San Francisco Spreckles lake to be lost...

[[email protected]]

To some of the fellow boaters out here that have seen our beautiful pond in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. It might be no longer a place for us NITRO/gasoline to run anymore in the future.

It is a public park and anyone can run. We have been given plenty of warning back 5 months ago with the last meeting with the City officials and club's Commodore but some of the boaters chose not to follow the basic rules and now, 60db and 15mph will be posted and enforced by the park rangers. They will come out with the noise meter randomly and will issue verbal warnings then citations. It is upsetting for me and few responsible boaters and felt unsure what to do. I spoke to the Vice Commodore and will be calling the Park's Rec. (John Parley) and the Commodore (David Sands) to postpone the sign for now and hope some agreement with the fellow boaters are met. Sound is of the issue for now and not the speed according to Ken Valk who is the main contact with the city officials who are answering for many of the neighbor's complaints. To all who run boats at the park, this is our last stand so please help out and give notices to the other boaters with their unmuffled pipes,wrong silencer on the pipe,etc. The 60decibels and the 15mph is not going to make it for us at the pond. There is still little hope that they will only worry about the noise for now.

The serioussness of this matter is that me and another gas boater named Julio met one day, built a great presentation and presenteted it to the Model Yacht Club, and the Park and Rec. They loved it and we thought we were golden in saving the lake. Of course it was contingent on us monitoring the noise and controlling the reckless drivers, yup the finger was pointed at the gas guys. Yup, they shouldn't be offended because they were addressed personnally. Unfortunately, there were some people who talked a good game about supporting me and Julio when things got out of controll and standing together in numbers to show support.

When the time came they didn't help. We've had about 20 boats launch out of the pond and crash almost hitting people, which doesn't help us keep the lake. We've got and have two guys everyday on pond day playing "Chicken" or demolition derby with one another. They've had endless amounts of crashes and continue doing it. [iBoy, this is a great reason for us to keep our lake. :angry: I addresseed it, they say "okay, we'll stop" but since no one else cared to say anything they do it again.

This is also a pond where MAYBE 5 or 6 guys have NAMBA insurance, and it's not a recognized club.

I know this sounds synical, it is because I hate to say it but....I told you so.........now where in hot water.

If any of you guys are serious on saving our lake call either me or Julio. He and I are gonna try on last time to resolve this matter and get the db up to 80. Or e-mail me at: [email protected]

For me, my .21 inboard and tunnel w/silencers were ok'd by the ranger and read under 60db. As for 15 mph, It wouldn't be worth the trouble to even unpack my car.

Rodney Guerrero

 

[Russell Bear]

Too Bad. It stinks how a few people can ruin it for everyone

 

[Guest]

A perfect example of how some "quiet pipe" rule will not save ponds. If they want you gone........you are gone. 15MPH!

 

[Slideblues]

Rodney,

It almost sounds like they have applied the same ruling as the marina's (idle and no wake) City goverment is always adapting rules to fit. We lost two pond's in the same year here to the same issues. A stock leaf blower barely passes and motorized anything is not allowed on any water owned by the city. They even assigned time of day for lawn gromming. What was left of the boaters here have went to private ponds including myself. All it takes is a few to complain and the rest snowballs.

Good luck with it, I hope yours works out better than it did here

Gene

 

[TomMoorehouse]

ya know..... the way i see it..... you give some idiots power..... and that's exactly what they will be.... idiots! that goes for the pond owners/controllers making stupid rules and the boaters not being responsible.

 

[Russell Bear]

Don't know how high in the chain this goes, but this is a great example of the need to vote for yor local officials. Before long, all our rights and liberties will be gone. :angry:

 

[GTR]

Hi Guy's

I think you're being a little hard on the park officials. It sounds to me that the issue is NOISE and irresponsible behaviour. As Rodney pointed out the Ranger is fine with QUIET boats but when you combine loud with stupid you have a recipe for disaster. It's great when we can share a facility but as Rodney pointed out boats have just missed people - these people have as much right to enjoy the facilities as any boater - not more or less but the same. If people started riding minibikes around and almost knocking people down do you think there'd be complaints?

This highlights a classic example of doing the right thing get's you good things - stuff people around and it's soured for everyone. Do these guy's have any idea how much it would cost them if they hit someone - I doubt it or they would be a hell of a lot more careful. Loose a house to legal claims might wake them up.

You want to keep this pond help Rodney & Julio fight for its survival get in touch and do the right thing by all park users and it might be saved.

In case you haven't figured it out I HATE STUPID SELFISH PEOPLE.

