We Are Being Terrorized

[micah719]

The hoonboat likely has a rego-number. The willingness of them to do something would result in more than doing nothing. If the OP had a little pull in high places he'd likely get a better response.

Over here, my plasterer buddy regularly goes fishing in Norway and Croatia. In Croatia, he once had a massive gin-palace pull into the anchorage and security goons in a RIB came along and told him to buzz off. It was Bernie Ecclestone's boat, the F1 boss. Try setting up your own exclusion zone with armed security in a foreign port without being Bernie Ecclestone, as see how far you get. Or, get drunk and buzz Bernie at night when his shaven gorillas tell you to scram. Croatia, being ex-commie and a bloody recent past (going all the way back to forever) does not have the more civilised background of the USA....but the local fuzz can sure play polite when big bucks are flashed.

(My plasterer buddy then told the goons to buzz off, but decided to leave anyway....more fun and peace and quiet to be had elsewhere, without banging one's head against the wall of BS).

In short......a policeman investigates. Enforces the Law. But in a feudal wealthocracy, one accepts that the farce is there and unbeatable, and moves on when reasonable attempts to act justly have proven fruitless. And maintains the EZ where one still can...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Hatch

Some posted that I wasn't being terrorized , and neither were any of my neighbors.

Until I can speak for them in this or any form, I opted to only present this for myself.
If the word "terrorized" was out of place, I apologize, maybe harassed would have been a better word - but this seemed to me, to be on a higher level that included damage, injury and continued over an extended time period.

I did wonder whether "terrorized" was a good description, but for all I know it could be accurate - albeit given your background I suspect not .

FWIW, over here the being terrorized threat thing basically involves putting the kettle on.

The plan of ATTACK I would go for:-

1) Put the Kettle on.
2) shoot some Video (for which you may need to light them up like a Xmas Tree)
3) post onto Youtube with some funny comments / commentary / music (banjo? ).
4) add their name / boat name
5) send them the link. and copy in there workmates (in a fairly small community should not be too hard to find out where they work).
6) put the kettle on again


and just treat the visitations as entertainment .....over there I beleive that may involve Pretzels and Potato Chips . Albeit personally I would stick with the Tea. and maybe some biccies .

[sailor3333]

Good suggestions about making making video recordings of these incidents. Steve Morrell, editor of Southwinds Magazine, loves to publish stories like yours, and is especially tuned into issues sailors have with water cops in Florida. Florida & Southern Sailing Information - SOUTHWINDS | Sailing & Cruising - Florida - the South
I believe that his coverage influences public officials and the sailing community. It's possible that he may even have some ideas for you to get swift attention.

[tropicalescape]

Havent they left you alone by now?If they dont come back why not forget it? becareful about what you ask for you might get it! I thought I wanted justice served,3000.00 later I just wanted to turn back the clock!..DVC

[SabreKai]

I am embarrassed by the number of people who would hide, runaway etc. What a sorry bunch of people the world has become.

Anyway, try this on for size

Change into something you don't mind getting wet. Go up on deck, shouting. Then "accidentally'' fall over board. Thrash around for a bit screaming at the top of your lungs. Then quietly sink. Reappear on the off side.

One of two things will happen. They will either depart at just below the speed of light or they will cease and come over to assist. If they do, all well and good, keep up the act for a bit longer. Maybe pull one of them into the drink with you just to keep it even.

Scare them or shame them. Either one will work.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

I am embarrassed by the number of people who would hide, runaway etc. What a sorry bunch of people the world has become.

Anyway, try this on for size

Change into something you don't mind getting wet. Go up on deck, shouting. Then "accidentally'' fall over board. Thrash around for a bit screaming at the top of your lungs. Then quietly sink. Reappear on the off side.

One of two things will happen. They will either depart at just below the speed of light or they will cease and come over to assist. If they do, all well and good, keep up the act for a bit longer. Maybe pull one of them into the drink with you just to keep it even.

Scare them or shame them. Either one will work.

Thats silly...but worth a try!..

[bobconnie]

LOL thats a much better idea then a hand grenade!! altho a grenade will cure the problem LOL (heck I thought I would join the gun group LOL) just Kidding of course !!!

[Ex-Calif]

Wow - What a read. Most responses fall into one of three categories. Fight - with risk of escalation, flee to a new anchorage or embarrass law enforcement and local government by trying to leverage the media.

As an observation -

Fight - Escalation is the key. How far is one willing to escalate. Inebriated protagonists tend to have low decision making skills and escalation favors them to a bad conclusion for everyone. It could just be fisticuffs but might just end up stupidly violent - intelligent people escalate when the other options are not possible.

