[jzk]

Where are we talking? In a calm harbor with a no wake zone? Or out and about? If in a regularly navigated area, why the fuss over a wake? What kind of sailboat do you have that a powerboat wake can cause you damage and injury to your passengers?

I disagree. If you have time to do it and can do it safely, I'd take the picture and send it to the CG. You'd have to make sure you get a registration number in the pic.

In the U.S. we're all responsible for our wake. I don't care that it costs them to come off plane if it means not damaging my boat or passengers.

 

[jzk]

I submit that if your passenger "takes a header into the companionway" in open water with no wake restrictions, then you didn't properly warn them of the wake that you knew was coming.

It doesn't matter what kind of sailboat anyone has or the location. You are responsible for any damage the wake of your boat causes. Delta said that his companion "took a header into the companionway."

10. What are the regulations concerning wake effects, wake damage, and responsibility? Regarding one's wake, vessels over 1600 Gross Tons (GT) are specifically required by Title 33 CFR 164.11 to set the vessel's speed with consideration for...the damage that might be caused by the vessel's wake. Further, there may be State or local laws which specifically address "wake" for the waters in question.

While vessels under 1600 GT are not specifically required to manage their speed in regards to wake, they are still required to operate in a prudent matter which does not endanger life, limb, or property (46 USC 2302). Nor do the Navigation Rules exonerate any vessel from the consequences of neglect (Rule 2), which, among other things, could be unsafe speeds (Rule 6), improper lookout (Rule 5), or completely ignoring your responsibilities as prescribed by the Navigation Rules.

 

[jzk]

That is not quite true. Here is a decent primer:

Charleston, SC Boat Accident Lawyers Discuss Liability for Wake Damage

Well if you have the boaters info, they would be liable for any damages done by there wake, so they owe you a fire extinguisher mount at a minimum and any medical expenses if there were any.

 

[jzk]

It is true. However, a sailboat owner is required to know more just to get by. A quick walk down the dock can tell much about the respective owners just from how they are tied up. At least half of the boats on our dock are tied up wrong.

a quick search on youtube will show equal amounts of idiots launching sailboats...

hardly a way to make a point,

courtesy out on the water depends on the person or brains behind the helm...

I also know plenty of sailors who DONT know the rules well and simply beleive they have right of way all the time...

and are snobby with a chip on their shoulder too...

so it cuts both ways

 

[jzk]

Trust me when I tell you that it is best for all of us that they have those fenders hanging......

Tying up your boat is a part of good seamanship, and is often neglected in some fashion.

yup

however how a boat is tied up wouldnt necessarily tell you much about how sailor act on the water

we all know many marina queens that look perfect and then you see them out there with the fenders out hanging and ugly as hell sail shape...

again just sayin

 

[jzk]

What you describe is called "strict liability," and that is not the law as it concerns damage due to wakes.

There is responsibility of the vessel receiving the wake. If it is moored, it must be properly moored to withstand ordinary expected wakes at least, etc. If you are out in navigation, you must be properly equipped to handle the ordinary occurrences that you might encounter.

Thanks for the link and it basically says you are responsible for your wake.

these yahoos were obviously buzzing the OP. A call to the CG is certainly in order.

 

[jzk]

That would be dangerous. What if they don't see the line, and they wrap it on the shaft? What if the wrapping force pulls the vessels together and causes a collision? People have ripped saildrives out by catching a line.

It sounds like a fairly tight space, though there appears to be no speed restriction. It also sounds like the powerboats don't care. You could try trailing some lines. Maybe some long, floating ones. You could figure that they at least wouldn't pass too close astern if you did that. Doing that, and working to the edge of the channel so they don't dare pass ahead of you, might work wonders. Sounding your horn (how many blasts for a boat on starboard? How many for port?) might confuse them enough to get them to slow down too.