Drinking And Boating

Here's my story from saturday night:

Got back to boat around 8:30pm after dinner and found my dinghy missing - It was tied to the end of the dock finger (my boat is at end of finger). It was tied well. Now my Dinghy is kinda old and sad but it had a nice barely used 2stroke outboard that I like... plus its my dinghy!

About a hundred yards behind me one 32'-ish foot sailboat ran aground in the marsh. I recognize the boat from a couple fingers away and also had noticed previously they drank a lot before going out shortly before I left for dinner.

I shine my light over there and one very drunk guy invites me over to his aground boat for a drink to wait until high tide @ 5am. I politely decline and ask him if he know's where my dingy is. He slurs "I have no idea". I then spot my dingy, also aground, about a 100yrds behind him. Further questioning did not result in any insights.

So I wander around the marina and find another boater who has been here longer than I and I ask him if he or anyone has a dinghy I can borrow to go get my dinghy back. He doesn't but offers to help. I call the Dockmaster who was out at a company function and explain the situation and ask him if there are keys to a boat or anything I can use, even a Kayak. He tells me where kayak is and a paddle. My new friend from the dock helps me launch, I paddle and a few minutes later tow my beached dinghy back from the marsh without getting too wet or muddy. (I was proud of myself as current was running a solid 3 knots away from my boat!)

Guy #2 eventually comes down by my boat after warming up in marina shower and before he starts making contact with his other buddy on the aground sailboat I ask him why (the %$#@#$) my dinghy ended up beyond his buddy's boat in the marsh.

About fifteen seconds later I realize this guy is so wasted he cannot even communicate a complete sentence.. so I use slow words something like "If you're not out of my sight in 60 seconds I'm calling the police". That he understood.


I get the full story from folks at the dock.. the sailboat came into the wrong part of the marina, ran hard aground, then drunk guy #2 guy ends up swimming over to dinghy unties, goes past their boat, ends up back in water, and had to be rescued by more sober folks at the marina.

by 6am when I woke up this morning, the sailboat is back at its slip and I'm just waiting for an apology

Drunks/alcoholics and boating. It is the big elephant in the room in the boating community. Several years ago my dock neighbor was found floating face down in my marina. Apparently he stumbled back to his boat from the bars at 4am, drunk as as usual, and missed the step onto his boat. He silently drowned 10 feet away from my boat.

The whole drinking/boating dynamic used to be "cute" and amusing, but I can't stand the drunks anymore. I'm all for having a good time, but why are these 50 and 60 year old adults acting like college students? I'm surrounded by them down here in the Florida Keys. The more they drink, the louder and more belligerent they become. Deafeningly slurring their incoherent verbal excrement while they piss themselves in public. They annoy me so much I quit drinking because I don't want to become one of them! But hey... its 5 o' clock somewhere.

The only person who finds a drunk charming is another drunk.

Thirty years ago a good friend of mine and heavy duty boating drinker was in the Bahamas at a nice restaurant. A fire started, he was too gassed (according to his GF) to find the exit. She made it out, he didn't.

Oh the stories from that bygone era.

I don't mind people drinking. I think they're pretty stupid to be driving a boat while doing it. I very much don't like people taking my stuff. :/

I would contact the police and possibly the coast guard. I doubt you will get an apology and an apology won't change their behavior which puts the lives and property of themselves and others at risk.

Overindulging in alcohol is a sign of immaturity and poor judgement. It is bad enough for the youths who are still stupid, but it is much worse for those who should be adults.

Greetings,
Mr, dh. "Overindulging in alcohol is a sign of immaturity and poor judgement." Chronic overindulgence is an escape mechanism and a sign of much deeper psychological problems, which in North America, at least, are not recognized as such.
I used to be hard on "drunks" but since loosing a very close friend to alcoholism I have come to recognize the disease for what it is. That is NOT to say I condone in any way shape or form Mr. k's experience nor the actions of any person so disabled.

True is the love from brother to brother but there is no truer love than one drunk for another.

Clean & sober since July 4th, 2010...didn't want to get a boat while drinking because it would endanger my family if fast decisions had to be made while anchored & drunk.

Waited about three years after quitting booze before buying Badger, just to be sure.

Money I used to spend on cigarettes & booze pretty much equals fixed costs of the boat. Quite the step up in quality of life on same monies spent

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr, dh. "Overindulging in alcohol is a sign of immaturity and poor judgement." Chronic overindulgence is an escape mechanism and a sign of much deeper psychological problems, which in North America, at least, are not recognized as such.
I used to be hard on "drunks" but since loosing a very close friend to alcoholism I have come to recognize the disease for what it is. That is NOT to say I condone in any way shape or form Mr. k's experience nor the actions of any person so disabled.