Flee - A good option but one that requires being ok with feeling like a "loser." After all OP is not in the wrong here based on his side of the story. Many feel outrage and want the OP to "win" and change things for himself and the boating community. "Don't run! Stay and fight!"

Pursuing local government and LE - This is really the crux of the issue. OP has made many good faith overtures to local authorities. Local authorities are all pursuing their own agendas and stopping "random" incidences of "wake-rage" is not on the radar. Why this is can be anyone's guess but likely it is tied to where the votes are coming from and it is not likely to be the local live-aboard community. Getting media involved is a good path to take as it is non-violent but local authorities may not react in the way one would expect. They may give lip service to improving the situation but actually spending money for resources to patrol or diverting land based police resources that may be better utilized stopping domestic violence or gas station robberies may not be politically expedient.

So you have a community that has patted themselves on the back as a place to attract transient boaters to increase tourism revenues that really isn't interested in providing a peaceful experience. This thread has made that clear.

Next step - do some recordings about this and other failings, put it in context of the community trying to increase boating tourism and get it to the media. Be prepared for backlash. Be prepared for opposition politicians saying, "who cares. there are bigger fish to fry on-shore."

I have read OPs reasons for wanting to stay put. Whether he is being honest with himself about reasons for not launching to Guatemala are somewhat irrelevant. Here is the bottom line - Whether we like it or not we are all part of communities. Whether we stay in that community or not is based on whether we share enough values with that community to accept some "bad" things with the good things.

So short if running for local office and changing the community focus from the inside the choice is pretty much accept periodic random acts of drunken stupidity (as is witnessed on thousands of easily accessible inland waters around the USA) or move on.

I personally would probably accept the waking and loud music if everything else about the community is up my alley. I remember being young and stupid and in the big scheme of my life this stuff doesn't bug me. Also, while not a cosmic believer in karma, I find these guys sort themselves out in the end.

Remember after boating drunk this guy obviously ends up driving drunk. His time will come...

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

I am embarrassed by the number of people who would hide, runaway etc. What a sorry bunch of people the world has become.

I only fight battles I know I have a good shot at winning.

By the sound of this one it sounds like the OP has the cops, drunks and the ignorant's against him.

[rgscpat]

I don't seem to have seen much discussion of VHF use, i.e. a securite call.

[dolango]

We had a huge problem with drugs, alcohol, noise, and theft in our boating community. This is what we did to eradicate it.

Get organized and form a neighborhood watch; the police will help you set it up. Its easy and they provided us with a liaison officer to work with and email our reports to.

Post neighborhood watch signs and start regular patrols as a group; One with a clipboard making it very apparent they are taking note of time, events, vehicle numbers, etc. Have a camera ready to document incidents, but keep it off for the most part and show respect and restraint....you are there to document and show solidarity, not enforce rules or start or engage in confrontations. We usually have four to six people in our group.
For the first month we requested a uniformed officer patrol with us, it made a huge difference. Some came down on their time off and walked with us.

Document and report; Police departments disperse patrols to areas based on trending statistics and reports. Call 911 and report suspicious behavior and illegal acts. If you have a community of people doing this on a nightly basis they will respond by increasing patrols in the area.
If people keep calling they will respond, if only one calls not much happens.
As a community we kept the pressure on by calling 911 for ALL suspicious behavior no matter how trivial. When you call 911 say "police non-emergency" and they will redirect your call appropriately.
When several of us started doing this on a nighty basis the police responded by having marked police cars patrol the area a couple times a night.

Get the media involved; get a local reporter down and talk to them as a group. Shine a light on the problem.

The people that are causing the problem don't want a DUI, arrest, etc.
Once they know the community won't stand by and let them take over they will go somewhere else.

[capta]

I hate to say it, but you are not going to win on this one.
If the cops let the first boat go with beer cans all over the floor, and I find THAT a little hard to believe in Fla, especially, then these guys are connected to the law enforcement officers you spoke to, which I do NOT find hard to believe in FLa.
Anything YOU do will further antagonize your tormenters, so unless you want this to escalate, then you are flat out of luck.
I've had these kind of problems with water skiers that escalated to violence and several people were seriously injured before the authorities got involved. But it was in a 3rd world country and they finally determined a solution at the muzzles of a few AK-47's, probable NOT an experience you would like to have.
I feel for you, but you will get no help without a serious injury in the USA.
That being said, next time, get pics/video, call for rescue from the police, go (you or your wife) to the hospital for "severe back pain" from being thrown to the deck by the wakes, and get everything on the record. Then the authorities may, I say may take some action. Otherwise you've just spent a bunch of money on a needless ER visit.
Good Luck.