boats are virtually gone. Appears that the law worked.

Name:	slowtimer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/16/2019 12:36:33 PM

The performance boats are definitly here on the lake.  I saw a Nortech 340 with triple 400's and a Sunsation 32 CCX with twin 400's on the lake last weekend.  These boats are illegal under the law.  The only thing that has changed is the performance boat industry woldwide is not producing but about 1% of number the I/O performance boats they were 12 years ago.  The industry has shifted to performance center consoles with outboards.  These are just as fast but are not loud.  Noboby seems to be bothered by the greater than 27' twin engine 70 mph pontoon boats or the fast performance center consoles with outboards.  It seems that loud sound is really what got under everyones skin.  The State of AL already had a boat sound limit but that was not being enforced.  A new law was proposed that somehow started as all lakes in AL then got whittled down to 3.  How is this possible that a State law only affects 3 lakes in the state?   

FYI, I love seeing the performance boats.  The new performance center consoles are absolutuly amazing and incredibly nice.  If you ever get a chance to ride in one or just crawl around one please do.  They are such a well rounded overall boat for almost all activities (other than wakeboarding) it is a shame that this stupid lake law will ulitimately limit them on Martin.  

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/16/2019 2:28:34 PM

As if there aren't enough problems on the lake, you would add more.  That law has been in effect for at least 10 years.  I'm of the opinion that those boats were not intended for use on lake, but for bigger waterways.  I enjoy seeing them in what I consider the proper setting, but on Lake Martin?  I would vote no.

Name:	slowtimer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/16/2019 4:34:35 PM

I am an old school conservative.  In my line of work I have to deal with Federal, state, and local restrictions and ordinances.  There are so many that you could spend your entire career just researching and trying to ascertain what each ordinance means.  Most are written with some level of interpretation (just like this lake law).  I feel that there are too many restricitions currently in place everywhere and there are a lot that are not being enforced. 

Lake Martin is the largest man made body of water in the state with 743 miles of shoreline (this lake is enormous and at one point was the largest man made body of water on Earth).  Whether you agee with the law or not it is very fishy that only 3 lakes are affected by this State Law.  The much smaller lakes in the state are not affected by a "big boat ban".  In my opinion it just screams corrupt.  

Name:	slowtimer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/16/2019 4:42:58 PM

It is interesting that the smallest Fountain built in 2006 (year the law went into affect) was 27' long.  Wonder where they got the "ban boats over 26'11" length from"???  I wonder what Reggie Fountain did to Russell to cause this whole thing to happen...

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/16/2019 10:22:46 PM

Can you say OFFSHORE Boats.  Go-fast boats in lakes are for only one purpose....to show your a$$.  Reggie Fountain designed and built his boats for OFFSHORE racing.....period.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 12:52:33 AM (updated 9/17/2019 12:55:35 AM)

I love loud cars and boats. But, WIX is right...they belong in the Gulf not Lake Martin.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 12:53:19 AM (updated 9/17/2019 12:56:08 AM)

Opps...see above post.....

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 9:46:03 AM

OMG!!  We agree on something.  To me, it’s not the noise, it’s running 90 mph in waters where other boats are driven by novices without the experience needed to stay out of the way of someone showing their a$$.

Name:	Pontoonfisher -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 1:43:02 PM (updated 9/17/2019 1:46:21 PM)

I did 94mph in Scrushys 38’ Cigarette Top Gun on Lake Martin and it was a blast. The one with Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner painted on the side. Just Saying!

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 3:35:06 PM

But who would be behind this "corruption".  Who benefitted by the law? 

As a former policy wonk in the federal government, we can debate whether there are too many laws and regulations.  I've seen legislation proposed on things that truly needed restriction and I've seen legislation that was merely a knee jerk reaction to one thing that happened or even the fear of something happening.  

Obviously, I don't know why the law only is applied to three lakes - perhaps they were the only ones with the perceived problem?  I know at the time just before and just after I moved to the lake, this was a big issue.  I believe there was even at least one law suit about it.  

Name:	Wood guy -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 4:13:48 PM

The existing campaghne "Watch your wake Save the lake " seems to have had little if any effect on boaters respect of others property, islands or dock structures. I would say notice how many boaters are above idle speed inside of 100 feet from docks or real property on the main parts of the lake. Twenty or thirty foot boat, pontoon or other style all can cause massive damage if not properly operated. The lake seems to have a noticible erosion problem this year and hopefully legislation can give the marine officers a means of control. 

