Are You Responsible for Your Wake?

[UWSkier]

This video made me think of this thread.

http://www.grindtv.com/random/departing-cruise-ship-creates-tsunami-destroys-docks-boats-video/#eaoke14jh4aoA1zg.97

[timelinex]

I voted "not responsible" for both of the questions but I definitely think it's more nuanced than that. If I am riding in an irresponsible nature or a way that is completely outside the norm of the lake, then I do believe I should be responsible. There's nothing more frustrating than a new ignorant boat coming into the cove and endangering everyone. However if there is a reasonable expectation that someone with a wakeboard boat can come in and throw waves on this public no wake area, then I believe it is on the docked/tied together boat owners to make sure they are properly stationed. I recognize that many of the 'you are responsible for your wake' laws are NOT written this way, but I think that is wrong and many 'real life' laws ARE written this way. 

I also completely understand but disagree with the opinions of lakefront owners. Lakes/rivers are mostly considered PUBLIC property for the public good. If you place your house on something that inhibits general public use then that is wrong. These owners should not have a say on what can be done on public water. If they don't like it they can build up their walls sufficiently or live somewhere else. I see this as pretty black and white and it is very disappointing to me that more people don't see it this way. This does NOT mean that people can purposely try to damage their docks/property and get away with it. It just goes back to what you could expect is 'reasonable' use. If the reasonable use (which changes with time) is damaging the properties it means either a no wake zone needs to be created or if that would create too many no wake zones then it is the land owners responsibility to build up their defenses. The point is that the public's use should not be overwhelmingly infringed.

If you association man made the lake then I completely agree that you should be able to do and say whatever you want with it. But this isn't usually the case.

[Sixball]

So this is a new being responsible for your wake!!!!!!!!!  http://www.grindtv.com/random/departing-cruise-ship-creates-tsunami-destroys-docks-boats-video/#eaoke14jh4aoA1zg.97

[UWSkier]

19 minutes ago, Sixball said:

So this is a new being responsible for your wake!!!!!!!!!  http://www.grindtv.com/random/departing-cruise-ship-creates-tsunami-destroys-docks-boats-video/#eaoke14jh4aoA1zg.97

Literally 2 posts ago... 

[Sixball]

Oops! just saw it tonight. Been to busy to follow things.

[WakeSS]

Although the examples seem to be worded in a way that no harm would be caused without negligence on the moored boat owners part I'm surprised to see the overwhelming results of educated enthusiasts that think they are not responsible for their wake. Leaves me little hope that the tools who roll by throwing 4 foot rollers 50ft from docks, riders, and children swimming. It's one thing to see the area DB in his 40 footer doing 12, but pisses me off even more when, at 7am with glass, surfers in a cove destroying the water and property. We started surfing when the water was too blown out to ride. Fill up on your way to the main channel...

In 4 years, between my neighbors and I, I have seen: 4 lifts busted, 2 pulled cleats, a PWC and lift torn off and sent floating across the lake, 2 bent spud poles, 1 broke spud pole, and one corner of a dock completely folded up on itself. All in a 250 ft wide cove that dead ends into a no wake zone. Well until someone ripped those bouys out...

I try to look at it from a riders perspective when I'm on my dock and from a dock owners perspective when I'm riding!

 

[Endurance]

For me, the key fact was that the boat operator "maintain[ed] a 'Safe' distance from the dock." Seems to me that if you're maintaining a safe distance, you're by definition not responsible for damage. In my state (Utah) the state code sets 150 feet as the minimum distance you have to stay away from other boats, riders, and swimmers unless you're wakeless. 

But the "tools who roll by throwing 4 foot rollers 50ft from docks, riders, and children swimming" are not maintaining a safe distance. In my state, and I suspect most states, they're also breaking the law. Because they're not maintaining a safe distance, they would be responsible for any damage they cause. 

[Porkfight]

My dad always taught me to speed up or idle by anyone who was already there if our wake would be a disturbance...and that was in a ski boat. Courtesy and etiquette are rapidly being displaced by a sense of entitlement that goes along with spending $100,000 on a wave maker. 

When codes defining safe distances were written, surf boats probably weren't a thing.