August 2004
By Tom Snyder
I recently got busted in a harbor on Long Island. I use the word “busted” because that’s what it felt like. Anyway, I am a reasonable guy who tries to see both sides of a situation, so let me present the episode in an even-handed way. First, the facts without bias.
I was returning to my moored boat from a town dock. Two nice older guys on the dock asked if I could give them a lift to their boat as well. We departed the dock in my inflatable dinghy and soon thereafter a large police boat used a bullhorn to stop us and to fine me for two violations.
My first violation was that the flashlight I was using did not have red and green partitions. On the one hand, I am tempted to complain that at least I had a flashlight, and that the 2-horsepower motor on my tiny dinghy hardly puts me in the category of a Grady White on a cruise. On the other hand, the rule is a rule, and a good one. Even though I have never been aboard a little inflatable with running lights, it makes good sense.
My second violation was that I did not have a life preserver for each passenger. On the one hand, I would have felt funny telling the two guys on the dock that I’d rather not give them a lift to their boat because I only had two life preservers in my dinghy and there would be three of us in the dinghy. It was just a short hop out to our boats, and I was already pretty pleased with myself for having two PFDs in the dinghy. On the other hand, I can more than appreciate the importance of life preservers. Lots of lives are going to be lost this summer alone in little boats that flip over.
The police yelled over a bullhorn, ordering me to come alongside. Since I was just arriving at the boat of my two new passengers, I wondered if I should put the non-offenders onto their sailboat before I went to get my punishment. I asked the policeman. The guy on the horn said in anger, “That’s not what I told you to do.” I called back to the guy that I apologized for the confusion and he horned back, “Put them aboard their boat and then come alongside. Now!” Which I did. He had me hold on to the side of his 60-foot craft, on which there were several crewmen.
Twenty minutes later, after a few barrages of his belligerence, he handed me my $200 fine. I had kept my mouth shut all the while, of course. On the one hand, I felt like there was no need to frighten me or the other guys in the dinghy. This was my first cruise into New York waters and the whole transaction felt rude and overpowered. On the other hand, state cops are trained to be tough and somewhat overwhelming in road situations because they need to establish their authority quickly, often in situations that are potentially volatile. With drugs coming from offshore and terrorists added to the list of responsibilities, the police may need to act aggressively.
My conclusion: I actually love safety regulations, because they act as a great checklist for boaters. For example, I get a kick out of the fact that a brass bell is a requirement – rules remind us of all the situations we may find ourselves in – anchored in the fog, or whatever. Plus, brass bells are cool. Hopefully I have impressed you with my reasonableness.
Postscript: Having said all of the above with one hand and then with the other, it is time to admit that when I said earlier I am a reasonable guy, well, I was kidding. In fact, I have a very upsetting announcement to make and I am sorry you all have to witness this. I am formally declaring to the State of New York that I shall no longer be sailing in your waters. This announcement will have financial repercussions – I bought six gallons of diesel fuel on Long Island. That’s six gallons you will never be selling to me again. This announcement will have public repercussions – I am a correspondent for Points East Magazine. (Sandy Marsters told me that I am actually a journalist now.)
New York, it is too late to say you are sorry. If I ever have to sail to New Jersey from Maine, I’m going offshore.
Tom Snydner sails his Island Packet 380 Blue Moon out of Peaks Island, Maine.
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