DON’T ROCK THE BOAT!

You’ve heard them on the radio calling from marinas, seawalls, other boats (and the occasional condo)...“SLOW DOWN!”...”WATCH YOUR WAKE!”... “LOOK AT THE DAMAGE YOU CAUSED!”. And those are just a few of the more polite examples!!!! A couple of years ago, when a boating club from Broward County came through our area on a day trip, complaints over the VHF started in Boca and could still be heard long after the group had passed through the area into Martin County. The trail of destruction they left in their wake at marinas and popular moorings spots was amazing. The sad part is that it could have been avoided since sea conditions were calm and they could have gone up on the outside and not risked injuring another boater or damaging vessels tied up in marinas along the way.

With all of the new speed restrictions, idle zones, manatee zones, etc. when you FINALLY get to that sign that says “Resume Normal Safe Operations”, you might want to keep a few things in mind as you’re putting it all the way to the stops. You really ARE responsible for any damage you cause when you speed past a marina, a boat ramp or another boater so please...BE COURTEOUS! Boating is supposed to be fun for EVERYONE! Also remember that you’re sharing the waterway with some of the same people who do 40MPH on I95 as well as the ones who do 60 through a residential neighborhood! Maybe some of them really SHOULD get a Winnebago and others would do well at the Daytona 500 but going into attack mode isn’t going to solve the problem either. Besides...all the screaming, profanity and threats over the radio generally don’t do a bit of good anyway!

One of the Coast Guard definitions of Negligent Operations is “Excessive speed or wake for the circumstances and failure to exercise that degree of care which a reasonable person under like circumstances would demonstrate in order to prevent the endangering of life, limb or property of any person.” Translated, plain old common sense should go a long way toward making your day more enjoyable and keep you out of trouble with other boaters, marina operators and marine law enforcement. You really are responsible for your wake and any damage you cause. Pay attention to what’s around you ie; other boaters, marinas (especially the ones with fuel docks!), slow moving vessels, anchored boats, marine construction workers, etc. Also, if you see someone with a vessel under tow, don’t forget, the guy at the end of the tow line could be you someday. Give them a break and back off a bit to give them an easy pass.

If you are the victim of a speeding boater, there are some things you should know. Unless a law enforcement officer actually SEES a boater speeding or otherwise causing a hazard, he or she cannot write a citation based on your word. By all means, if you see someone operating in a dangerous manner, pick up your radio and call for any marine law enforcement vessel in the area. Calmly give them your location, a description of the vessel causing the problem and the direction that vessel was headed when you last saw them. If their wake caused damage to your boat, you have the option of filing a formal complaint with the Coast Guard. Your best bet is to give a brief report to the local Coast Guard station either by cell phone or radio and then stop by the station to fill out an accident report if there is damage involved. You will need this in the event the damage is extensive enough to require filing a claim with your insurance company. Information regarding the boat that “attacked” you should include as much of the following as possible:

•		Date, Time and Location of the Incident
•		Description of the Vessel that caused the problem – Length, Make, Color, Name of Vessel , Registration or Documentation Number, type of vessel ie; sail, power, tug & barge, etc.
•		Weather Conditions
•		Clear, concise description of what happened

Although someone’s wake may have annoyed you, if there are no injuries and no damage, sometimes your best bet might simply be to take a deep breath and remember that there are a lot of boaters with very diverse ideas of “fun” sharing the same waterway. If you like to go really, really fast and sea conditions are calm, you might want to consider going offshore for a while where you can open it up without endangering other boaters. (Don’t forget...FWC operates radar guns in the ICW!) If you don’t have a “need for speed”, try to be patient with those who do (as long as they are in an area with no restrictions).

At the end of the day, we’re all out there to share and enjoy one of the best boating destinations in the country so “let’s just all try to get along!”.

Have a Safe and Happy Boating Season!

As always, many thanks to our friends atCoast Guard Station Lake WorthInlet and Florida Fish & WildlifeConservation Commission fortheir contributions & suggestionsfor this article.

Definitions of Advisory Signs IDLE SPEED, NO WAKE: A Vessel that is operating at Idle Speed is proceeding at the minimum speed that will maintain steerage while producing no wake. (vessel completely settled in the water) SLOW SPEED, MINIMUM WAKE: A vessel operating at Slow Speed is completely OFF PLANE, has settled in the water and is proceeding without wake or only with a minimum wake. 25MPH MAXIMUM SPEED: A vessel that is operating at a maximum speed of 25mph & is not operating at an unsafe speed for the specific waterway conditions. The vessel does not have an elevated bow which restricts visibility or “produces an excessive wake which unreasonably or unnecessarily endangers other vessels or natural resources of the state”.