From: goldberg@cs.ubc.ca (Murray W. Goldberg)
Subject: Re: Bayliner myths: a challenge
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 22:28:23 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.194942.21346@cbfsb.cb.att.com> heon@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (garry.j.heon) writes:
>In article <1992Sep3.190840.26391@cs.ubc.ca>, goldberg@cs.ubc.ca (Murray W. Goldberg) writes:
>> >Very well said.  ......
>> [and goes on to say....]
>> > ....  I must admit it's [the ferry's] wake is
>> > very large (broke an arm of a passenger jumping it myself),
>> >
>> >* heon@cbnewsg.att.com       Holmdel, NJ *
>> 
>> Am I the only one who sees an inconsistency here? Hmmmmm..., all this makes 
>> me glad I live on the *other* coast (though I suspect we have our share of 
>> such "safe boat handlers" here too). I can't think of any situation where
>> "jumping" a ferry's wake could be anything short of reckless. Forgive me if
>> I judge too quickly or harshly, I just hate to see the potential for harm to
>> innocent people.
>> 
>Potential harm to innocent people?  First, the huge wakes from these 
>ferries tend to travel a least a mile before loosing any size.  If you took
>a BOATING SAFETY Class you would know the distances wakes travel and that
>you are legally responsible for any damage done by your wake.  These

Are you saying that it was the fault of the ferry captain that your passenger
broke an arm? You should sue! :-)

>are the same ferries traveling close to 60 mph through
>popular fishing areas.  So NO I was not even near the ferry or any
>other boat.  I NEVER operate my boat at high speeds or in a dangerous
>manor when other boats are in the area! 

Good.

>        NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!  Get the point. 

If you say so.

>Second, any passanger in my boat well realizes what type of boating
>I do and the type of danger he or she my place themselves in by
>climbing aboard.  They are so well informed that I was once asked
>"Do I need to sign a release or something".  If someone has a problem
>with being scared, it has happened, I would and did idle back to the
>dock.  Some people bungee jump, sky dive, scuba dive with sharks.....whatever.
>I perfer to go out in the middle of the ocean and beat the living shit
>out of my boat.  Nothing wrong with that, is there????
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Actually, there is something wrong if you manage to injure yourself (or worse
yet if you injure your passenger - no matter how well informed). Primarily I
feel for those dedicated people who must go out at great cost and inconvenience
(not to mention at risk of life and limb) to rescue silly people who do silly
things ("wake jumping" comes to mind here). If one lives in isolation, 
self-inflicted injury is their own business. In a society such as yours (and
ours) there is a cost to be bourne by the rest of society who support the
rescue personnel and buy insurance.

Anyhow, feel free to follow up and have the last word here. I think I have 
stated my position. I (and I am sure others) am not interested in a flame war.

Happy (and safe) boating.

>
>******************************************
>* MY OPINIONS.............AT&T's NETWORK *
>*                                        *
>* Garry Heon                     AT&T    *
>* heon@cbnewsg.att.com       Holmdel, NJ *
>******************************************


-----
Murray W. Goldberg       | UUCP:     {alberta,uw-beaver,uunet}!ubc-cs!goldberg
Dept. of Computer Science| Internet: goldberg@cs.ubc.ca
Univ. of British Columbia|           (cs.ubc.ca=137.82.8.5)
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2  | Phone:    (604) 822-3123