Best way to defend boat?

[ripnbst]

Gollly, this story sounds like a good one. Maybe after it all settles down you can post for our reading pleasure?

Like was already said, lakes are pretty big and when we used to go out boating we would practically never be less than 100 ft from another boater unless docking. Curious how this even came to be.

EDIT:Was posting while the brief explanation above was being posted.

 

[bmwguy25]

I would have delivered the conversion had I known that LOL. We were over by Oak ridge Rec area, where 9A and 69 meet. You dont fly the chopper that takes pictures do you?

Ive been out there a few times in the helicopter with floats. I was in a different helicopter this time.

 

[TheMcs]

No, I havent, but considering it.

WTF, seriously? Why NOT?

 

[bigfug]

Eufalla was the lake. I was coming off a private dock into a channel in a pontoon. He had an angle into the channel, and almost rammed me, pulled in front of me. I killed the throttle to avoid a collision, he jumped out of the drivers seat onto the bow of my boat as it was coming across my bow.

This particular finger or channel is pretty narrow. If you dont stick to the buoy markers, you'll bottom out as well. Waist high through most of it.

 

[ahamay6]

Theres pirates in them there waters. Glad everyone is ok.

 

[bigfug]

WTF, seriously? Why NOT?

They took off pretty quick. No witness's, my word against several families (related). I knew where they were camping from having gone to the dock previously to pick people up, and a friend went to get tag #'s within minutes of it happening, they were leaving, yelling about getting out before the cops got there. Basically it was just a fight. Most fights never get reported. He just happened to bring a gaff on board with him. Something I thought of today, since he tried to get me in the water, and told me to get in the water, could that be considered an attempted jacking?

 

[bigfug]

Theres pirates in them there waters. Glad everyone is ok.

We pretty much made pirate jokes the rest of the weekend. I should also mention, I wasnt injured except for a scratch where I backed into the bimini top support. He never laid a hand on me, cant say the same here though ; )

 

[TheMcs]

Would you report it if someone forced their way into your home or vehicle?

 

[cheese79]

i would say carry like you would any other day

 

[tRidiot]

I"m not coming down on you, it sounds like it was a sudden thing. Thing is, if you'd have been carrying, would you have drawn down on someone forcibly boarding your boat with a weapon in hand? I would have... would you have shot him? Dunno... depends on how he handled it once I had drawn, I imagine. Protection of my family is paramount, and I look at it EXACTLY as if he were carjacking me or invading my home, personally. It would be interesting to get some opinions from LEO/Lake Patrol folks to see how this kind of situation is supposed to be handled.

I would most definitely file a report... yes, it's your word against theirs, but that's how it ALWAYS is in these kinds of situations. They'd have to look at motive first... as in your motive to file some kind of false accusation against him. If you had no idea who he was, nor had ever had any dealings with him, just randomly picking someone off the lake to make up a story about doesn't seem logical. Plus, in the course of the investigation, other stories might come out, the person might have a history, etc.

I'd think there would be several charges that could be leveled against him... whether you want to go to that trouble now is your business.


This is a good exercise in mental preparedness for some of us, though... many of us say as soon as someone comes into our home, into our car, etc., with any kind of malicious intent, we will respond with deadly force. Now, in hindsight, had you had a concealed weapon on you, and used it in a manner you saw fit to protect your family, would you regret it? Everything obviously worked out in the end, but if you had had a weapon, it might have escalated beyond that. How would you have felt about that, and knowing what you know now, would it change anything for you?