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You have got to be kidding me!

G

Geewest

Guest
The "Rafting up topic" brought this to the top if my "not great moments of the weekend" memory.

So we are out in our Q. My Brother and family is in the R and we are both anchored separately. (each have anchored off the front and rear) with our swim decks facing each other. We are all socializing In between the boats.

A friend rolls up in his Jet Ski. And I think "great"< joking' i know he is going to want to pull up and hang out now I'm going to have to stop what I'm doing to make sure this guy doesn't damage my boat.

He heads straight for the boat and kills the motor and swings the back of his POS jet ski into my toon and scratches it. He is only going 1 mph or less but still it damaged my boat. I was so pissed but didn't want to show it and didn't want to ruin what was a great day with family by throwing a fit about a scratch I most Likely will and can fix.

The guy that did it knows better or should. I told him about it and he didn't seem to worried and that frustrated me even more. He even made a joke like "your lucky THATs all I did"

Like I said I didn't want to change my mood or e let on that I was upset over a scratch. I'm a social person and like to hang out with people on the water and don't want to be some Nazi yelling "get away from my boat" but that's what it looks like I'm going to have to be if I want to keep my toons scratch free.

On a side note the only other scratch on my boat is from another friends boat's swim ladder from almost the same type of encounter. It sucks how more than 1/2 the people out their can't pull up anchor their own boat close to you with out putting you on edge. I guess it's kind of like parking your nice car at the mall! :)
 
Gee............I would have said something jokingly but would have meant it..............."C'mon man you're killin me, Be more careful" and No No YOU'RE lucky that's all you did! I know you didn't want to change the mood or acting all upset, but there are ways of getting your point across w/out showing you're mad...... Better yet I probably would have been right where he was pulling in and made sure he didn't hit me. People just don't think and they don't take care of things like you do...............
 
I would have said something right then and their "All my friends family and wife know I do not and will not hold back my thoughts", everyone who knows me knows how much I like to keep things nice and it is nice as where ever we boat all our friends are on edge any time their kids or animals get within 10 feet of my boat, even in high school I had nice things, they were and still are very dirty most times which gives a different statement I guess but under the dirty exteriors are nice rigs. I had a friends child put a dent in mine a couple years ago while throwing a stick for a dog to fetch, I also had a side panel smashed in while being rafted together with a bow rider and some wakes from other boats and waves from wind caused his boat to be bouncing against the side high enough to hammer in the panel. But on a positive note both panels got hailed out within a few weeks of each incident and got replaced under insurance. I no longer raft up to any boat.
 
Lesson learned. Best way to avoid hurt feelings and potential boat damage is just make it clear that I don't want anything near my boat. I guess if they get upset or don't want to hang out I'm cool with it. Getting upset after the fact is sort of a waste of time and emotion. I should be upset with myself that I didn't Speak up b4 it happened I in this case could have avoided the damage. I should like Big Kahuna said been their to fend off or let them know not to get near the boat. I was right their, but I thought the guy knew better. In fact this was the very same guy that turned me on to Benningtons. They used to have a 2275RL I/O with a 350. I thought he had a good understanding of how things worked, "guess not"
 
The first dent in my new bennie came from the idiot sherriff's boat when he pulled me over after I only had the boat for 3 days and didn't have my registraion numbers on the boat (hadn't received them from the state yet...). He pulled up, dropped one worthless fender off the side of his boat, grabbed the side of my boat and started firing questions at me. I heard the clank when his boat hit my panel and I looked over to see what was happening and tried to push the back of his boat away from mine. He made some snide comment that "it is Ok, don't worry about it", and proceeded to ask me why I didn't have numbers on my boat... duh, 'cause it is brand spanking new and you just put a **&^$ dent in it you idiot (ran thru my head... not what I said...). Anyway, I showed him my registration paperwork, safety equipment, and so forth. He left and now I have a nice reminder of my encounter with him. So, all you guys who like to "say something", what would you have said???!?
 
