Gulf Oil Spill Updates
At BoatUS.com
or boat operators along the Gulf
Coast and in Florida, continually updated maps, observations, fishing restrictions and
other important information has been
collected and posted at BoatUS.com/
oilspill. As the magnitude of the oil rig
accident became apparent this spring,
boaters and anglers faced a summer of
uncertainty on the continually changing
conditions.
F
proposed increasing tenant rental fees by
500 percent to boost state revenues. By
2007, many of the clubs on public lands
in Greater Boston faced eviction for failure to pay the new fees, and in a few
instances, for not providing public access.
Boating advocates began campaigning to
replace the short-term permits with long-term leases.
“The problem we’ve had all along is
that yacht clubs come in different sizes and
shapes. Some are on pilings. Others are
on land. Some have parking, some don’t.
Some are open year-round, some aren’t.
All these differences must be considered
when you’re negotiating a lease,” said Sen.
Michael W. Morrissey, an avid boater and
member of three yacht clubs. “In some
cases, the tenancy situation was subject
to public land takings to make room for
new roadways or whatever. So we had to
do something about ensuring longer-term
leases. People hear the word ‘yacht’ and
assume everyone owns a big boat and is
a member of an exclusive club. Nothing
could be further from the truth. The aver-
age boater owns a 17- to 19-foot runabout
or a sailboat under 30 feet. Yacht clubs
built on public land in Boston offer afford-
able boating opportunities and we don’t
discriminate.”
By allowing the state to authorize
leases up to 30 years, yacht clubs and row-
ing organizations are given more breathing
room. “Some of these clubs are 100 years
old or more and have large capital needs,”
said Morrissey. “If you want to get a loan,
the lender wants to know that you’re going
to be there next year.”
Massachusetts Rep. Charles Murphy
(D), chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, shepherded House Bill No.
4346 through the legislative process. “I
heard from many boating constituents, so
it was given top priority,” Murphy said.
Award For BoatU.S. Magazine
A feature story about a wild ride
through the rapids on Idaho’s Salmon
00 TheMiddleForkofIdaho’sSalmonRiverwindsthrough thelargestfederalwildernessareaoutsideAlaska— anditscutthroattroutarejustaswild ADVENTURE FlyanglerChuckSundby“lostcount”ofthetrouthecaughtandreleasedinsix daysofMiddleForkdriftboatfishing.ntillastJune,theprospectofdriftboatfishinghadconjuredup imagesofmeanderingdownaplacidriveronalazycurrent,casting adryflytoquietpools.Butthat’shardlythesightthatappeared undermyfour-seaterCessna120asitcameinforawashboardland- ingattinyThomasCreekairstrip.ThisistheheartofIdaho’sFrankChurch-RiverofNoReturn WildernessAreaandtherewasnothingcalmaboutthewhitewater twistingaroundthecampsitebelowandbuildingstrengthforthe rapidsamileorsodownstream. Amongthebigrubberraftshauledoutonthegravelbar,Icaughtaglimpseofwhat Icamefor,aMcKenzieRiverdriftboat,mytickettosamplefast-waterfly-fishingfornative cutthroattroutontheMiddleForkoftheSalmonRiverasitflowsthroughoneofthe deepestgorgesinNorthAmerica.Itsun-dammedwaterswindnorthwestfor106miles, U
23 Fast-Water Fly Fishing Fast-Water Fly Fishing ByRyckLydecker
00
Bill Bernt, a veteran of 40 years at the oars, brings his aluminum drift boat
through a major rapid on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The 106-mile wilderness river has nearly as many rapids as miles but native cutthroat trout wait in
the quiet eddies, eager to rise to Bernt’s hand-tied, elk hair dry flies.
22
Chris Edmonston of BoatU.S. went to the Gulf
Coast in May to film public service announcements for outdoor cable networks on what anglers need to know.
The major websites for oil spill
information are:
River to fish for cutthroat trout has won
a writing award for author Ryck Lydecker.
The Excellence In Craft Award from
Outdoor Writers Association of America
recognized Lydecker’s first-person account
of “Fast-Water Fly-Fishing” in the January
2009 issue. Read it at My.BoatUS.com/
BoatUSmag.asp or http://www.nxtbook.
com/nxtbooks/boatus/200901/ index.php
BoatU.S. Resources for Boaters:
www.BoatUS.com/oilspill
Post Your Observations at:
www.boatus.com/oilspill/submit.asp
The official government site:
www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/
go/site/2931/
The official NOAA site, with interac-
tive maps: http://response.restoration.
noaa.gov
Protecting Your Boat:
www.boatus.com/oilspill/boat.asp
Fisheries Information:
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_
horizon_oil_spill.htm
Gulf States Contacts List:
http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/
gulfcontacts.htm
You’ve heard of SUVs, but if you’re cruising major U.S. ports in the next few years, you’re likely to see more of the Navy’s new SEVs, Screening Escort Vessels, on the water, such as this one in New York Harbor. Although the 64-foot aluminum, deep-vee monohulls carry U.S. Coast Guard markings and fly the Coast Guard ensign, they’re actually owned by the U.S. Navy. As a domestic law-enforcement agency, the Coast Guard has the duty to accompany military vessels in and out of harbors, enforcing a 100-yard security zone — recreational boats, stay back! Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, originator of the modern deep-vee hull, the boat’s twin diesel-powered waterjets can push the top speed to more than 30 knots. The fifth boat in the 12-vessel series was delivered for service in Puget Sound in March. — R.L. Coast Guard Beefing Up Naval Security
