Name:	Lifer -	Reply
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.

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/19/2018 10:40:07 AM

Thanks lifer!  I guess this issue is like city hall, no need to try to fight it.  These boats are not going away even though I often wonder how folks afford $100,000 boats!? The wife and I have been thinking about updating our pontoon boat and see they can easily hit $100k too.  Wow!  

Anyway, thanks for the info.  

Name:	realfast64 -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/19/2018 3:57:15 PM

 Oh how i miss the lake life. no i don't.  It's sad that things have changed so much.

Name:	Buteye -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/19/2018 4:46:10 PM

You must not have shopped for boats lately. I went by Singleton Mariine at Blue Creek a couple of days ago and they had a 30ft Cobalt for $339,000.00. I can remember when I purchased my first used runabout fo $1000.00.

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/19/2018 7:45:31 PM

I think what you'll find in a canal like the ICW, or in a marked ship channel off shore, the ship movement has priority and anyone using the water or living alongside the canal must build to accommodate the purpose of the canal/channel.  Displacement hulls force lot’s of water to the side as they move.  Best to be prepared.  Lake Martin has no ship channels....only boats who act like they want to be ships.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/19/2018 8:32:44 PM

Valid points but in the film with the houses on the canal it is a fairly recent phenomenon. He said it only happens when the "1000 footers" pass through the shipping lanes. Smaller ships don't have the same effect. The 1000 footers have only been around a relatively short time, like wake boats, but the houses preceeding them by decades so who should have more rights, the ships or the homeowners? They could diminish the effects simply by slowing down. The answer to both issues is not an easy one. I tend to favor homeowners there, just as I do here mainly because it is well established maritime law. Your wake, your responsibility. I would see it differently if the houses were new and built where they are. They should know the risks of building near the shipping lanes with these mega ships, but when the houses are there first  I think their rights should supercede the shippers. Check out the videos. My browser doesn't allow me to paste to the forum for some reason or I would post links, but they are easy to find.

Name:	39KC -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/20/2018 9:43:21 AM

That's a strange post for someone on a Lake Martin forum.

By the way, I was just there yesterday and I already miss the lake. 

Name:	ChrisCraft -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/22/2018 11:07:17 AM

Great thread. What kills me about it all is concerning the thread above. Why does everyone want to EXTEND the boating season with higher lake levels longer into the fall when pleasure boating comes at such a dear price at the hands of wakeboarders? I seriously miss the long winter drawdown...for the added peace & QUIET but for more time for the average person to make shoreline improvements/repairs. I understand the business end of it so don't go there. Looks like this has been a failed experiment. Start the drawdown after Labor Day like it was for generations. JMHO.

Name:	Samdog -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/22/2018 11:11:29 AM

In response to ending the drawdown. Some of us are not wakeboarders but still enjoy boating, swimming and kayaking at full pool water levels.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/22/2018 12:21:26 PM

I'm actually not sure the drawdown has anything to do with traffic.  Most of the weekenders fade away when school is back in session regardless of the lake levels.  

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/22/2018 12:34:17 PM

I agree. It's nice to have a few weekends that us full timers can enjoy the lake without the weekend warriors.

Name:	BAJ -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	8/22/2018 2:17:32 PM (updated 8/22/2018 2:19:41 PM)

(Responding to MartiniMan): This is true, and is what some of us were trying to say during all of the talk about keeping the lake full longer. For the vast majority of people, lake season is defined by the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. And higher water levels and businesses staying open longer are not going to change that.

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Extended fall lake level
Date:	8/22/2018 3:44:25 PM

When kids go back to school, 95% of the wake boats disappear, so the lake belongs to those of us who enjoy boating.  The higher fall levels won't happen often, and it will take years for many on the Lake to break the old habit of packing up the boat on Labor Day, but get out of the lazy boy and get your butt out on the lake.  Fall is, by far, the best time of the year.

Name:	Pontoonfisher -	Reply
Subject:	Maritime law
Date:	9/4/2018 8:44:55 AM

I have seen this happen in person.  The large container ships displace a huge amount of water.  As the ship approaches the water level actually can rise at the shoreline because the ship is pushing so much water away from it.  It is basically plowing a hole thru the water.  As it passes the hole has to be filled back in with water and the level at the shore line drops.  I witnessed this about 30 years ago near my uncles place on the Chesapeake Bay.