My misguided faith

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Crosis

Be EXTREMELY careful doing that in Florida. The police wont have time to hear about why the power boater was speeding near you because they will be busy arresting you for a felony. Yes, its a felony to fire a paintball gun at a car, boat or a window of a house.

I was in Tampa Bay last fourth of July weekend and had a big powerboat pass me within ten ft and wake me badly. I wished for a paint ball gun then, if I hadn't been so astonished and caught off guard, I would have thrown something at him.


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[rwidman]

Shooting (even a paintball gun) at a boat or anybody is childish, illegal and dangerous. Suggesting that someone do it is childish.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Crosis

Be EXTREMELY careful doing that in Florida. The police wont have time to hear about why the power boater was speeding near you because they will be busy arresting you for a felony. Yes, its a felony to fire a paintball gun at a car, boat or a window of a house.

Indeed. And not just in Florida.

While I admit that it sounds like fun, shooting a paintball gun at speeding boats is a spectacularly bad idea. I assume Minaret was joking.

Or if not, I would just say -- better use an RPG, so that there are no survivors to testify against you

[Cheechako]

I spent a terrible day going North on the ICW once. Every powerboat that came up behind me was considerate and slowed way down just before they reached me. What this did was give us a death roll from the wave produced when they slowed way down.
It would have been far better had they passed me at 20-25 knots as they throw very little wake up on plane.
It aint always easy.

[Target9000]

I really dont know what documenting anything would have done, the cg station was in visible range and half the time the police, wildlife , or cg boats would be the ones throwing wakes. In the end we just moved!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Indeed. And not just in Florida.

While I admit that it sounds like fun, shooting a paintball gun at speeding boats is a spectacularly bad idea. I assume Minaret was joking.

Or if not, I would just say -- better use an RPG, so that there are no survivors to testify against you

Oh no, I've done it several times. I have small children aboard, extreme waking events are very dangerous and could even be fatal. I view it as an attack on my family, and they are fortunate I choose to use paintballs instead of more lethal options, as they are doing to me. Happy to go to jail for it. Wouldn't do it to the minor waker, we all know the ones that deserve it. I'd be stoked if they called the cops, and I'd probably sue them for damages.

[S/V_Surya]

How many people are walking earth today because you do not want to go to jail? Anyway, I am on a river on the Chesapeake and have many hours available to ponder what to do about these power boaters. I have seen the people at the end of the dock shout, and raise their fist they even put up a big sign that says no wake.... I was think of using the Whale Wars idea of disabling there prop by putting some line in the water close to the boat. Not that I really would though.....
But what scares me is the go fast boats that come up the river late a night going 60MPH. How can they possibly see anything in their way?

[letsgetsailing3]

Looks like a great trip. Glad the Monitor gave you a hand with the steering.

From your music, I'd say you narrowly missed a Middle Eastern nightclub.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by minaret

Oh no, I've done it several times. I have small children aboard, extreme waking events are very dangerous and could even be fatal. I view it as an attack on my family, and they are fortunate I choose to use paintballs instead of more lethal options, as they are doing to me. Happy to go to jail for it. Wouldn't do it to the minor waker, we all know the ones that deserve it. I'd be stoked if they called the cops, and I'd probably sue them for damages.

You cannot be serious!

First of all, as already pointed out, that is illegal and stupid. Who will support your family while you happily go to jail? And suppose the person you shoot at shoots back only with a real gun?

What sort of idiotic behavior are you demonstrating to your children??

If you think being waked by a boat could be fatal, you should better prepare your boat and crew or leave it tied to the dock.

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by minaret

Oh no, I've done it several times. I have small children aboard, extreme waking events are very dangerous and could even be fatal. I view it as an attack on my family, and they are fortunate I choose to use paintballs instead of more lethal options, as they are doing to me. Happy to go to jail for it. Wouldn't do it to the minor waker, we all know the ones that deserve it. I'd be stoked if they called the cops, and I'd probably sue them for damages.

"Happily go to jail"? Are you serious? Do you know for how long? Have you read up on the possible consequences?

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by rwidman

You cannot be serious!

First of all, as already pointed out, that is illegal and stupid. Who will support your family while you happily go to jail? And suppose the person you shoot at shoots back only with a real gun?

What sort of idiotic behavior are you demonstrating to your children??

If you think being waked by a boat could be fatal, you should better prepare your boat and crew or leave it tied to the dock.

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!

This is making for some entertaining reading. Shooting a boat with paintballs for making a wake?

I can't imagine you'd get jail time for it, but a serious beating isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

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[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

I can't imagine you'd get jail time for it . . .

There are plenty of cases of people going to jail for paintball attacks:

Jail for yob in paint attack (From Swindon Advertiser)

and on first offenses, too.

