As a local resident and lifelong boater who has enjoyed all that our beautiful harbor and bay have to offer, I feel compelled to offer a much needed suggestion to our harbormaster department. With respect to the many out-of-town boaters that visit our harbor during the warm weather months, for the past few years I have witnessed on numerous occasion the harbor patrol waiting in prey, seeking to pounce on every out-of-town boater who motors past the no-wake zone the second they pass the marker.

Yes, the patrol is doing their required job of policing the harbor, but the problem is, for those unfamiliar with the harbor, it is extremely difficult for most boaters to visibly see the very small white markers … On a calm day it’s tough enough; on a weekend afternoon with a typical southwest wind-swell, it's nearly impossible, and then it becomes easy pickings for the harbor patrol.

For a harbor that’s fairly wide at the entrance, to have just two markers across the mouth just makes it all the more difficult for unfamiliar boaters. If we really want to promote boating safety in the busy summer, I think there is any easy solution here — add two more no-wake-zone markers and make them all more visible.

Yes, as a town we may collect less marine speeding ticket money, but we would more than make up the small financial loss by having out-of-town boaters enjoy a more pleasant experience. Our harbor has undoubtedly gotten much busier and the inadequate marker warnings are clearly not doing the job. It’s the necessary and proper step to take.

James Raiola 
Bristol