Big, fast cruisers cause contention on Lake of the Ozarks http://www.ky3.com/content/news/428894593.html

[fishinwrench]

There's a new little place in the Gravois called T's Fish house, looks really cool and the food smells amazing when I go by there.  I really want to stop there and eat lunch, but you can't tie up to their docks for fear of having your boat ripped to pieces, so besides the neighborhood folks there's no way they are making any money and will probably not even open up next year.  It's really a shame.  

It gets worse every year, and this year I don't know if anyone else has noticed but PWC traffic has declined drastically.  It has honestly gotten too rough for the ones that used to go searching for waves to play on.  That would be funny if it weren't true.  

A couple weeks ago I had to do a lengthy test run on a pontoon I had worked on, so we loaded up the fam and went for a cruise on a Thursday afternoon.  My kids beach ball blew out of the boat so I jumped in to retrieve it and although I played it off like a tuff-guy to everyone in the boat the truth of the matter is that I almost drowned.  You ever try swimming 30-40 yards through 3' swells and heavy boat wakes?    It's pretty scary.    If you fall out of a boat on this lake during the weekend and end up a little ways away from the boat you'd better be a strong swimmer and know how to control your breathing or you'll be a statistic.  That kid that got thrown out while handcuffed probably would have drowned even if the life jacket had stayed on, it's that bad.

[Old plug]

10 hours ago, Hydro 205 said:

In my tritoon today we went from the 9mm to the toll bridge and down to duck head. Saw several boats plowing away. Water patrol running right past them. Nothing will never be done. It's a money thing.  

I do think that the new break wall policy will help. They need to do that with the floating wave breaks where it lets the wave break over it some on an angle to deplane the water instead of bouncing it back out into the lake. 

That is not what I refer to as a toll bridge. I call it ROBBERS CROSSING. It is owned buy a investment outfit in St Louis. Same kind of bussines folks that cause all the provlems around here.

 

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, Old plug said:

That is not what I refer to as a toll bridge. I call it ROBBERS CROSSING. It is owned buy a investment outfit in St Louis. Same kind of bussines folks that cause all the provlems around here.

 

I hear alot of folks saying that, but here's how I see it:  The state refused to buy it, and even though the original deal was  that as soon as the bridge had paid for itself it would be turned over to the state....for some reason the state doesn't want the burden of maintaining it.  Nobody has to use it unless they want to, so I'm not understanding where the robbery part is.  

When I need to go to that side of the lake I gladly pay a few bucks to avoid driving all the way around the lake.

Are lettered roads like MM and TT county or state roads?  

[snagged in outlet 3]

I have a little experience with bridges.  And the maintenance is very expensive.  In NYC a lot of the bridges are toll, owned by the contractor that bid on and built them and maintained by them.  The City wants nothing to do with them.  Drive around them if you don't want to pay.  

The other option is they don't get built in the first place.

[slothman]

I think it is silly that you cannot get a year pass. I might be more inclined to use the bridge if I didn't feel like I was being nickel and dimed to death. I really think it would help the west side become more accessible. 

[moguy1973]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Are lettered roads like MM and TT county or state roads?  

Those are state roads

[Old plug]

 I believe both are state roads. They will be working on the shoulders of both MM and TT beginning naext month. so tou might run into a lot of delays. 

Wrech, it cost you 6 bick to go over and come back right now.  IDo go around a lot that little gray Ford of mine will get 38 Mpg on the Highway.,

[slothman]

It costs $8.50 to cross with my boat (round trip). I'd love to put in at Shawnee Bend from time to time, but not for that cost. 

[Jerry Rapp]

2 hours ago, slothman said:

It costs $8.50 to cross with my boat (round trip). I'd love to put in at Shawnee Bend from time to time, but not for that cost. 

just curious.  How much is your tow vehicle and boat worth?  How much did you spend for that last crankbait you bought?  The bridge didn't cost you any extra taxes did it?  It is everyone's choice to use it or not.  But costs need to be kept in perspective.

[fishinwrench]

Being a mechanic I not only look at travel costs as "the cost of fuel".  I consider wear and tear and MY TIME.  I used to enjoy driving, but anymore I hate it. At least once a month I have some idiot swerve into my lane threatening a head-on, so anything that shortens my time spent behind the wheel is worth 3X the cost of fuel to me.