Another Hit and Run at Wolfeboro Town Dock, Red Stingray

[Webbsatwinni]

Originally Posted by jrc

I understand your frustration with this person but was there any injuries or property damage?

I would guess if someone was injured the Marina Patrol would be scouring the registration data as BI says and finding the perpetrator. If you have property damage, submit a claim to your insurance company and get them on same mission.

It wasn't me in the Stingray but I have bumped boats while docking, that's why I have rub rails, fenders and insurance. Accidents happen.

I think this post sums up the issue, if you hit a car in a parking lot, you find the owner, why not in a boat. This is also why there should be a practical test with the written for boating, to teach docking skills. It is appalling how many boaters can't dock well, driving a boat in wide open water is easy, docking is a skill and so is that of the crew and the awareness of the surroundings. You can go any day to any town dock and witness this same issue, maybe there should be a thread started to post pictures of the event as it unfolds (Like the winter harbor videos).

It is getting worse here than other places we boat, I guess it is part of the safe boating environment that was desired by a few. And the rental boat issue needs attention, the danger and accidents waiting to happen there should be causing concern to everyone that values their safety and their property.

**Rant End**

[tis]

Originally Posted by Webbsatwinni

I think this post sums up the issue, if you hit a car in a parking lot, you find the owner, why not in a boat. This is also why there should be a practical test with the written for boating, to teach docking skills. It is appalling how many boaters can't dock well, driving a boat in wide open water is easy, docking is a skill and so is that of the crew and the awareness of the surroundings. You can go any day to any town dock and witness this same issue, maybe there should be a thread started to post pictures of the event as it unfolds (Like the winter harbor videos).

It is getting worse here than other places we boat, I guess it is part of the safe boating environment that was desired by a few. And the rental boat issue needs attention, the danger and accidents waiting to happen there should be causing concern to everyone that values their safety and their property.

**Rant End**

Don't start this again, PLEASE!! We have already figured out that requiring the course has not helped make the lake safer. Now you think we need a driving test? Do people still have accidents in their cars? Yes, and they will still have them with their boats. YES! No more laws, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

[Webbsatwinni]

Originally Posted by tis

Don't start this again, PLEASE!! We have already figured out that requiring the course has not helped make the lake safer. Now you think we need a driving test? Do people still have accidents in their cars? Yes, and they will still have them with their boats. YES! No more laws, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

I'm not for more legislation that takes away freedoms, but making people learn to dock would save the gelcoat of innocent boats left at the docks. Let's trade speeding in the broads for docking school, that would be a fair trade.

[glennsteely]

Is there a penalty for "hit and run" in a boat, like there is, say, in a car? In a car, it carries a stiff penalty, loss of driving privledges in some states, I believe. What is the rule of thumb for boats in NH?

[jrc]

Originally Posted by Webbsatwinni

I'm not for more legislation that takes away freedoms...

All regulations take away freedoms.

But leaving the libertarian stuff aside, how could you possibly have driving tests for boaters without government infrastructure? Since different types of boat react differently while docking, you need different levels of licenses and tests. You can't have someone take the test in a 16' outboard and then drive a 38' Carver. You need trained marine patrol people to write administer and grade the testing.

What we all really want is people to be responsible for their actions. If you damage someone's property, fess up and pay for it. We already have that law.

BTW docking is hard, even really good licensed captains make mistakes.

[Webbsatwinni]

Originally Posted by jrc

All regulations take away freedoms.

But leaving the libertarian stuff aside, how could you possibly have driving tests for boaters without government infrastructure? Since different types of boat react differently while docking, you need different levels of licenses and tests. You can't have someone take the test in a 16' outboard and then drive a 38' Carver. You need trained marine patrol people to write administer and grade the testing.

What we all really want is people to be responsible for their actions. If you damage someone's property, fess up and pay for it. We already have that law.

BTW docking is hard, even really good licensed captains make mistakes.

Docking is hard, but so isn't driving a motorcycle and there are practical taste for that, it seems to me that by slowing and quieting the boats, the liberals looked in the wrong place, one big gap remains.

[jrc]

I guess with all the problems of the world, a few scofflaws scratching boats at the town docks doesn't seem worthy of a new government bureaucracy.

Apples and oranges, poor driving skills on a motorcycle can kill people, poor docking skills might lead to some minor property damage. You'd really have to stretch the bounds of believability to find a serious injury related to docking a pleasure boat.

[robmac]

While it does s*** when it happens think how you would feel if were yours. I for one wouldn't be to warm and fuzzy. If I can give you help having had a Stingray in the past they are pretty easy to narrow down model by color. If it was a solid red it would be an SX model and to my knowledge only one on the lake full time a 220SX

[jrc]

Just to be clear, I'm not against people being responsible for damage they cause or people searching for people who damage their property.

I am against installing a government bureaucracy to test pleasure boater docking skills, a mandatory licensing system to insure that people have their docking skills tested and an armed police force to enforce all this.

[Webbsatwinni]

I was getting Ice Cream with the kids late Sunday, eating it in the gazebo when we saw a boat trying to dock on the end of an empty dock that was across from where we docked. The back then swung out and the driver hit reverse and it was hard to tell if the swim platform hit out boat or if the girl attempting to save it on the back pushed our boat into the dock making the loud noise. We inspected ours and luckily there was no visual damage (I swam under it when I got home to make sure and it looked ok).

We then walked over to the people on the boat and the girl immediately started saying that they didn't hit it and whats the issue. Then the driver said and I quote "the bimini top on this new boat acts like a sail when docking and I can't control it". I not nicely suggested to him that he learn to boat and if he can't dock on an empty dock that he shouldn't be boating until he learns. It was a nice brand new mastercraft wakeboard boat and you would think that he would be more upset that he backed into another boat.

Glad there was no damage, but the docks were empty and all ends were open, its not like he was going for deep and needed any skill to dock.

[8gv]

Does a Mastercraft wakeboard boat have a straight inboard or a Vee drive?

I wonder if he was accustomed to working with the directed thrust that a stern drive provides.

[drwamcross]

Not only would tests for docking need a new government bureaucracy but it would not be a successful answer. Testing someone at Meredith on a Wednesday with the sun shining and no wind is a lot different than docking a boat at a dock off the Broads on a weekend with the wind blowing white caps across the lake.

The only answer is experience and to get that, there will be accidents. As was pointed out earlier in the thread, the issue is taking responsibility for your actions, not relying on government to assume an impossible task.

[NH_boater]

Always amazes me to see someone fighting the wind, while docking or anchoring, with their bimini up.

[Descant]

It's not the Bimini. It's the side curtains. The wind blows horizontally, right? Are you showing canvas to the wind or the rain?

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by tis

Don't start this again, PLEASE!! We have already figured out that requiring the course has not helped make the lake safer. Now you think we need a driving test? Do people still have accidents in their cars? Yes, and they will still have them with their boats. YES! No more laws, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

All the more reason to speak up to people that clearly don't know what they're doing. I sense an attitude here, of "oh well" it won't do any good to say anything, so just let it go. We have to see that boating is not like it used to be. There are more boats, faster boats, bigger props and more knuckleheads.
I don't think more laws will do anything, but I believe we can't stick our heads in the sand and pretend we have no power.
It's up to us. We are the experienced boaters.