Big boats may not belong in small places

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While details of Saturday’s fatal boat crash on southern Maine’s Long Lake have yet to be fully explained, the incident did illustrate a scary trend on the state’s waters.

As of Wednesday, state officials had not said whether either of the boats involved were using proper bow and stern lights at the time of the crash.

Those lights, if not used, may well have contributed to the tragic incident.

That, however, isn’t what caught my eye when I read published reports of the crash.

This was: One of the boats involved was a 34-foot, twin-engine cigarette boat.

The boat that it struck was a 14-foot fiberglass craft. Both people on board the smaller boat were killed.

Simply owning and using a 34-foot boat on Maine’s inland waterways isn’t necessarily a recipe for disaster.

Perhaps this 34-footer had navigation lights, and its operator couldn’t see a boat that had none.

But how big is big enough?

I’ve spent a bit of time on Sebago Lake, Maine’s second-largest lake, over the past several years, and have marveled at the number of ocean-worthy boats that roar past.

Are those boaters having fun? Absolutely. Are they hurting anyone? Probably not.

But is bigger always better?

Ask the folks on the shores … those who come to Maine for a nice, relaxing lakeside experience … or those who have been spending their summers in family camps for years.

For many, I think you’d find that the presence of a 34-foot cigarette boat on a Maine lake is about as welcome as the presence of a shark in the family swimming pool.

And, I’d suggest, both options make just as much sense.

Didymo in another river

Last month I told you about a non-native aquatic algae called didymosphenia geminata, which had turned up in a river in Vermont.

That algae, commonly referred to as “rock snot,” can take up residence in clear-water streams and rivers, and in the extreme, can smother insects and native algae.

Unfortunately, the plot is thickening.

The Burlington Free Press reported last week that rock snot has now been detected in three Vermont rivers: The Connecticut, the White, and the Batten Kill.

The Batten Kill is a famed Vermont trout river, and is valued by various outdoors enthusiasts including rafters, kayakers and tubers, along with anglers.

All of those river-users need to realize that their chosen outdoor pursuits may aid in spreading the algae to other waterways across the nation.

According to published reports, didymo is very resilient, and can be transferred from water to water if pieces of it are left on boats, waders or wading boots.

In addition, experts say the algae can be transported at the spore level, meaning that people may not see evidence of didymo after leaving a river, and may unknowingly transport it elsewhere.

One chart widely available on the Internet shows a map that highlights areas where didymo has been found in the U.S.

Not coincidentally, most of the highlighted areas are in places frequented by traveling anglers.

So far, there is no evidence of the algae in Maine, and it’s incumbent on all anglers and river-lovers to make sure it stays that way.

Cleaning items in hot water, or with a 2 percent solution of beach or a 5 percent solution of salt, antiseptic hand cleaner or dishwashing detergent, is suggested by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

Waiting for items to completely dry, then waiting another 48 hours before heading into the water is another option, the DIF&W says.

Unfortunately, keeping ahead of the didymo curve may prove to be difficult.

Consider: A vacationing angler may immerse his waders and wading boots in a half dozen or more rivers during a single trip, and that gear may never dry out completely.

Everywhere he goes, didymo may have already been introduced. And every time he heads to another river, he may be unknowingly spreading the algae.

Just because you didn’t see evidence of the algae in the last river you visited, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there, somewhere.

Remaining vigilant in our quest to keep Maine waters didymo-free is one key.

And so is spreading the word to those who may not have heard about this most recent threat.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.