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Date: 2/16/2022
SOUTHWICK – Although there haven’t been any reports of so-called personal submarines at Congamond Lake, the Lake Management Committee is considering banning them as a proactive safety measure.
Members of the committee at a meeting last week largely supported the idea of a ban. Committee Chair Dick Grannells said that he had seen a personal submarine awarded as a prize on a game show, and thought more about whether any such boats exist on Congamond, and if any state or local bylaws cover them in any way.
In addition to being able to travel at high speeds, personal submarines, as their name implies, have the ability to submerge underwater. Committee member Eric Mueller said that resurfacing vessels would pose a safety concern, as one could inadvertently surface into a person or another vessel.
“Even the Navy, who kind of knows how to do this stuff, has had that happen on the ocean,” said Mueller.
In comparison to the types of boats common on Congamond Lake, Mueller said that he found that personal submarines were relatively cheap. He saw one recently that he said cost about $60,000.
“There are plenty of people who come to this lake that could buy one of those,” said Mueller.
No committee member knew whether anybody on Congamond Lake already had a personal submarine, which would be a problem if somebody does and the town then passes a bylaw banning them.
Grannells asked the committee to research existing bylaws that address such vessels on the state and local level. If nothing exists addressing them, Grannells suggested that the town create a new bylaw doing so.