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Wise words and very true, like any drug alcohol is often the refuge where to hide from life pain...

One of the compounding problems with overdrinking and other destructive behavior is that too often others observing the bad behavior turn a blind eye. In some cases the whole of a society turns a blind eye. Could most terror attacks be stopped if those around the perpetrators blew the whistle? Could a lot of the damage drunks cause to themselves and others be avoided if others were more proactive? Unfortunately it seems to be a society norm to tolerate the bad behavior. Boating problems with alcohol abuse are small fry compared to motor vehicle problems. The deaths and injuries caused by drunks far exceeds some the wars we get entangled in. If a death and injury toll that big came from a foreign country's activities we would as a nation go to war in a Nano second. Drinking and associated bad behavior is tolerated with only half hearted attempts at control. I don't think we can stop drinking but we could lower the boom on those who do so in situations where they endanger others. First offense confiscate the boat or car no matter who the owner(so long as it was not stolen) rescind any boating and vehicular license. Make it clear that the behavior is NOT TOLERATED.

arrrrgh....

MurrayM said:

Clean & sober since July 4th, 2010...didn't want to get a boat while drinking because it would endanger my family if fast decisions had to be made while anchored & drunk.

Waited about three years after quitting booze before buying Badger, just to be sure.

Money I used to spend on cigarettes & booze pretty much equals fixed costs of the boat. Quite the step up in quality of life on same monies spent

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Congratulations!!

twistedtree said:

Congratulations!!

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Thanks, but sure feel like an idiot for the previous 30 years or so

My experience handling problem drinkers as a drug and alcohol enforcer in the USCG was that the vast majority won't change a thing till something disciplinary happens. Good Samaritans, friends and family just become the enemy with little or no change when they intervene. Sometimes sure it helps, but rare in my experience.

Just remember there are loads of responsible drinkers that take a lot of heat because of the problem ones. There IS a wide berth between the two and all too often anyone who drinks differently than others is lumped into the problem drinker crowd.

Here's why I don't like drunk boaters. This was my 330 Sundancer after a close encounter of the worst kind with a drunk boater.

Its a big problem here in San Diego, add to the fact there are numerous boat rental places that hand out the keys to people who are clueless, and then start drinking. We have been T boned sitting in our slip, at anchor, and one very close call during a boat parade at night. Disease or not, I have zero tolerance for it these days.

I remember those pics from CSR awhile back. Man, that was quite a collision.

GFC said:

Here's why I don't like drunk boaters. This was my 330 Sundancer after a close encounter of the worst kind with a drunk boater.

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Greetings,
Mr. F. "Disease or not, I have zero tolerance for it these days." Agree but until it is addressed as a disease and not a weakness of character it will continue to be a problem. People tend to empathize with the unfortunate in a wheel chair but despise the skid row drunk in spite of the fact that both are probably trying to deal with something neither of them have any control over.

MurrayM said:

Thanks, but sure feel like an idiot for the previous 30 years or so

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Sure, but you fixed the next 30. That's l any of us can do.

eyschulman said:

One of the compounding problems with overdrinking and other destructive behavior is that too often others observing the bad behavior turn a blind eye. In some cases the whole of a society turns a blind eye. Could most terror attacks be stopped if those around the perpetrators blew the whistle? Could a lot of the damage drunks cause to themselves and others be avoided if others were more proactive? Unfortunately it seems to be a society norm to tolerate the bad behavior. Boating problems with alcohol abuse are small fry compared to motor vehicle problems. The deaths and injuries caused by drunks far exceeds some the wars we get entangled in. If a death and injury toll that big came from a foreign country's activities we would as a nation go to war in a Nano second. Drinking and associated bad behavior is tolerated with only half hearted attempts at control. I don't think we can stop drinking but we could lower the boom on those who do so in situations where they endanger others. First offense confiscate the boat or car no matter who the owner(so long as it was not stolen) rescind any boating and vehicular license. Make it clear that the behavior is NOT TOLERATED.

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I'm with you on the messaging, just kinda thinking they've learned their lesson and jail or fine not really effective. I have a way with words that might be better (and make me feel better too..)

Usually, a post like this one brings out the "I drive my boat (or car) just fine with a few beers, it's not a problem as long as I know my limit." crowd. I wonder what happened to them?

I had to quit drinking alcohol a few years ago for medical reasons but I never drank and operated my boat. Never.

Any amount of alcohol lowers your reaction time and clouds your judgment. However well you can make a decision or perform a task with even one drink, you can do it better with zero drinks.

