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Two friends in separate speedboats collided recently and one died, but lake regulars and officials say no further rules are needed.
By ED QUIOCO
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 3, 2001
PALM HARBOR -- After a fatal collision between a water scooter and an ultralight sea plane on Lake Seminole in May, boaters and nearby residents said the crowded lake was dangerous because of a lack of regulations.
But after a fatal crash Aug. 24 on Lake Tarpon in which one high-powered speedboat went airborne and landed on another, regulars at the lake had a different reaction.
They feel safe at the lake, they said, even if there are personal watercrafts and speedboats slicing through the waters next to recreational boats and johnboats.
"There is no need for further regulations," said Paul Kempter, 44, who has been on the lake for about 19 years. "Most boaters are safety conscious. They are out there to have a good time and not cause problems."
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission seem to agree.
Lake Tarpon "is probably the quietest enforcement area that our marine patrol enforces," said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Marianne Pasha.
Like other lakes throughout the state, most of Lake Tarpon has no speed limit. The lake's only rules on speed require boats to travel at idle speed at all canals and within 200 feet of the shoreline, according to signs posted on the lake.
There is a small group of boaters who own high-powered boats and take advantage of the the fact that the lake has no speed limit, said Connie Durham, 51, assistant manager of the Tarpon Turtle bar overlooking the lake. Generally, she said, those boaters make sure conditions are safe to travel at high speeds.
That's why, she said, it's a mystery what happened Aug. 24, when Robert Crockford and Ted Collinsworth -- two experienced boaters, close friends and business partners -- took their Mirage speedboats out on the lake.
Both boats, which were equipped with 300-horsepower Mercury outboard motors, were racing at speeds of about 85 mph, said Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
At about 7:45 p.m., something caused Crockford's boat to go airborne and land on the boat driven by Collinsworth.
"At that speed, it doesn't take much out of the ordinary to cause a vessel to lose control like that," Morse said.
Collinsworth, 36, of Brooksville died on the way to the hospital. Crockford, 51, of Port Richey, was listed Sunday in fair condition at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Both were regulars at the Tarpon Turtle bar, especially during the winter when there was less traffic on the lake, Durham said.
"They would be here all day sometimes, and all they would drink was iced tea," Durham said. "These guys were the safest people. I've seen them sit and wait all afternoon, waiting for the boats to clear so they could go out."
Ray Galto, 56, who has been boating on Lake Tarpon two to three times a week for about five years, has never seen an accident or had a close call on the lake. He prefers boating on Lake Tarpon to the gulf because there are too many boats in the narrow channels leading to the gulf.
Lake Tarpon also seems to attract more experienced boaters and has good visibility, he said.
"The possibility of you not being able to see somebody is nil," said Galto, as he readied his 19-foot Stingray boat, the Why Knot, for a trip on the lake last week. "You could see a guy out here who is being dangerous, and it is easy to keep your eye on him."
Major accidents on Lake Tarpon are a rarity, said Lenny Crispino, owner of Tarpon Tom's Bait and Tackle. Most boaters on the lake, he said, use common sense and know at what speeds they can handle their boats safely.
"I fish the lake just about every day," said Crispino, who has been a fishing guide at the lake since 1988. "I've never had a close encounter with anybody, and I've never seen an accident. I won't say everybody is perfect; but on the average, everybody is courteous."
At more than 2,500 acres, the lake is big enough to accommodate everyone, including those with high-powered speedboats, Kempter said.
"There is room for this type of activity on the lake, given the right conditions," said Kempter, who has created the Web site http://www.laketarpon.org, where boaters can get information about the lake.
In 2000, Pinellas County had 69 reported boating accidents and five fatalities, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Pinellas, which had about 50,000 registered recreational vehicles, ranked fifth in the state for boating accidents in 2000.
"Even when you know what you are doing," Morse said, "Mother Nature has a way of sometimes taking control out of your hands."
- Staff writer Ed Quioco can be reached at (727) 445-4183 or at quioco@sptimes.com.