Regarding Personal WaterCraft on Queen Lake

The following Is an important message from the

Queen Lake Association

regarding the use of PWC (jet-skis).This email is being sent to all Property Owners with lake access.
In response to numerous concerns, complaints, and letters received by the Queen Lake Association (QLA) regarding the use and operation of Personal WaterCraft (jet-skis), a Board meeting was convened on Saturday, August 15, 2020 to address the issue. After much discussion, the following motion was made and unanimously approved by the Board.
“To require PWC owners as a group, to develop and submit a written code-of-conduct and a plan for self-policing, to the Board within two weeks. Further, in the absence of a code and plan being submitted, or failure to comply with the approved plan, the Board take action to limit the use of PWC on the lake.“Towards this end, It is recommended that PWC owners contact QLA Board Member Leon Roberge, also a PWC owner, to schedule a meeting and prepare the requested documentation for submission to the Board. Submission is required prior to the end of August 2020. Leon’s email address is below.

Personal watercraft make a very distinctive, high-pitched sound, which disturbs nearby residents, wildlife, and all other recreational lake activities
A number of PWC operators continually show off their water gymnastics irritating other boaters and fisherman; and causing great danger to themselves and others.
Drivers ride ON a personal watercraft instead of IN it, and they do so without restraints. If you combine that with speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, the absence of brakes, and the congestion on Queen Lake, the likelihood of potentially deadly accidents is dramatically increased for both the PWC operators and victims of their negligence
The disregard of signage (photo attached) posted on the Phillipston public beach which reads “NO LAUNCHING OF JET SKIS FROM RAMP OR BEACH”
The lack of supervision over guest PWC operators.
The environmental Impact.

Additionally, almost all PWC operators regularly ignore Massachusetts Boating Laws:

Most jet-ski operators regularly exceed the maximum speed of “45mph for watercraft on inland waterways,” more than doubling the 30mph speed of most Queen Lake water skiers. From the shore, it is obvious – they go twice the distance of a water skier in the same time frame.
Most operate at high speed even in congested areas.
Most NEVER operate at the required slow “headway speed (6 mph or less) within 150 feet of a swimmer, the shoreline, a water-skier, a raft, or an anchored boat.”
Most totally ignore the law which states it is “illegal to jump the wake or cross unreasonably close to another boat” and do so behind behind boats towing skiers and tubers.
Some have been seen not wearing life jackets.

Please know that the Board looks forward to the satisfactory resolution of this issue by actions taken by the PWC owners themselves. But, be advised that the Board will not hesitate to take further action, if required, to ensure the long standing enjoyment, preservation, and safety of Queen Lake.
Please feel free to contact any of the Queen Lake Association Officers and Board Members below for additional information
Respectfully,The Queen Lake Association

Officers:

President John Colby: colbyrealty2@gmail.com

Vice President Tim Haley: tim@phillipston.com

Treasurer Rusty Newcomb: gn701@comcast.net

Secretary Sally Suomala: richsally2180@comcast.net

Board Members

Leon Roberge: lrobergejr@gmail.com

Joanne Augustino: spa281@verizon.net

Bob Clark: bclark1clark@aol.com

Scott Conti: psconti54@gmail.com

George Dakin: georgedakinjr@gmail.com

Gerry Gariepy: gcgariepy@yahoo.com.