Vinny................I'm a retired police officer........Law enforcement has to be held accountable like everybody else. Contact his office or better yet go in person and ask to speak to an Official. (Supervisor, Sgt., LT. or above) Explain the situation just like you did on this forum. Include the time, date, location, and name and badge # of the officer. Tell them I appreciate the work that the officer does on the waterways to make us safe, blah blah blah blah blah. But on this occasion the officer negligently hit the side of my BRAND NEW EXPENSIVE BENNINGTON PONTOON BOAT causing this damage. (Have several pictures) Ask them......What can be done to fix this? They have insurance. They can have it fixed.......................Don't take NO for an answer. Just keep going up the chain of command..................
 
My starboard toon has a small dent on the top side that I have no idea where it even came from or when. I'm pretty sure it wasn't on the boat when I got it or I would have noticed in walk through. It sits on my lift and no one else touches it other than me unless I'm along with them. The boat lift guys are the only other ones ever near it when they did some fixes to the canopy.What makes me crazy is I don't even know if I did it somehow driving it onto the lift or some other way working around the dock. Now I just have to live with it, but I do know I won't be rafting up to anyone for sure.
 
Bummer. You had to want to strangle the guy after his comment but I commend you for not ruining the day for the rest of the group with an outburst. You should have a little "heart to heart" even after the fact and say something like "I realize it may not mean much to you but I take a lot of pride in my boat and would sincerely appreciate you being careful in the future". Fortunately for everyone else I was the first to ding my Benn on a windy day getting into the lift.
 
Vinny I'm glad you brought that topic up. I often see the local Lake Sherriff tied to other boats as they have a talk with them. I'm wondering how it's going to go down if and when I tell them not to tie to me. If I won't letting best friend tie to me what's the chance I'm gonna let the lake sheriff tie to me?
 
I ensure I have plenty of very large bumpers on board for starters. I do tie up to other boats from time to time...not often, but it happens. When another boat is coming along side of me to tie up I just automatically go to that side and ensure I don't get hit by first having my bumpers out and then I politely say something to the people in the other boat like "Go ahead and make sure we don't hit down there (one end of the boat) and I'll do the same up here."

That police incident would have FLOORED me and I WOULD have said something to them...police or not. If you are doing everything legal you have no worries with expressing yourself....just do it by not swearing at them. I don't know about anyone else but typically those Sherrif Marine guys are typically weekend warriors and sure seem to get a kick out of playing God out on the water. The first thing they will look for with their binoculars is to make sure you have that state sticker on. If you have that on chances are they won't pull you over for anything else unless you are down right flagarant about speeding/getting too close to someone else. If you don't have that sticker on you had better pray you have everything else required (enough life jackets, fire ext. and that had better be fully charged, throwable flotation device, etc.) because that's an open invitation for them to go through everything on your vessel.
 
I would have definitely said something and let him know that you were serious in a nice manner and we will deal with it later, then go about your fun. I know easier said than done. And for the water patrol incident, I am a firefighter and work with police all the time and I know how some of them can be, so I agree with Daril on that one. But maybe not so nice. Especially when they do this in front of you.

The picture I have posted with my boat in the water for the first time is when I received my first dent and scratch, it was parked at a resort dock with lots of kids fishing off the docks, so I have no idea what day or what kid that weekend. That's the risk you take at a resort or public dock, I knew it was going to happen eventually whether me or someone else. So sometimes it is what it is.
 
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Gee, I feel for ya. It's no different than car shows and knuckleheads leaning on our cars. Their comment when we tell them to move is "it's ok, there's nothing in my pockets". Yeah, and there's nothing between their ears either !!!!

My toon may not be brand new, but I'm so anal when people come near it, because I want to keep it looking new.
 