Sunday Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search

That was a navy guy who shot a paintball gun not at people, but at cars -- wound up in jail on felony charges.

Chesterfield teen jailed over paintball gun crime | WTVR.com

That was a teenager who shot a paintball gun at cars -- jail.

Local News | Kennewick man reportedly said he shot paintballs at car to deter pal from driving drunk | Seattle Times Newspaper

Here's a Washington case -- and apparently without malicious intentions. And first offense. Nevertheless -- jail.

Paintball Gun Incident Lands Three in Jail

Same thing again, same result -- jail.

Fort Pierce man in jail after allegedly shooting paintballs at people, cars - TC Palm

Shooting at cars again. Jail.


You can be charged for a whole range of serious crimes for shooting paintballs at boats, from assault to assault with a deadly weapon, to malicious destruction of property, and others, many of them felonies. The fact that you're being waked won't help you, and the fact that you're shooting at the boat rather than the person doesn't make any difference, either. The police regard paintball guns as weapons. It's a seriously bad, bad, idea. A felony conviction, quite apart from any jail time, can seriously ruin your life.

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

There are plenty of cases of people going to jail for paintball attacks:

Jail for yob in paint attack (From Swindon Advertiser)

and on first offenses, too.

Sunday Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search

That was a navy guy who shot a paintball gun not at people, but at cars -- wound up in jail on felony charges.

Chesterfield teen jailed over paintball gun crime | WTVR.com

That was a teenager who shot a paintball gun at cars -- jail.

Local News | Kennewick man reportedly said he shot paintballs at car to deter pal from driving drunk | Seattle Times Newspaper

Here's a Washington case -- and apparently without malicious intentions. And first offense. Nevertheless -- jail.

Paintball Gun Incident Lands Three in Jail

Same thing again, same result -- jail.

Fort Pierce man in jail after allegedly shooting paintballs at people, cars - TC Palm

Shooting at cars again. Jail.


You can be charged for a whole range of serious crimes for shooting paintballs at boats, from assault to assault with a deadly weapon, to malicious destruction of property, and others, many of them felonies. The fact that you're being waked won't help you, and the fact that you're shooting at the boat rather than the person doesn't make any difference, either. The police regard paintball guns as weapons. It's a seriously bad, bad, idea. A felony conviction, quite apart from any jail time, can seriously ruin your life.

You're preaching to the choir, I think shooting paintballs at people is a very bad idea.

I'm ex CG spent several years in enforcement.

But I still think this thread is funny as hell.

Sea Shepard fires all nature of things at other boats and usually gets away with it (although they seem to have lost their stomach for messing with the CCG). I can't imagine they'd last very long if they tried that kind of non sense with the USCG either.

That's probably why people think it's acceptable, they see it on tv, they see people getting away with violent assault on the high seas, so they figure they can get away with it too.

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[minaret]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

There are plenty of cases of people going to jail for paintball attacks:

Jail for yob in paint attack (From Swindon Advertiser)

and on first offenses, too.

Sunday Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search

That was a navy guy who shot a paintball gun not at people, but at cars -- wound up in jail on felony charges.

Chesterfield teen jailed over paintball gun crime | WTVR.com

That was a teenager who shot a paintball gun at cars -- jail.

Local News | Kennewick man reportedly said he shot paintballs at car to deter pal from driving drunk | Seattle Times Newspaper

Here's a Washington case -- and apparently without malicious intentions. And first offense. Nevertheless -- jail.

Paintball Gun Incident Lands Three in Jail

Same thing again, same result -- jail.

Fort Pierce man in jail after allegedly shooting paintballs at people, cars - TC Palm

Shooting at cars again. Jail.


You can be charged for a whole range of serious crimes for shooting paintballs at boats, from assault to assault with a deadly weapon, to malicious destruction of property, and others, many of them felonies. The fact that you're being waked won't help you, and the fact that you're shooting at the boat rather than the person doesn't make any difference, either. The police regard paintball guns as weapons. It's a seriously bad, bad, idea. A felony conviction, quite apart from any jail time, can seriously ruin your life.

Yep, almost as bad an idea as closely waking a large boat full of children. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. I certainly can, and have proved it before. Won't give up my principles for stupid laws. That's just me. You'd be surprised at the times the police have taken my side on that sort of thing, like the time the local politicians son jet ski waked our canoe full of children repeatedly, and I cracked him in the head with a paddle as he made a close pass. Busted his noggin wide open, police were waiting on the dock. He said he never got that close, cops said "then how'd he hit you with a four foot paddle?". They suggested he drop the assault charges and suggested I press charges for vehicular assault if he didn't. He dropped it. Bet he stopped waking canoes too!

[FamilyVan]

This just keeps getting better. Now we're beating people with canoe paddles.

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