Name:   Lifer - Subject:   Maritime law Date:   8/19/2018 10:08:08 AM

It is well established maritime law that the captain is responsible for their wake as has been the topic here for days. Last night as I was surfing (the internet, not the lake) I came across a "phenomenon" filmed by boaters. They were beached on the side of a river, canal, or jetty, I couldn't really tell which, as a tanker ship passed by them. As it approached and passed the water level drops significantly. It looked like maybe two feet. Then as it passed the water came rushing back. The water did exactly as it does in the case of a tsunami.

I had never seen such a phenomenon and was intrigued. My first thought was it happens because of the narrowness of the channel they were in. But then I followed YouTubes suggested links and watched basically the same thing happening in other places only in more open water. One showed a tanker passing in open water were people had homes on a canal running inland. As it passed the water dropped and came rushing back into the canal were they reportedly have video documentation of damages to bridges, boats and seawall.

I say all this to make a point. These are commercial vessels with professional captains at the helm working for cooperations with very deep pockets, yet they can't get any relief, monetary or otherwise, so how would one get relief from wake boats here? I realize these ships are in commercial lanes and operating at established norms whereas many of the wake boaters act very irresponsiblly, sometimes even recklessly which makes a difference in a legal sense. I don't know the answer, if there even is one. The idea of "surfing zones" makes sense but doesn't address all the issues, like PWC's and and other boats that plow through close in areas instead of idling with no wake. Boats are bigger and more powerful than ever and so are the wakes.

There are things one can do to mitigate damages from wakes. One is use more rip rap and another is build an angled wall as opposed to vertical. Both of these actions dissipate waves more I stead of reflecting them back into the pool. If you don't understand an aged wall check out Wind Creek Park. They have them there. But most of us already have our walls built, and most of those before the inclusion of the rip rap at the base of the wall was required. If you don't have it you should add it over the winter. Of course this nothing about the front line wave coming directly off the boat but does help to reduce overall wave action within the pool.

All of you should go to YouTube and check out the "water displacement" videos. It some incredible footage.