Boaters need to control their wakes
(Chris) Alexander, the man who refuses to go quietly or with any semblance of dignity, has written a Maclean’s op-ed in which he implores people to please quiet down and conduct ourselves with greater dignity. Shannon Gormley
Re: Letter: Landowners must protect shoreline, Aug. 26
I, and others, are waterfront owners in the stretch of the Rideau River from south of the Roger Stevens bridge upstream to James Island. Over time, the quiet enjoyment of our water has deteriorated due to days upon days of ski boats, cigarette boats, various tubers, ignorant large boat owners, test drives and worst of all, wakeboard boats.
These last are absolutely the worst as there are many of them. Once they add their ballast to the rear hull, they sit very low in the water and produce an enormous wake. They run back and forth seven days a week in front of our places, eroding our fronts and testing the tie-offs of all boats at dock. Courtesy and practicality mandates that boaters are responsible for controlling their wake.
Patrick and Debra Wieshlow, Kars, Ont.
Surfers, cruisers are big problems
I live in the narrows, and can tell you, with certainty, the two biggest problems for shoreline erosion are:
The new sport of surfing: These boats are built to produce the largest wake possible; their wake is sometimes three feet over the shoreline, every single day back and forth through the narrows.
The extra-large cruisers, driving full throttle through our narrows, again three foot waves over our shoreline.
It happens every day, and these two problems are causing the destruction of our shoreline.
I suggest all of us shoreline owners get together, because this problem is only going to get worse.
Denise Foster, Kars, Ont.