New Speed Limits for Salcombe Estuary?

There was proposal on the table of the harbour Board which has been passed; to reduce the speed limit in the Salcombe & Kingsbridge estuary to 6 knots (from 8 knots), there has also been comment that the people are speeding in the "Bag" - the part of the estuary form Snapes to Saltstone. There are also concerns that the speed limits aren't being being enforced.

This proposal seems kind of mad for a few reasons:

1. Lets face it who really knows exactly what speed they are doing anyway?
2. Who can actually tell the difference between 6 and 8 knots?
3. When the tide is ripping out or in and you are going in the opposite direction speed is almost impossible to judge.
4. If no-one is really enforcing the limits now what good is lowering them going to do?

Surely 8 knots isn't too fast, people aren't stupid, no-one goes 8 knots past Whitestrand, its about common sense. Are the harbour board just looking for things to do to make them look important? I can't think of any other reason? It's true some people do go over 8 knots in the harbour but 99% of people don't and 8 knots is a perfectly safe speed.

Also, if there are 28% less visiting yachts then there must be less estuary traffic anyway! The estuary isn't anywhere near as busy as it was back in the early to mid 90's.

Come on Salcombe Harbour Board do something worthwhile!

Going back a few years (when Captain Blazeby was Salcombe Harbour Master and for a few years after) it was common practice to throttle up between Saltstone and Bowcombe. If the harbour master was about and he felt you were pushing your luck you would get a hand signal to suggest you slowed down and and smile of acknowledgment when you did. These days you get a ridiculous blue flashing light, a siren and your rights read to you!

aaaah the good old days......