[Rhodes22-list] Boat size limits coming to Lake Sinclair, GA

[John Lock]

Last year the Georgia DNR got a bunch of phone calls from folks on 
Lake Lanier with houseboats wanting to know if they could move them 
down here, since Lake Lanier was getting so low from the drought and 
Sinclair stayed full.  They were told unofficially "No", but there 
was no force of law behind it.

Commissioners from the 3 surrounding counties have proposed 
"preemptive strike" legislation to limit boats on Lake Sinclair to 
less that 30 feet, no marine heads, no galleys, no sleeping 
quarters.  Sorta makes sense since there is only one sanitary pumpout 
on the whole lake.  The idea was to prevent people from setting up 
aquatic domiciles with no infrastructure to support them, keep the 
lake clean, and not encourage a swarm of over-sized boats cluttering 
our narrow channels.

Needless to say sailboat owners became alarmed that we were being 
needlessly targeted by such broadly worded legislation.  Most 
sailboats in the 20+ range have some kind of facilities aboard that 
would disqualify them.  Numerous phone calls and letters to the 
commissioners explained that sailboats have the least impact on the 
lake of ANY watercraft and punishing sailors for their low-impact 
pastime was not in anyone's best interest.  In fact, with gas prices 
soaring and pollution always a concern, sailing should be promoted on our lake!

We were assured that sailboats were not going to be impacted and that 
language would be added to grandfather existing boats on the lake and 
sailboats in general.

In true government fashion, the tentative wording now excludes 
powerboats over 30 feet and sailboats over 28 
feet.  What??!!  Sailboats are subject to stricter limits than 
powerboats!!  That's insane!  Again, we're told not to worry that's 
not the intention and nobody is going to start stopping and searching 
sailboats.  HA!  Famous last words...  Once it gets passed, some 
over-zealous and bored official will decide it's time to reign in 
those dang sailors.

Truth be told, I don't think we have any sailboats over 28 feet on 
Lake Sinclair.  But that's hardly the point.  Turns out that Lake 
Sinclair is the only major Georgia lake without a size limit.  So 
it's probably high time to set some reasonable limits before it gets 
taken advantage.  The keyword there being "reasonable".

Cheers!

John Lock
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s/v Pandion - '79 Rhodes 22
Lake Sinclair, GA
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