SAD DAY IN WISCONSIN-stupid rock piles

[baller40]

Got a call from a friend of mine last night that also lives on the river. She sounded pretty worried as she told me to get my boat off the lift and come help them. Turns out they had ran their obv up on an umarked rockpile that comes up to mere inches below the surface. It took me about an hour of swimming under and moving rocks before we were finally able to push it off and I drove it home for her and put it on the lift. We checked underneath and they messed it up real bad-scrapes everywhere, driveshaft looked bad too, and prop was MESSED UP. I have pulled so many boaters off that pile. We (a bunch of people on the river) went to a city hall meeting and tried to get them to mark them. They said absolutly not because they don't want to be held liable. Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't it be worse if they knew about them ( yes, there is about 11 unmarked and only two marked) and didn't do anything?! Luckily nobody was hurt. Just blowing some steam here. Feel free to add anything, as I would love to hear if anyone else has had a problem like this (rocks or marking hazards).

[lewisb13]

This kind of thing happens allllll the time with noone wanting to take responsibility. You know how to fix it? You ANONYMOUSLY mark it. Go out there one night at 3am and mark the SOB. Thats what everyone does where I come from.

[baller40]

This kind of thing happens allllll the time with noone wanting to take responsibility. You know how to fix it? You ANONYMOUSLY mark it. Go out there one night at 3am and mark the SOB. Thats what everyone does where I come from.

Already have the milk jugs spraypainted;)

[lewisb13]

Even around here the municipalities are ridiculous with making comments like that. I cant see how in any sense of anyones imagination they could be held liable for trying to do a "good samaritan" thing by marking a rock pile. People are just idiots these days. Glad to see someone you might know has the situation under control. :D

[BensonWdby]

Well the argument makes no sense if there are two marked already. Are they hoping for some kind of proportional liability? Personally I think if the hazards are in a public waterway with a public landing then maybe they are at risk for NOT marking the hazards. After all - they are encouraging you to enter the waterway by providing a landing. If they provided a door to a deck with no hand railing they would be liable... I know this is probably completely different - but I'm just sayin ....

[Hoopskier]

Already have the milk jugs spraypainted;)

Empty laundry soap containers work well too. Plastic is a little thicker than a milk container and they are already colored too. Just keep an eye out for them on recycling day or save your own.

Somethings work best on the don't ask don't tell policy. If you ask, they say no. If you just do it, nobody cares.

[jester]

Some times you have to take it on yourself to help out fellow boaters. By going to a town hall meeting you have made it on public record. If i was your friend I would submit my repair bill to the city and the record of them saying they where not going to mark the area to see what they say.

[moombadaze]

been on a lake where people stick a white length of white pcv pipe into a pile, im sure they were done around 3am, most people will usually stay away from anything sticking up out of the water.--word will get around;)

Then dont be suprise if you start to see more unofficial markers

[wolfeman131]

^ yep, that's what we do on our lake. take a 10ft piece of 1 1/2 inch pvl and a 3 lb maul out and drive it into the hazard until about 4-5 ft is left above the water. Most of the sandbars have a little "fence" of pvc marking them off and it makes a great place to hang out.

[mutau052]

Fill a 2 liter with spray foam and spray pain it neon then tie it up like a boouy, start telling your friends what it is and let the word spread. It will not fix all the problems but could really help. If you lose it your not out much, just attempt to pick up trash every time your out.

[kaneboats]

The problem the municipality has is not with marking the area it's what happens when the marker floats away. Somebody hits a rock where the municipality "failed to maintain their marker" and BAM- lawsuit.

[bzubke1]

What i've seen done around here is people will pound a length of rebar into a stump and then slip some white pvc pipe over it, and then have a couple stripes of red reflective tape on the pvc pipe so you can see it at night. Usually there is about 4 feet of the pvc pipe sticking out. Its easy to see and is an almost permanent marker cause it's tough to get out after you drive it in.

[saskyrider]

Heck at our lake which is approx 70 miles long the north end has tons of rocks. The last 2 years the water has been so high that rocks that were previously out of the water are now just under and rock piles that were issues before are now far enough under that they aren't an issue. There has been more than a coulple boats smack a prop or worse this year... esp. boaters that are new to the lake...

Geoff

[baller40]

The problem the municipality has is not with marking the area it's what happens when the marker floats away. Somebody hits a rock where the municipality "failed to maintain their marker" and BAM- lawsuit.
Yeah-With the really high water, the two buoys they had out actually got taken downstream. Don't even know where they are anymore. You would think they hustle out and replace them before someone hits them and they are liable.

[zegm]

been on a lake where people stick a white length of white pcv pipe into a pile, im sure they were done around 3am, most people will usually stay away from anything sticking up out of the water.--word will get around;)

Then dont be suprise if you start to see more unofficial markers

The white PVC pipe slid over the rebar that is driven in the ground/stump is very common around this area of the Florida Panhandle. People even purchase red reflectors for bicycles and attach them to the PVC so they can be seen at night too. Most of these are for the hidden cypress stumps!