Name:	CAT BOAT -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 5:14:54 PM

158 MPH in our Skater 36ft Cat.  Loved it.  2000 Screaming Horse Power.  

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 5:20:38 PM

You only took me to 112, and I still ain't tasted none of your cooking.

Name:	boataholic -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 5:31:40 PM

Yes, 90 and 20 don't mix well together.  Same reason there is a minimum speed on the interstate highway.

Name:	mariah1 -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 5:42:20 PM

Cat is just scared to show off his cooking skills

Name:	slowtimer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 8:49:23 PM

Im not sure who benefited from the 3 lakes law other than the developer who planned to develop on Weiss lake.  He was the original person who contacted Senator Dial to create a ban on houseboats that eventually became the “big boat ban”.  If memory serves me correctly Russell actually had a Fountain franchise at the time.  They never sold many Fountains at the lake but did have a few in inventory .  The vast majority of Fountains sold on the lake were from Pier 57 out of Counce, TN.  This is pure speculation on my part so please don’t take it as fact but I have always wondered if there was some bad blood due to the requirements Reggie put on their dealers.  I know for a fact that some of his floorplan requirements were very one sided to Fountain corporate. 

Please keep in mind that Baja made and sold more boats than Fountain.  They had a 26 Outlaw that was completely legal and definitely faster than 60 mph.  Donzi also had a 26 zx at the time and sold a lot of those.  The 26’11” ban just seems odd.  I can go buy a 150 mph 26 RPM and be perfectly legal on the lake.  This is where my problem lies.  Why not just enforce the already in place sound limit and place a speed limit of 60 mph on the lake and eliminate a ban on certain boats.

Name:	slowtimer -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 8:57:19 PM

CAT BOAT.  I rode in your American Offshore and had a blast!  I wish I could have taken a ride in the Skater.  If someone has never been in a boat like that they will never understand the fun and freedom feeling that they offer.  Some people just think the owners are “showing their ass” but that is definitely not the case.  Everyone who has an instant negative reaction to these boats please educate yourself by riding in one before criticizing someone else’s idea of fun.

Name:	Wood guy -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/17/2019 9:08:36 PM

Agree

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Why three lakes law......
Date:	9/18/2019 12:13:58 PM

Best explanation for the “three lakes law”:  Consider the law as the anti-ATL houseboat law, with anti-go-fast thrown in.  The only way the law could get thru the legislature was to restrict coverage to the lakes closest to Atlanta.  If you think people disdain wake boats, just think how there would be an uproar in sloughs when a 100 ft houseboat dropped anchor with 20 folks, and 5 boats in tow, and showed up in the slough every weekend.  Go look at the mess on Lanier or Hartwell, and you’ll understand.

As for the go-fast lovers, the law has certainly helped ensure a civilized cure to 90 MPH boats showing their a$$ among 14 yr old SeaDoo riders and pontoon boaters.  If you want to enjoy running a fast boat, go run offshore.  After all, that’s the design purpose of the go-fast.  Yes, I’ve ridden and driven such boats offshore....yes,fun.....go do it offshore.

Name:	Wakely -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/20/2019 5:34:34 PM

Lake Guntersville has more shoreline (949 miles) and more acrage (69,000) so unless submarines (and thus average depth) are being considered, Guntersville is larger.

And Wheeler is the second largest, at about 67,000 acres (and 1,027 miles of shoreline!)

With 44,000 acres and about 750 miles of shoreline (though in the past few years some have started throwing around 880 miles, but I don't know where that comes from) Lake Martin can claim to be no better than third-largest in the state. (But still the best overall, of course, though we should try to keep that a secret.)

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	9/20/2019 8:03:32 PM

You (or someone) missed some key words.  Lake Martin was largest impoundment in the world when it was built during the mid-1920’s.  Today, it’s just an average size man made lake.  BTW, the 880 miles of shoreline comes from Ala Power....changed when power company learned about GPS, I guess.  If wake boats keep it up the lake will be over 1,000 miles of shoreline pretty soon!

Name:	John Brown -	Reply
Subject:	Request for new "wake" law
Date:	4/29/2020 8:20:44 AM

Totally agree! Also read some interesting facts about such laws here, but I think the thing you recommend is able to work out.