How to get Permission to Run RC Boats

[FlyinFinn]

I would like information on who, in general, folks have contacted over the years to get permission to run RC Model Boats on ponds and lakes. I'd particularly like to hear from long-time District 8 guys in Washington State since you have a number of sites you run on up there. It seems here in Oregon that our sites are limited and many parks and rec departments do not seem welcome to reserving ponds for events and often prohibit motorized boats. How should I approach people and what can I tell them that will get them inclined to work with me on getting permission to run events. I know about the NAMBA insurance and organized membership angle, but what other means have folks used to persuade people to grant permission?

 

[Mark Bullard]

If your going to run events you should try this. Now here in Huntsville AL we have many years for history that shows well.
1 What is the Chamber of Commerce tourist dollar per day. There will be amount that they use for how much a each tourist will spend each day for motel/hotel, food and other things.
2 What kind of event are you going to have.
3 How many days will the event be. And how many days before will racers be there.
4 How many racers do you expect.
The last number that we have from the Huntsville AL Chamber is $158.00 per person per day. So if you have 100 racers for three days at $158.00 per day. That adds up to $47,400.00 tourist dollars for the race of three days. These kind of numbers will wake up any politician for the good, to what can we do to help. It is all about the money that you can bring into the area. And of course you know about the insurance of NAMBA works for the type of event. Send me your email and I will send you what we did for our new drivers stand after we were moved across the lake. It really turned heads including the mayor.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I can give you a little info on Washington, at least Snohomish County.
To run at parks like Gissberg Twin Lakes Park in Marysville, we have to get a permit through the Snohomish County Parks Department. I would assume that would be the situation at most, if not all county parks. Just guessing on the next one, city parks. I would assume you would have to go through the city's city hall to get the approval.

 

[LohringMiller]

Our over 30 year old club has had success with private owners. We are currently talking with a ski pond owner who is open to holding a SAW event there a few times a year. We will also need to move from our present pond. A member knows another pond owner who may allow us to run on his pond. The government bodies who own many suitable ponds are usually not interested, but we have run on several public ponds in the past. A single user often can test on these ponds without causing issues, but running organized events requires permission. Noisy boats will often be a problem if the pond is close to houses. Its also important to be careful of the wild life on the pond.

The lucky clubs that have been around a long time have often been grandfathered in to their ponds. That's the case in Washington where boaters like Jerry Dunlap have maintained communication with the public bodies that control Lake Waughop and Twin Lakes. Many other Washington and Oregon ponds have been lost over the years as cities grew and home owners and park users objected.

Lohring Miller

 

[TomGracey]

Make sure u supply them with a copy of UR NAMBA or IMBPA insurance policy

 

[Steve Seebold]

There’s a lake near me and I stopped by to ask if I could run gas powered boats on the lake. They told me sure, as long as I pay the entrance fee at the gate. Entrance fee to get on the lake is $40.00 a day. I doubt if I’ll be going boating there any time soon.

 

[Mike Cathey]

The big issue on public lakes is whether you can come to an agreement to own the water for the duration of the event. NAMBA insurance is invalid if there’s people, animals or boats on the water. When we raced on the south lake in Marysville because the north lake was reserved for 15 years old and younger for fishing it brought us into constant conflicts with adult fishermen. Now that we are racing on the north lake again that issue is resolved.

 

[Wesleys Custom RC]

The big issue on public lakes is whether you can come to an agreement to own the water for the duration of the event. NAMBA insurance is invalid if there’s people, animals or boats on the water. When we raced on the south lake in Marysville because the north lake was reserved for 15 years old and younger for fishing it brought us into constant conflicts with adult fishermen. Now that we are racing on the north lake again that issue is resolved.

If you are in impba you must register the lake with impba to hold a event.