Studies of small watercraft are a tax-money waste

Ahoy.

You have seen them cruising around the waterways. Most of you have ridden one or at least want to ride one. Everyone returns to shore with a smile on their face.

What I am referring to are personal watercrafts, motorcycles of the water. These vessels provide recreational activities that are fun for the whole family and are affordable. Seventy-five percent of personal watercraft sold will hold up to three people, and newer models have four-stroke engines, which are environmentally friendly.

Some folks don’t like personal watercraft, and they have been fighting to ban them from lakes and rivers. The complainers whine about the noise or the speed, and the environmentalists or anti-boaters are trying to manipulate environmental issues to ban them. The National Park Service was forced to ban personal watercraft a few years ago from its waterways; however, the bans are being overturned after conducting scientific studies.

The results from scientific studies are showing just the opposite of what is being touted by the anti-personal-watercraft groups. The National Park Service’s environmental assessments are proving that personal watercraft have no significant effect on the waterways and are an appropriate boating activity. The park service has to do a study for each park, and it recently removed the ban at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan.

“In every instance -- 15 to date -- where an environmental assessment has measured the impact of PWC [personal watercraft] on a body of water where motorized boating is permitted, the study concludes that PWC use should be allowed,” said Maureen Healey, executive director of the Personal Watercraft Industry Assn., in a news release. “It’s becoming clearer each day that the national parks were forced to prohibit PWC use in the first place because of unfounded accusations made by an extreme anti-boating group. This anti-boating group is responsible for costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps more, because it has single handedly forced the National Park Service to conduct these assessments in order to review the ban.”.

The spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars is a huge waste of tax dollars, especially when that money could be used for the national parks or could be used to prevent urban runoff from being washed into the lakes. I have mentioned numerous times in my columns that the land lubbers are major polluters of our waterways because of all the trash, oil, pesticide, fertilizer, animal waste and junk that is washed into our waterways.

Tip of the week is more on how to decorate your boat for the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade.

Here are two lighting ideas for smaller vessels like kayaks and Boston Whalers that have the luxury of an onboard generator.

First, you can purchase battery-operated decorative lights that will connect to your boat’s DC battery or that have a battery pack.

Secondly, the best decorative tools for kayakers are the glow sticks sold in various colors. Glow sticks can be wrapped around your arms, your paddles and looped to resemble a Christmas tree. You want to been seen on the water not only for those watching from the shore, but for your protection from the other hundreds of boaters on the harbor during the parade.

Lastly, for those of you wanting to find a great spot to see the parade from shore, come on down to Balboa. I will be there every night as the voice of the parade, where I will be commentating to the crowd about the boats in the parade, and I might have a few special guests join me. The boardwalk is an excellent area to view the parade, and you can visit the restaurants, the Fun Zone and the shops. And there is plentiful parking at the Balboa Pier.

Tune in to the No. 1 boating talk radio show in the nation, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show.” It airs every Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170). You can join me, Chandler Bell and Eric Hovland by calling the listener line at (888) 344-1170.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by e-mail to [email protected] or visit https://www.boathousetv.com.

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