Unfortunately, as some have pointed out, enforcement is lax to non-existent. Get in an accident and you may face the consequences of drinking and boating but I don't see enforcement in my area. Just giving sobriety tests at the boat landing on weekends would net dozens of intoxicated boaters and/or drivers.


And, I don't see excessive or habitual drinking as a disease. It's not like cancer or a heart attack. To drink alcohol, you have to buy it and then drink it. These are conscious actions on the drinker's part. You have the power to just not do that.

Greetings.
Mr. WK. You don't understand addictions.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings.
Mr. WK. You don't understand addictions.

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Indeed. Alcohol is usually a choice, but for some it is an addiction. But, I think that in boating, the majority of drinkers are making a choice rather than yielding to addiction compulsion.

WesK said:

And, I don't see excessive or habitual drinking as a disease. It's not like cancer or a heart attack. To drink alcohol, you have to buy it and then drink it. These are conscious actions on the drinker's part. You have the power to just not do that.

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Sorry, you're just wrong. I'm not an alcoholic, but have plenty of experience with people who are. There is a difference between habitual, excessive drinking and alcohol dependence. The AMA, American Psychiatric Assn. and many international health organizations have long recognized alcoholism as a disease, with profound neurological changes and impaired brain function. That said, most of the dozens of recovering alcoholics I know agree that, like anyone else, alcoholics are responsible for their actions, behaviors and crimes--on and off the water. In fact, taking responsibility is essential to their recovery.

(Good on you, Murray.)

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr, dh. "Overindulging in alcohol is a sign of immaturity and poor judgement." Chronic overindulgence is an escape mechanism and a sign of much deeper psychological problems, which in North America, at least, are not recognized as such.
I used to be hard on "drunks" but since loosing a very close friend to alcoholism I have come to recognize the disease for what it is. That is NOT to say I condone in any way shape or form Mr. k's experience nor the actions of any person so disabled.

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Thanks RT - I lost a friend in the same way. It is insidious, and can be very uncontrollable for the individual so afflicted.

As you say this is not condoning the actions of boaters or others but a recognition of the disease, nor a comment on Mr. K's experience.

Wifey B: Alcoholism is a serious addiction and addiction is an illness, a mental illness. We talk about drugs, but accept abuse of the most abused drug. My hubby and I both had alcoholic fathers, but that's beside the point. I don't care if you drink, I don't care if you use drugs, but I don't want you doing it and driving a car or boat. Plain, simple, we're on record in the other alcohol threads and I did a poll here and it confirmed a very great amount of alcohol consumption of members here. Again, fine, just don't operate a boat, but I don't understand daily consumption of large amounts.

We also don't try to save alcoholics as unless they want it, it won't happen. However, we are aggressive in reporting and have told a couple of drunks at the dock that if they took their boat out we would get Law Enforcement. One stopped. One didn't believe us until his arrest.

Now, we are not teetotalers. We drink occasionally, but we don't drive cars or operate boats anytime close to when we consumed. In fact, if we drink one night, we won't get behind a wheel at all the following day.

No one has the right to intentionally do things endangering the lives of others. My tolerance is zero.

And, yes, there are many other things one can do that endanger others, including texting while driving, cell phone, putting on makeup while driving, shaving while driving, having sex, arguing or fighting, fiddling with the radio. Alcohol is measurable, some of the others are visible. Tighten the laws and enforcement on all and the roads will be safer.

"Now, we are not teetotalers. We drink occasionally, but we don't drive cars or operate boats anytime close to when we consumed. In fact, if we drink one night, we won't get behind a wheel at all the following day."

Seriously? The whole next day? Never heard that before but good for you.

hmason said:

"Now, we are not teetotalers. We drink occasionally, but we don't drive cars or operate boats anytime close to when we consumed. In fact, if we drink one night, we won't get behind a wheel at all the following day."

Seriously? The whole next day? Never heard that before but good for you.

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Wifey B: Yes, seriously, as often the drinking is late and we just do it when we have no need to drive. Just our choice. That way there's no thinking or debating, just a simple rule we follow.

There are plenty of ways to get around without driving. We use them.

I grew up on the edge of the bush where there were both quite a few bush pilots and quite a bit of drinking. The two did not mix well. The good ones that understood that they had a good chance of being in a position where they needed their full faculties, both physical and mental, had a saying that they steadfastly observed.

"24 hours between the bottle and the throttle"

A bit extreme you might say, but appropriate in my mind for anyone I was going to fly with.

To some degree, we also drive equipment capable of creating quite a bit of havoc in some cases.