Wake Boat Blues

[bobby b.]

The Wake Boat problems are particularly bad this year at least for me.  Local boat sales are at an all time high because people are  buying them up rather than going on other kinds of vacations.  Some of these buyers are probably first time wake boaters.  My dock is at the end of large cove that rarely sees wake boat traffic but because of the high water level they are going back into the cove.  Little do they know that there is a forest just inches below the surface now as the water level is dropping.  This weekend a wake boat pulling a surfer went back and forth in front of my dock creating those rollers and rocking the dock so bad that that the floats were coming loose even though they are bolted in place.  One of the slip owners is a lake patrol guy and he tells me that he has pulled some of these guys over and they tell him to go to hell.  He calls the highway patrol dude who tells him he was too busy and too far away.

Yesterday there was a wake boater doing the surfer thing back and forth right in front of the Aunts Creek ramp while I was trying to take out.  The guy in front of me struggled for 20 minutes trying to get a metal boat on the trailer.  He was in the water at times up to his waist.  Because he was right next to the courtesy dock there was nothing I could due to help him.  After he finally got his boat on, he asked if he could help me as I was trying to tie up to the dock as the rollers were bouncing my new boat against the dock.  Thankfully he was willing to back my trailer in.  He was so nice, he was concerned about getting my truck seat wet as he was soaking wet himself.  

On a happy note that Ranger trailer is a breeze to drive on even in 3 ft rollers.  And my 11 year old loved the waves from the jerk this weekend as we swam in front of the dock.  And I did not express myself to the wake boater in front of my kid.

Bobby

[fishinwrench]

3 hours ago, bobby b. said:

One of the slip owners is a lake patrol guy and he tells me that he has pulled some of these guys over and they tell him to go to hell.

The only way that can fly is if he pulled them over without any probable cause, in which case I gotta agree with the request that he go to hell.  

 

3 hours ago, bobby b. said:

  He calls the highway patrol dude who tells him he was too busy and too far away

Too far away to come there to hassle someone who is not breaking the law?   Good call, I like THAT guy. 👍

[Maverickpro201]

Big Problem with those Wake Boats. They not only destroy boat docks, but also destroy shore lines with a lot more bank erosion than any other boat out there. Personally they should have to stay out in the middle of a lake. Or better yet have to run them at Lake of the Ozarks only.   

[bobby b.]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Too far away to come there to hassle someone who is not breaking the law?

I would think that destruction of private property might be  breaking the law - I believe that we can be held responsible for the damage we cause with our car, boat, firearm, etc. Correct?

[fishinwrench]

7 hours ago, Maverickpro201 said:

Personally they should have to stay out in the middle of a lake. Or better yet have to run them at Lake of the Ozarks only.   

The hilarious part is that Lake O is literally too rough for wake boats. 😂

[fishinwrench]

7 hours ago, bobby b. said:

I would think that destruction of private property might be  breaking the law - I believe that we can be held responsible for the damage we cause with our car, boat, firearm, etc. Correct?

Yeah, if they actually run over your dock with their boat, or something.   

The whole "being responsible for your wake" thing has never held up in court.   Truth of the matter is that it can't even be enforced inside of a designated No Wake area.  You can get yelled and screamed at, and you can even get pulled over and have your boat searched, and get a sobriety check....but you will NOT get an actual citation for causing a wake.  

Or maybe you can....but I have sure never heard of it happening. Not ever.

[Quillback]

6 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

 

Or maybe you can....but I have sure never heard of it happening. Not ever.

Buddy of mine got cited by the PD for violating the no-wake rule in the Prairie Creek area on Beaver.  I believe it was the Benton County PD.  They have a 'navy' couple of jet-skis and a couple of other boats.

He took it to court as the Arkansas law on no-wake has nothing to do with wakes, it is speed must below 5 MPH in a no wake zone.  My buddy beat it as the cop didn't show in court and the ticket made no mention of speed.  The judge himself admitted that he did not know about the no-wake law being 5 MPH.

[garyw]

These days it seem it's not about right or wrong, it's about what you can get away with. just sad

[fishinwrench]

Yeah 9 dollars is a hell of a good deal!

 

Wait.....hu?    What are we talking about here? 

[Gumboot]

I'm paying up for the 12.99 one.

Oh, and yeah...wake boats bad.