St. Martin Surfboarding

[boatman61]

Basically this involves riding around the Lagoon in your dinghy standing up and travelling at maximum speed... for the more daring you head through the bridge at either end and ride the swell/waves the same way..... brilliant adrenalin charge..... see pic in my Album Ti Amo....lol
Phil

[Zanshin]

Boatman61,

you are the type of boater who bothers the hell out of me; zipping around in an anchorage which is, in all countries, a "no wake" zone. I've anchored out in Marigot as well as just outside of the Simpson Baie bridge on the Dutch side and had thoughtless and reckless dinghy riders cause some wakes. I fervently hope that someday soon you'll pass by the Gendarmerie as they patrol and enjoy discussing boating tactics with them.

The lagoon is dirty enough enough so that nobody will be swimming, but dinghy wakes are a bane to people at anchor. Two days ago in The Bight on Norman island three kids were riding a big dinghy around at top speed towing each other on water skis. They finally quite when one of them couldn't hold a curve and almost hit a sailboat on a mooring, actually passing between the boat and mooring ball; luckily there was little wind and the painter was underwater otherwise the skier would most certainly have been hurt.

[Navicula]

no matter where you go, there will always be the fun police...........but I do see your point and glad nobody was hurt

PS: I also enjoy that type of surfing

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

Boatman61,

you are the type of boater who bothers the hell out of me; zipping around in an anchorage which is, in all countries, a "no wake" zone. I've anchored out in Marigot as well as just outside of the Simpson Baie bridge on the Dutch side and had thoughtless and reckless dinghy riders cause some wakes. I fervently hope that someday soon you'll pass by the Gendarmerie as they patrol and enjoy discussing boating tactics with them.

The lagoon is dirty enough enough so that nobody will be swimming, but dinghy wakes are a bane to people at anchor. Two days ago in The Bight on Norman island three kids were riding a big dinghy around at top speed towing each other on water skis. They finally quite when one of them couldn't hold a curve and almost hit a sailboat on a mooring, actually passing between the boat and mooring ball; luckily there was little wind and the painter was underwater otherwise the skier would most certainly have been hurt.

Hi Zashin... whilst I agree with you about reckless behavior among boats at anchor in fast dinghy's, jet bikes etc.... I hate them myself as I like a swim round the boat(not in the lagoon)... especially the idiots who fly across the Lagoon after dark in RIB's with 25hp outboards without lights... there were a couple of bad accidents during my time there in 06...
But before you start slagging people off take a good look at the picture... can you see anything at anchor, how much wake can you see behind the dinghy.... I have a Tohatsu 5hp on there and make a lot more wake at half throttle than I do at full when I'm on a plane... and I've passed the Gendarmerie many a time.... waved and they've laughed and waved back.... mainly because I do it in a safe zone...
Your the sort of Boater who... like the US clergyman Dutch side who used to preach on VHF at 9am every morning... takes life far to seriously and passes judgements without knowing facts.... get a sense of fun... get a life...
it IS possible to do both..... RESPONSIBLY.
If the Preacher had had his way no one would have ever gone French side... a nest of drugs, thieves and killers was his opinion.... lol
As to the state of the lagoon there's more crap stirred up by 1 weeks hammering through by the fast ferries to Anguilla, the jet bike tours and the dickheads in power boats.... than 6 months of inflatable dinghys
Phil
PS; I've heard Shrimpy's has been closed... is that true..?? if so shame..it was a good hang out

[Zanshin]

Interesting that your justification of breaking rules is that (a) others do worse than you and (B) that you do it safely; then tell me to "get a life" because I object to your behaviour. Enjoy your fun and perhaps our paths might cross sometime. I can't see a picture in your post, so have no idea what you are referring to.Ciao.