I don't care if you have a Bennington or a Quest, always treat others property with respect. Gee, I commend you for biting your tongue. I would have bit mine off if I was you. We have two islands on our lake connected by a sand bar and it gets pretty busy. I avoid that scene as I'm not a big party guy but also am not 100% confident with my own boating skills and so not want to cause any damage to others property. Vinnie, I would call a supervisor on that asap. I have a great deal of respect for law enforcement however, it makes me upset when they let it go to their head and act like they're above everyone else. Not to change the topic but maybe since we're talking about rafting this will be ok. There are a couple pontoons that will tie up and drive around the lake with one providing the power. Two will sit on one and one other will sit on the second boat. Why would 3 people need to take two boats out????I guess I don't see the point.
 
Thanks for the advice Daril. Always seems intimidating to me to challenge or question a police officer, but you make a lot of sense. Most I have dealt with are very reasonable, respectful men and women, but there have been a few that need "behavior modification". As you mention, I will address future incidents in a respectful, logical manner. Can't hurt!!! By the way, thanks for a lieftime of protecting and serving.... ;)
 
You're welcome..........Quick story and this is what I mean about cop accountability.........Got a call for a woman who locked the keys in her car. Husband out of town w/the only other set. Another officer and I pried the top of her door open a bit w/a small piece of wood. (Didn't have a slim jim) Got the coat hangar snaked down in there and unlocked it.......About a month later the Department received a complaint letter from her that we had scratched the top of the door and she wants compensation............go figure.
 
That's today's society ..... Bitch loud enough and you get what you want. I remember back in the 80's a guy sued someone who gave him CPR after a he had heart attack because the person WHO SAVED HIS LIFE bruised his rib cage ?? WTF ???
 
I think he needs to have a follow up appointment to see how he is doing....
 
BigKahuna said:
You're welcome..........Quick story and this is what I mean about cop accountability.........Got a call for a woman who locked the keys in her car. Husband out of town w/the only other set. Another officer and I pried the top of her door open a bit w/a small piece of wood. (Didn't have a slim jim) Got the coat hangar snaked down in there and unlocked it.......About a month later the Department received a complaint letter from her that we had scratched the top of the door and she wants compensation............go figure.
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No good deed goes unpunished. ~Clare Boothe Luce

(Another one of my favorite quotes)
 
Geewest said:
The "Rafting up topic" brought this to the top if my "not great moments of the weekend" memory.

So we are out in our Q. My Brother and family is in the R and we are both anchored separately. (each have anchored off the front and rear) with our swim decks facing each other. We are all socializing In between the boats.

A friend rolls up in his Jet Ski. And I think "great"< joking' i know he is going to want to pull up and hang out now I'm going to have to stop what I'm doing to make sure this guy doesn't damage my boat.

He heads straight for the boat and kills the motor and swings the back of his POS jet ski into my toon and scratches it. He is only going 1 mph or less but still it damaged my boat. I was so pissed but didn't want to show it and didn't want to ruin what was a great day with family by throwing a fit about a scratch I most Likely will and can fix.

The guy that did it knows better or should. I told him about it and he didn't seem to worried and that frustrated me even more. He even made a joke like "your lucky THATs all I did"

Like I said I didn't want to change my mood or e let on that I was upset over a scratch. I'm a social person and like to hang out with people on the water and don't want to be some Nazi yelling "get away from my boat" but that's what it looks like I'm going to have to be if I want to keep my toons scratch free.

On a side note the only other scratch on my boat is from another friends boat's swim ladder from almost the same type of encounter. It sucks how more than 1/2 the people out their can't pull up anchor their own boat close to you with out putting you on edge. I guess it's kind of like parking your nice car at the mall! :)
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Very unfortunate, just another example of some people in society that do not understand the concept of consequences or responsibility. I would not have been so understanding. You could have taught him a lesson in how to take responsibility for his actions and mistakes. Might have help the next guy he pulls up to.
 
I don't know if I would have thought of this at the time, but writing his registration number down may have been a good idea, in case you later changed your mind about letting him off the hook.
 
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