Used to be that when you pointed out that a passing boats wake was bigger than it should be with a hand-point and a slow-down motion, the captain would look back at his wake in horror and immediately slow down and sheepishly appologize.
Friday I was out to the boat, it's tied to a floating dock-style mooring, and I left my wooden, home made dink tied on the other side of the dock. Within 20 minutes, I had 4 (FOUR) boats pass my dock with wakes bigger than 1 foot (this is in the inner Milford harbor, a no wake zone). Each time I pointed to the wake and made the please slow down motion, I received a response but not the one I expected. The first boat ignored me even though I shouted loud enough for someone 100 yds away to hear (he yealled at the passing boat too, to no avail). The next three all exhibited some degree of indignation at being pointed out, though they did slow down. One of these was a 10' Boston Whaler with a captain approaching 300lbs, 2 kids and the admiral - I seriously doubt that they had PFD's on board. They have their own power boat moored in the harbor and should really have known better. His Admiral even went so far as to thank me and wish me a good night in a very condesending tone.
In each of the cases I pointed out that it was their responsibility to mind their wake and that they were trashing my dink against the dock. At no time was I out of line or threatining in my dialogue with these drivers but got (for the most part) ATITUDE in return.
The mounting of a 50 cal. on the foredeck came to mind
but short of that (I only have a 26' sailboat and like/need an open foredeck) how do others respond to this type of behavior? In future, I think I'm going to start taking reg. numbers down as they pass and simply call the harbor master and/or GC.
Hope it stops raining soon . . . .
john
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It's sad that the children in that boat got such a terrible lesson in behavior from their father.
