First Draft

[HenryC]

Removed -12/10/09 - HRC

[nies]

HenryC, AFTER READING YOUR INFORMED " FIRST DRAFT ", IT WOULD BE HELPFULL IF YOU WOULD GIVE THE PROPER LOCATION OF A CANNON ON MY CP 16, WOULD BE ONLY USED ON POWER BOATERS WHO SLOW DOWN TO CREAT A GIANT WAKE, WHILE WAVING AT THE PRETTY SAILBOAT AND NEVER LOOKING BACK TO SEE THE  CARNAGE LEFT BEHIND........GREAT WRITING.........NIES

[Bob23]

Phil:
   I find I can carry larger cannons on my 23. Very helpful. Of course, being a polite skipper, I always fire a warning shot across thier bow first!

Henry:
  Thanks so much for your in depth articles. Love the term- GPS assisted grounding. If I'm gonna go aground, I'd like the satisfaction of doing it myself, thank you.
  I usually save your aricles for more indepth reading at a later date...right now I'm supposed to be working here in my cave of an office but, once again, have gotten sidetracked here at the Compac owners site. Ah...
Bob23

[HenryC]

Thanks, guys.

The term "GPS-assisted grounding" was inspired by someone's comment (I'm sorry I can't remember where I read it) about how the failure to properly interpret radar imagery often led to "radar-assisted collisions".  It's all a pet peeve of mine, becoming so hung up on technology you forget to look out of one of those little round windows.  At least, GPS has the capability of telling you EXACTLY where you have gone aground.

As for power boaters, I think you need to understand they are all in a hurry to get somewhere.  Sailors don't need speed, they are "there" the moment they cast off their mooring lines.

[fafnir]

Good article but it should be expanded a bit for anti jet-ski tactics.  I find that the deck gun crew has a difficult time with tracking and properly leading the target and certainly could use some helpful advice or perhaps better training.  We tried Exocet anti-ship missiles, and although expensive worked reasonably well.  However after the um "incident" they have proven difficult to get and the exhaust gasses were rather hard on our sails. 

[nies]

YOUR CREW NEEDS TO REMEMBER JET-SKIERS ALWAYS CIRCLE BACK AND WAIT FOR THE THE RETURNING OBJECT TO COME INTO RANGE AND FIRE. I OWN A BIRD BOMB GUN AND WHEN FIRED CLOSE TO THEM , THEY RETREAT TO ANOTHER BAY TO GET THEIR HEARING BACK. I REALLY HAVE NOT USED IT YET, BUT HAVE BEEN TEMPTED......PHIL

Good article but it should be expanded a bit for anti jet-ski tactics.  I find that the deck gun crew has a difficult time with tracking and properly leading the target and certainly could use some helpful advice or perhaps better training.  We tried Exocet anti-ship missiles, and although expensive worked reasonably well.  However after the um "incident" they have proven difficult to get and the exhaust gasses were rather hard on our sails. 

[Bob23]

Although, in all fairness, gentlemen, please re-read my story posted in the lounge on August 05, 2009 entitled "Dramatic Rescue (s) on Barnegat Bay". There is at least one good soul on a jet-ski out there.
Bob23

[nies]

BOB, YOUR RIGHT THERE ARE A LOT OF RESPONSIBLE BOATERS( JET-SKIERS ) OUT THERE. IN SAWYER COUNTY, WI. THE POWERS THAT BE (DNR) HAVE CRACKED DOWN ON ALL BOATERS WHO ARE ACTING OUTSIDE THE  LAW AND HAS MADE A HUGH DIFFERENCE. I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD HAVE TO BE LICENCED TO OPERATE POWER BOATS, A LOT OF THE STUPID BEHAVIOR IS BECAUSE OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND ONCE EXPLAINED BY A PERSON WITH A GUN ON THEIR HIP THEY LEARN THE HARD WAY.....OOPS OFF COURSE.....PHIL

[HenryC]

I'm just as much against licensing boaters as the next guy.  It would be impractical, if not impossible, to devise a licensing program to weed out bad boaters, it certainly doesn't seem to work well at limiting bad automobile drivers.  And of course, the horrors of exams, DMV testing, registration, expense, government bureaucracy, and so on are to be avoided at all costs.  After all, just how do you determine who is a competent boat operator by administering an examination? OTOH, the sort of clowns operating watercraft you see today tells us something needs to be done.  There are just too many crazies out there, and people are getting killed. 

Of course, it will never happen.  There will be the usual whining of free-market and libertarian types who will see in this some grave threat to our constitutional liberties, and of course the boating industry will want absolutely no part of any scheme that might reduce their customer base and will lobby against it like demons.  But there is a way that might be acceptable to the majority of the boating community.

Perhaps a recreational boating license should be available at minimal cost, on demand, for anyone who wanted one.  Write in to the authorities and they'd send you your certificate and a booklet of rules and regs, no questions asked.  However, IF stopped by the marine patrol for unsafe or illegal behavior, this licence could then be revoked and a stiff fine and training regimen imposed if you wanted it re-instated.  This way, only those who forfeited the right to go boating would be saddled by the expense of administering the system.

Although no doubt there are bad sailors and competent powerboatmen out there (and many who do both!) it still should be obvious that AS A RULE, sailors are generally more conscientious and safer mariners than powerboaters.  Too many of the latter simply see a boat as a car on the water, turn the key and drive off.  Sailors, in general, require some basic nautical expertise just to get their boats rigged and underway.

[Les]

Jet skiers are such a great target, for close up work within 40 yards, Stryker makes a 12 shot rotating barrel shotgun in 12 gauge that you can load with a 1 ounce slug, then double ought buckshot and so on.

For longer distances, you will need to resort to idiot-seeking missiles.

[Bob23]

HenryC:
   That's a very logical approach to the licensing idea. Here in NJ, we are suppposed to have taken a Safe Boating Course. I never got around to it. It seems that if one is stopped and does not have proof that one has completed the course, one gets a stiff fine. After all, NJ is broke and we gotta get some revenue somewhere.
   I had an interesting conversation with a very well aged Coast Guard Auxiliary guy this summer. He had his little stand at a nautical flea market. Most people were ignoring him so I went over for a chat. We talked a bit about this mandatory course. I mentioned to him that some years ago, I took an advanced coastal nav course hosted by the CGA. Being familiar with the course and the aforementioned Safe Boating Course, he told me that I learned much more in the coastal nav course than they teach in the Safe Boating Course yet it didn't count for beans.
   Didn't make sense except for the additional 60 bucks I gotta spend to someone will be convinced I'm safer. Don't you just love bureaucracy?
Bob23

[HenryC]

Agreed.  I have no objections to licensing being done to promote safety, providing it is effective to that end; and I suppose services directed specifically to boaters should be payed for by boaters through some sort of user fee, but to disguise a tax as some sort safety measure is just plain wrong.

The fact is, neither the boating industry nor the boating public will tolerate a truly tough but meaningful safety license. This is especially true here in Lauderdale, the "boating capital of America".   

[fafnir]

Regarding licensing,  what license do I have to have to get that Stryker rotating barrel shotgun thingy?  One of those mounted to the stern rail sounds perfect.  Very rarely have I found the need to eliminate targets that are further away then 40 meters and this device looks like it would be able to thwart the dive bombing tactics of seagulls as well. 

[Les]

I screwed up, the barrel is fixed and the cylinder rotates around with 12 shells, unfortunately it is for police use only, so we will just have to rely on civilian shotguns to clear the vermin.