I spent a little time fishing Sunday afternoon. I was alone, and I docked my boat in a relatively protected cove where I had launched. After I had backed my trailer into the water and I was on my way to the dock to load my boat, another boat passed through the no wake zone leaving a fairly big wake. I watched helplessly as my boat I have owned for about 6 months (not brand new, but new to me) banged relentlessly into the dock. There was one chip in the fiberglass, but no real damage other than that. I love boating, fishing, etc, and really wish that people on the water would show common courtesy. (most I encounter do, but a few idiots really mess things up)

Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid. Despite my insistence that the vast majority of people are decent, there's still alot of decent people who can be stupid from time to time.

My stupid moments tend to happen between getting up in the morning and going to bed at night.

Whenever possible (on weekends for sure) I try and beach my boat hoping to avoid damage and confrontations caused by idiots just like the one you encountered. You might consider putting a keel protector on your boat if you've not got one.

This is the new America. It's all about ME and you are out of line to object to my lack of respect for you and your property. It's my right to do whatever I want, and to be free of criticism from or accountability to whomever I choose to trample over.

I fish by myself quite frequently. I was getting off the lake, had tied my boat to the dock, and went to get my truck. All the while a wakeboarding boat was attempting to put his boat on the trailer ( very much unsuccessfully; you could tell they hadn't done this much ). I drive my truck back down to the ramp to back my trailer in, and notice the wakeboard boat is absolutely hammering the gas; I look at my boat that is now on the receiving end of big wakes, and watch helplessly as my boat slams over and over into the dock. Needless to say I jumped on their you know what, and they did stop. Just completely unbelievable that some people are either BLIND, or IGNORANT. If they HAD done any damage I would have been getting insurance from them, even for a chip. Thankfully for both parties, that was not necessary.

Get the TX numbers and call the lake patrol or GW. They are happy to fix stuff like that.

Thankfully my local lake has no dock and a dirt road for a ramp. Keeps most the morons away

People are stupid and don't watch what their actions have on others. On the other hand, it's a boat and now that it has its first damage and you can stop worrying about a scratch every time that you go to the lake now

Just so u know this is not something that has just come up in the last 10 years, been going on for as long as I can remember. So when did the new America start?

Who enforces no wake violations?
I've seen the Ft Worth Marshalls on Lake Worth enforcing laws of the water, but on other lakes when I've seen the Wardens out there they seem to be more interested in checking fishermen for license and safety equipment than enforcing the laws of the water. If they would just do enforcement a few weekends each summer on all our local lakes they'd write enough tickets to fund our State Parks for a year.

I actually saw a lake patrol go after a wake board boat on Kiowa this year. Seems they are not allowed to fill the ballast tank on that lake. Also watched them go after a few more boats and jet skis for reasons unknown but they were very active that holiday weekend.

They could make a fortune on GV if they would just get after it. I'll bet Lewisville would be an even better bonanza.

By state law peace officers enforcing the Water Safety Act must be certified as Marine Safety Enforcement Officers. The statute provides for exemptions (granted by TPWD, who certifies the officers), but I have no idea what the criteria for those exemptions are, or whether any exemptions have been granted. Most lakes are limited to Game Wardens for their enforcement, and those guys and gals are stretched pretty thin. Reporting these violations may not result in instant gratification, but as complaints mount the administrations take notice. And if you can provide video showing the vessel's identification it's a safe bet that the vessel's owner will at least receive a visit from a GW and he/she will be "on the list" from then on.

Back in the late 60's and thru the 70's COE had enforcement powers on GV. They wrote lots of tickets back then. Especially for safety apparatus violations. Don't ask how I know Note to self: Always have Fire Ext. checked and full and never pull skier without rear view mirror and only the driver in the boat.

I've seen the Sheriff's Lake Patrol with boats pulled over in no wake zones. GWs also patrol as well as LCRA. The Austin PD patrols on Lake Austin and those guys aren't afraid to write you up for anything so it's hard to see how they would be intimidated out of writing a no-wake ticket.