[Nice N Easy]

I think your over reacting a little bit. You do not know much of the circumstances here. Racing around at full throttle with a 5hp outboard isn't actually racing around. I have had idiots yell at me for making too much wake with my dink, powered by a 2hp outboard. If he is doing this in a crowded anchoraged, then he is totally in the wrong. But you don't know this, or much else in the way of circumstances. So, don't be so quick to judge.

[Navicula]

life would be so boring if we thought the same...........this is what makes this site very cool

[boatman61]

What rules... speed limits in the Lagoon... there are non in channels otherwise the ferries would be being busted by the police every day.... as for the jet bike tours that go straight through the anchorage Dutch side and then through the anchorage in Marigot Bay ... if there were rules on speed like a 3kt limit they'd be busted and lose their operators licence......
Seems to me the only rules I break are of your making and it would be nice if our paths crossed sometime... crack a bottle or two...I cover a lot of ground so you may be lucky...lol.
As for the picture I mentioned... if your reading was as good as your pomposity you'd have noticed my original post said....
SEE PICTURE IN MY ALBUM TI AMO.... thats in the picture album section
Hasta Luego

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Nice N Easy

I think your over reacting a little bit. You do not know much of the circumstances here. Racing around at full throttle with a 5hp outboard isn't actually racing around. I have had idiots yell at me for making too much wake with my dink, powered by a 2hp outboard. If he is doing this in a crowded anchoraged, then he is totally in the wrong. But you don't know this, or much else in the way of circumstances. So, don't be so quick to judge.

With a Jeneau 49DS I think the gentleman is in the Yacht Club Brigade who tend to frown on us lesser erks who travel round in low budget boats pissing them of in distant harbours by the very fact we made it there and fly flags from as far away as them... he should have hung out at St Barts.... on second thoughts no... over there he'd have been the lesser erk......
My dinghy would barely make his boat bob if I bombed past 10ft away, which I would not... being all to aware of consequences... a friends sister was killed by a jet biker while swimming off the stern of their boat.....
but what the hell... be light hearted and this is what you get...
You can please all of the people some of the time and some of people all of the time.... but you cant please ALL of the people ALL of the time

[Zanshin]

Nope, I'm not in any yacht club brigade and have been singlehanding and living aboard on and off for a couple of years; but I am a person with a little burn scar from a dinghy wake which hit while I was soldering a broken anchor windlass wire inside my old boat while anchored outside of the Dutch St. Martin bridge and have a dislike for rude and insensate behaviour - if you consider that pompous then that's OK with me.

[speciald@ocens.]

There is a speed limit in the lagoon and the Coast Guard will stop the power boats on occasion. They will also stop dinghys and check equipment. There have been a few accidents at night that have led to tightening of rules in last 2 years. They also board anchored boats to check their papers as currently there is still a charge on the Dutch side to anchor but they are concidering dropping the fees as they are loosing business with the mega yachts.

[gonesail]

agree with zanshin: surfing does not involve a motor .. you ride waves breaking on a reef near the shore.

[boatman61]

Ok Ok..... what was meant as a lighthearted post is getting out of hand..... I too have singlehanded for many years... big deal... its out of choice not nessecity, but if your going to slap labels on people without knowing the facts expect a reaction....
And the dinghy that caused your scar would not have been me I always prefered French side... a lot quiter and fewer dickheads charging around....
Barring this type of boater of course.....

Gonesail....is that a fact... well blow me down...

[kmaz]

Originally Posted by boatman61

PS; I've heard Shrimpy's has been closed... is that true..?? if so shame..it was a good hang out

Was there last week and Shrimpys is indeed closed. However, a new Indian place, Lals, has opened up next door and is definitely worth a visit.

[boatman61]

Hi kmaz.... Thanks for the update,
Pity... as I said great place to hang out..... so Lal's taken over huh... he used to be opposite Juliana airport back in 2001/6... great Samosa and Kebabs.... also had a good collection of 70's and 80's Rock music....
If your still there tell him "Indie" the ex-Colonial from India sends his best wishes... dunno if he'll remember me but who knows...