Would It Do Any Good To Report Unsafe Boater?

D

Doc

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I was leaving a slow speed zone, entering a normal speed zone and noticed a 55' Sea Ray slowing coming up behind. Realizing that he would want to pass I went to neutral and moved to the side of the channel. Instead of slowly passing he got to within 25 yards of my stern and gave it full throttle.

His wake raised us up about six feet and we literally fell off the crest sideways. I had no time to react because his action was totally unexpected. There were no injuries although my wife who saw him coming was still knocked to the floor of the cabin. There was no permanent damage either.

Thanks to the Coast Guard's data base I know who the boat belongs to and exactly where he lives. Was he the operator? Probably.

I radioed the Coast Guard and the local Sheriff's patrol and since there was no collision or deaths, they were not really interested. The Sheriff's Deputy did say that they would give him a "talking to" if they happened to see him.

To answer my initial question...No, it does no good to report an unsafe boater.

I would like to light a bag of dog poop on his front porch, however.
 
Pretty standard florida boater behavior, the USCG, FWC and locals don't give a nr 2

You should have mentioned a small oily slick in his wake, thT would have motivated them. Or maybe that he cut a few blades of sea grass... Or brushed a precious manatee

I m always careful approaching the end of a NWZ when followed by another boat and always ready to react to what appears to be log or manatee in the water that would force me change course,
 
Tough one. I saw the results of a waking with property damage and injury at my former marina witnessed by the local police. They did nothing until they saw the anger on the boat and marina owners faces and the blood, followed by the screams of "Do your damn job!"

I would put it in writing as an FYI only to the USCG and the Locals because there was no injuries or damage. That immediately shifts the onus to them. When (not if) the clown in the SR does it again and causes loss to property or personal injury, the authorities cannot claim ignorance.
 
I usually B'cast a warning on 16 including the boat name, registration etc..
 
6' Roller is a lot of water. Every situation is different, and I wasn't there but I would never go to neutral knowing there might be an impending wake.
 
I had an incident 14 years ago where a huge charter boat came through a no wake zone in our river at excessive speed where my boat was docked and left boats rocking, hoses pulled off boats an some cracks on my swim platform. Many witnesses, Lots of yelling, but I was not on boat at time so not an actual witness. Someone at the dock reported the incident, radioed the marine police, who spoke to witnesses on the dock and later boarded the boat in the Bay. He denied the Waking incident and the marine police said he was not intoxicated, so no charges.

I called the police Barracks spoke with the Sergeant, and pushed him to press the case. He finally agreed and we went to local court with numerous witnesses who took a day off work to testify. The Charter boat captain saw all the witnesses and the town prosecutor convinced him to plead guilty, paid a fine, so the judge never had to rule.
The lesson for me is to talk to the officer at the Barracks and convince him to pursue the case since we had lots of witnesses.
Obviously the officer on duty knew the Charter boat Captain an decided to cut him a break although he had numerous witnesses at the dock.
I don't recall if I threatened further action to repair swim platform but The Sergeant overruled the local officer. The prosecutor had all the evidence from the witnesses to win the case.
If this happened to me again I would report to the Marine Barracks rather than depending on the officer on duty. At least it might prompt a visit from the Marine Police to talk to the offender. .
 
Doc, as the stand-on vessel in this situation, didn't you violate the rules of the road (Rule 17) by not keeping your speed and course?
 
Why would you go to neutral and have zero control of your boat?
 
"To answer my initial question...No, it does no good to report an unsafe boater.

I would like to light a bag of dog poop on his front porch, however."

On the first you are correct and on the second, the fooltball rule of life. The instigator never gets flagged, only the retaliator.
 
Man, you guys can pick apart any situation and turn it around. The way I read it, he was being courteous and pulled to the side in a slow speed environment (probably in a tight area) giving up his stand on vessel rights to let someone pass who at the time was not throwing a wake in his direction. Can you honestly say that you have never done this?
 
Sometimes being courteous is dangerous, especially if doing so is against the rules and the other guy is expecting you to follow the rules.
 
I don't think that I actually went to neutral. Maybe, but more likely I went to idle, kept the engines in gear and maintained my course. I know perfectly well the obligations of the stand on vessel. Who knows what I did because it happened really fast. He almost had his bow even with the back of my boat when he gunned it...with a big grin on his face.

Bottom line is that whether I was in neutral or at idle the result would have been exactly the same. If I had been going 5 or 6 knots like I had been in the slow speed zone, the result would have been the same.

Instead of all the should haves let's come up with something diabolical to do. As I mentioned, I know exactly where he lives.

[:-devil]
 
Don't worry Doc, given enough time this group could figure out how to blame Anne Frank for her own arrest and demise. Which is why I don't post any boating actions I do here any more.
 
Doc -
How about having a cheap flower arrangement sent with a note saying "Your Boating Skills Stink." Conceal a small dead fish among the stems and wait a coupla days. Construct it yourself, have a kid you don't know deliver it and no ones the wiser. Don't ask me how I know...
Have a nice day!
Steve
Riverbed
 
Man, this is the first good "wake" thread we've had in a long time. I guess a "portable generator on the swim platform" thread will be next! What's this world coming to? :)

Bob
 
Anyone remember that "SeaDoo For Dad" (owner of Bombardier) mega wake thread from a couple of years past? He trashed stuff in Baltimore, NYC and up into Maine. Anything ever happen with that?
 
I have a success story in the battle of the azzhat boat owner.

Sitting in a quite cove on anchor with our dinner preparation underway. I'm on the swim deck manning the grill and the GF is below making a salad. Nice quite scenario with a wonderful sunset and a fine scotch.

In to the cove comes an azzhat in a upper 30' Cruiser Yacht at max plow throwing a huge wake. The cove is only about 150 yards wide and we are in the middle. I see what is going to happen so I give the GF the "Big Wake Crash Position" heads up which to her meant to move all breakable / spill able items in the galley to the sink and hang on.

Then I see it and can't believe it.. he's making a turn to loop around us and head back out of the cove still pushing a massive wake.

I head to the helm and give him a couple blast of the horn with no reaction so i head for the table in the cockpit to try to move everything to the floor so it does not get tossed around. On the way I see my BASE helmet with the GoPro mounted so i strap it on and hit record. I make sure to get a good shot of his boat reg # and proof of his distance and speed before focusing on the table.

His wake rocked our 26' cruiser pretty bad. No damage but the GF had failed to lock one of the overheads and we had a couple bottles of salsa tossed to the counter and explode- huge mess.

On his way out of the cove I was able to get a good shot of his boat name. I radioed the NPS and reported the violation and was told to make contact with the ranger at the marina at first possible chance to follow up.

Park Service tracked him down and violated him.

I was pissed since our nice quite evening had turned into an hour and a half of picking up salsa and broken glass and cold steaks for dinner.

A couple trips later I saw the boat in the marina but no one was aboard. One of these days they will be and they will get a piece of my anger.

rant off :)

moral- carry a video camera. Ranger told me that is the reason he made the effort to even right the report.
 
The portable generator on the swim platform reminded me of one the worst ass chewings I ever received. I'm in the Navy (many years ago) on a Mike boat. That's a really big landing craft for tanks. We are putting along right outside the breakers off Coronado, CA basking in the sun when a giant roller lays us over about 75 degrees and this large generator on skids leaves the boat.
 
So you radioed the coast guard and sheriff? wow... sure does stink in here! I can't tell if the smell is coming off the ray or albin. pu
 
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