GT :angry:

 

[CySlyde]

I feel for ya man.. I wish i could help, but i don't know how much assistance somebody from another state would be. but feel free to email me same name @earthlink.net if i can help in any way.

 

[Don Ferrette]

A perfect example of how some "quiet pipe" rule will not save ponds.  If they want you gone........you are gone.  15MPH!

And here we have another pro noise advocate who sees this as an opportunity to voice his "noisy opinion". Well Mr. "unregistered guest" they do have a "noise" problem-

"Sound is of the issue for now and not the speed according to Ken Valk who is the main contact with the city officials who are answering for many of the neighbor's complaints. To all who run boats at the park, this is our last stand so please help out and give notices to the other boaters with their unmuffled pipes,wrong silencer on the pipe,etc."

So if you would actually "read" Rodney's post you'd see the rangers are ok with noise control & proper behavior. Sounds like these idiots who won't act properly need to behave or get booted out as it's total B.S. that they are even remotely allowed to jepordize the site for everyone else. It's simple- no muffler & no proper behavior equals no running! Rodney, it's time to take a stand on the idiots it your group who are about to ruin it for everyone. They can either put a muffler on it & act & drive responsibly or they can leave, NO EXCEPTIONS!! :angry:

 

[Don Ferrette]

Rodney-

I would take this as your next step-

Make a deal with the park that ALL powered model boaters who use the pond will become members of NAMBA which will mandate the use of quiet pipes or mufflers AND provide insurance coverage for the site. It's easy- no NAMBA card, then the park officials will tell you to leave. Also supply the park officials with the NAMBA "rules of conduct" so anyone acting stupid can also be told to leave. Stress to the park officals how much you want to protect the site & this would be a big help in enforcing safety & good conduct for all from both sides as you can go to NAMBA for help also. Then if the clowns who don't want to follow the rules continue to act up, you have them removed & report the situation to your local NAMBA official. Desperate times require desperate measures.... :angry:

 

[[email protected]]

Guys,

Thanks for the input. 5 months ago I built a great Power Point presentation and met w/Ken Valk, and the head of Park and Rec. Couple things I brought up was forcing NAMBA insurance on boaters, and having our own r/c club. They poo-pooed both ideas. They kinda' agreed to leave things as they were. However, ironically they claimed neighbors, several blocks away were complaingin about the noise. Huuummmm....funny they didn't come to the pond and tell the boaters in person don't you think? They refuse to share the names of he complainers so we can work something out.

 

There grand idea was to move us out of the park to another lake! Geez...that works great for the sailboaters and tug boat people don't you think?

 

After it was said and done, I spoke w/the knuckle heads ruining it for us. They said, "okay, well listen" next time out they forgot and were back to their shananagins. A guy named Julio who is helping me w/this battle went to the pond yesterday and confronted one idiot and told him, "The muffler you has reads over 85db's. You need to stop running and replace that thing or we'll lose the lake". Guess what the reply was?? "I don't care, I'll just find another lake! And I'm gonna keep running until they post these new rules".

 

See this is what kills a pond when there's people like that, nor a club to govern things. I mean you don't even need a club, you need people with balls to evict these people. That's what we're gonna start doing. May get ugly, but I'm not up to lose the lake I've been running at for 18 years.

 

Here's the good part. I spoke w/the Mayor's office and they said they'd help. I have to get a Petition together for everyone and anyone to sign. I made one last night on GoPetition.com, once they post it I'm gonna put it up on the post boards for your guys help.

Next they will set me up w/a group called SF Community Watch Group that does "Free" Litigation and mediation for groups in trouble or in this situation. So I hope this works ASAP.

 

The Park is also going to add to the rules that ..."there can only be two boats on the water at any given time..." meaning if a boat stalls out, that's one. Since we don't have a row boat and must use ball and reel, this is a real problem.

 

More to come!

 

[Slideblues]

Rodney, I am with ya buddy, But DONT let it get ugly, Dat Sum Beach need's backhanded and go fer a swim, but that can backfire on ya, and your tied up for months with he said, she said, Cool heads prevail

Gene

 

[Don Ferrette]

"Guess what the reply was?? "I don't care, I'll just find another lake! And I'm gonna keep running until they post these new rules".

Sounds like a good butt whuppin' is in order ........ :angry:

 

[Slideblues]

Well.......... You could have cousin Guido make him a offer he cant refuse

 

[[email protected]]

YEAH HIS WIFE MIGHT GET THE BULLET PROOF VEST W/THE FISH.....