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LETTERScivil human being, I agree with thebasic premise of your editorial (Augustissue), my own experience withanchored boats as a waterfront homeownergives me some understandingof their position. Until recently, therewas a 30-foot O’Day anchored on theriver for something over a year. Duringthat time, we never saw a person on theboat. First, the boat dragged from oneside of the river to the other. Then themainsail cover blew partially off. Thenthe jib partially unrolled in a storm anddragged the boat 150 yards to locate itdirectly off my house. Over the nextfew months, the flogging jib slowlydeteriorated. As a boat owner, I constantlyfeared that the O’Day wouldeither break loose or drag into mymoored boat. As a homeowner, I fearedthat the boat would blow up on myshore, and I would have to pay to get ithauled away. When I called theManatee Sheriff’s Office (who regularlypatrol the river), I was told to contactthe Palmetto Police Department. ThePalmetto police told me to call the sheriff,because they do not have a boat.The sheriff then told me to call themarine patrol (FWC). Round andround I went with little activity, untilone day a guy showed up in a powerboatand sailed it away—towing hispowerboat—under main alonebecause the jib was in tatters. I suspectthat the guy didn’t own the boatbecause he didn’t unlock the cabinand start the motor.There is now another anchoredboat across the river that has alreadydragged its anchor once...and we arehaving to keep an eye on it.The point of all of this is that whilethe homeowners in Miami might beout of line, it wasn’t just the boatsanchored off their property that wasthe problem. Moored sailboats are prettyand enhance the view, but it is theirresponsible boat owners who need toget a clue. If you moor a boat in awaterway and are not living on it, youneed to moor it correctly and check onit often. If you are living on the boat,you need to be a good neighbor; don’tappear on deck unclothed, don’t discardyour waste (human or otherwise)overboard to wash up on your neighbor’sshore, don’t land your dinghy onyour neighbor’s shore without permissionand don’t behave in a way thatwould embarrass your mother.Peter WormwoodStiletto 27 Deuce CoupePeter,After hearing about the mystery boat thatthe guy sailed off in—who didn’t even openthe cabin—I really wonder who it was thatsailed that boat away, shortly after severallaw enforcement agencies were contacted.And now there is another boat out therepossibly heading your way? Good luck.Yes—boater etiquette and good neighborpolicies are just as important on thewater, and boaters need to keep that inmind. But we have many types of boatersout there. Two groups, though, need bedistinguished. Cruisers who sail aroundas a lifestyle on well-maintained boats,and derelict boats, which are eitheranchored out as a means of storage or livedin by otherwise homeless people. Most“cruisers” are great people who areresponsible and act accordingly withrespect to all. I, in fact, will, in general,trust sailors more than I would nonsailors.But that only means I distrust agreater percentage of non-sailors thansailors. There are idiots and crazy peoplejust about everywhere—and in all groupingsin which we humans seem to “cubbyhole”people. And we need to get those onthe water to act more responsibly towardtheir neighbors, whether the latter are onland or on the water.Now—if we can just get people onland to do so, too.Editoreditor@southwindsmagazine.com12 September 2011 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com