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Morning Laws? (I hit a jet ski!)


tommyodolemite

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Sorry to hear about your incident. I lifted the following from a web site that deals with WI law as an example. Kind of surprised me that within a certain distance of shore, you can moor unlit.

"One other boating law warrants particular caution -- the anchored or drifting boat light law. Any structure fixed or floating on the water, any moored or drifting boat outside of designated anchorage or beyond 200 feet from shore, must be lighted from sunset to sunrise with a white light visible for 360 degrees from a distance of a mile. What clues does this give the evening boater? If you are traveling within 200 feet of shore, expect unlit boats, rafts and docks in the water. If you see a single light in the middle of a lake, it is likely a boat. "

Edited by beef
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The kid has every right to have his ride moored there. You as the boat driver have the burden of watching where you're going and spotting an obstruction-free path. IMO, booze-cruizing (what we call our slow late night rides) 30 feet off shore is asking for trouble. Stick to 75-100 feet at least. Too many rafts, Raves, moored boats in that close.

You're probably better off just paying for his decals if that's all it is. I wouldn't get insurance involved.

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How fast were you going?

Since it's slow-no-wake from sunset to sunrise even if you can't anchor a jet ski out from shore you're going to be at fault if you were going over slow-no-wake anyway.

Mike

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How fast were you going?

Since it's slow-no-wake from sunset to sunrise even if you can't anchor a jet ski out from shore you're going to be at fault if you were going over slow-no-wake anyway.

Mike

I was going as slow as my 'bu would go.. Idle speed

I am more worried about what my insurance company will say then whether I a personally feel responsible or not. Like I said, I will give the guy money for the sticker kit one way or another i am just wondering if the insurance company will find me liable. There where no reflectors on the jet ski and it was moored in a part of the lake that was only about 60 ft. wide shore to shore. I didn't see it at all.

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What lake was this? Pickerel?

If he was moored in such a narrow spot that far out, he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it sounds like he was not breaking any laws having it there. I'd imagine the insurance company would find you liable. That's why I don't think you should get them involved.

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What's your deductible? It might be more than enough to cover this amount of damage anyways which would make the insurance issue moot.

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Were you drunk?

I'd go with the advice from above, pay for whatever you can outta pocket, you're responsible and this is not the type of claim you want, $600 stickers. Just give the kid the cash and stay away from the shore while idling in.

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I also agree that you may want to keep away from your insurance company. Not just the $$$ claim.... but I think you may be subject to more negative stuff.

Whether he had reflectors or not..... could have been a swimmer, or a water line marker, or a log. None of these come with reflectors. Burden is on the driver to ensure no collisions. Could have been a boat. Even if it had reflectors, they don't have reflectors on all 4 sides. My boat doesn't.

If "any" alcohol was in play, you may be subject to bigger problems.

I'd say, count yourself lucky, take your ($$$ lumps) and consider a wake-up call.

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I like how everyone assumes there was Alcohol involved. I guess it's a pretty safe assumption but this time there wasn't. I had my boat up at a co-workers cabin for a company function so I wasn't drinking at all. It was an innocent night cruise for music and stars.

Thanks for the advice, i will avoid the insurance claim and settle out of pocket. The important thing is no one was hurt. Also, it was nice that my boat suffered no damage. I feel for the guy with the jet ski and I am sure we can get it all fixed up.

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It's not a negative assumption at you, just statistics show that the majority of accidents on water whetever fatal or not had some alcohol involved. Fair question since you did hit an object.

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Can't speak for WI, but everything said so far is true in MI as well except if the moored object creates a navigational hazard. If the area is only 60 feet wide, anything moored 30 feet off shore would create a navigational hazard IMO. We have several narrow areas on our lake and people have been required to move swim platforms and inflatable toys from the area because of this exception.

Regardless, I'd just pay to fix the Jet Ski and be done with it. It's not worth the fight.

My $.02.+

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A bit off topic but

Rip,

I am wondering who required people on your lake to move their rafts and inflatables. There are a couple people on our lake that have stuff 300'+ off of their shoreline to try to keep boats further away. I would love to be able to get someone to make them move their stuff in a little as it creates a lot of issues for boating.

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A bit off topic but

Rip,

I am wondering who required people on your lake to move their rafts and inflatables. There are a couple people on our lake that have stuff 300'+ off of their shoreline to try to keep boats further away. I would love to be able to get someone to make them move their stuff in a little as it creates a lot of issues for boating.

From the Michigan statute:

"It is illegal to:

Anchor a vessel in the traveled portion of a river or channel that will prevent or interfere with any other vessel passing through the same area."

Edit to add another reference:

'324.80163 Anchored rafts; order for removal as navigation hazard.

Sec. 80163. Whenever, in the opinion of the department, an anchored raft presents a hazard to navigation, the department may order its relocation or removal.

History: Add. 1995, Act 58, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995."

There several enforcement possibilities and they vary by county in Michigan. We have township requirements, county requirement (sheriff) and State requirements regulated by local DNR officers. If you have people who patrol your lake, I would speak with them.

I'm on the board of our lake association and we get a lot of complaints about people anchoring things "too far" off shore. Essentially it always boils down to the navigational hazard question. You can put just about anything (ski course, Jet Ski course, swim platforms, etc) out in the lake as long as it is removed each day (and obviously doesn't create an environmental problem). So the burden is on you to show that the people putting objects 300+ feet into the lake are creating a navigational hazard.

Edited by Rip6@36
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A few points:

If the damage is not significantly (based on your budget) above your deductable never file a claim, even if it is clearly NOT your fault. You are just asking to have your rates increased or your policy cancelled. In other words, don't even call your insurance company.

OK, now if it is OK to anchor a boat or raft, or rave, or whatever without lites then why on earth is it so hard to get permission to setup a permanent slolom course? (Wisconsin)

Something that has been ticking me off. There is a place with 3 slolom bouys anchored out about 150 feet out to keep boats away. Again, why can they do that but skiers cannot setup a slolom course? (oh, maybe it is a mini-slolom course :lol: ) There are two other places that keep two scuba diving flags out 24X7 to keep people away. This has got to be illegal. One place was near the edge of a channel maybe 80' wide, that channel went to a marina. You could not legally go from the lake past those dive flags to get to the marina for fuel. Those flags went down after about 2 days but the other place still has them up.

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