[sunset on the dock]

Originally Posted by elchase

Skip,
Here's a post of yours from the archives from back before we had a speed limit. Were the MP officers chasing this Donzi Poker Race around the lake at high speeds more or less safe than the ones retrieving the bodies? Had these MP officers been out there fishing these guys out of the lake when this poker race came flying by, which risk (pulling in the bodies or dodging the Donzis) would have been more endangering? And you guys are saying it is ME who doesn't care about our safety officials?;
Forum Archive
I am a radio nut - What I heard about Poker Run
Posted By: Skipper of the Sea Que (CQ)
Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 12:13 a.m.
In Response To: Marine Patrol can't keep up with Donzi's (Don Zee)
Well folks, I have to get my 2 cents in here. I would have loved to join the Donzi Poker Run, but I have a Four Winns (and couldn't find Donzi decals big enough to cover all the Four Winns logos on my boat ).
Anyway, I have been called a radio nut. I prefer enthusiast. Ham radio, Broadcast Radio, Public Service radio, Short Wave, Medium Wave and all that. At the Lake I often monitor the Marine Patrol Radio Frequencies (at least the 2 known to me). In addition to VHF Marine Channel 16 which is not the same as the Marine Patrol 800 MHz radio system.
What I did NOT hear on the Marine Patrol Radio was information supporting Woodsy. What I DID hear supported the reports of Sue and Don Zee. The Marine Patrol did NOT talk too much about the Donzi Poker Run on their radio system, rather they encouraged officers to TELEPHONE headquarters for information (in effect, making it so that people like me can't monitor those conversations). In my opinion, the MP officers on patrol did not know about the poker run. I believe they did try to chase some of the Donzi boats and gave up.
Now, I did not witness these events. What I know comes from various sources, including the Marine patrol 2-way radio (and I assume the MP officers report situations accurately). I need to review the ECPA (Electronic Communications Privacy Act) before I reveal exactly what I heard on my radios. I think monitored Public Service communications can be repeated but I forget. The law may say I must keep what I hear on those channels to myself - so, I won't specify exactly what I heard. But what I did NOT hear (no law says I can't tell you what I did NOT hear - boy that's convoluted) was anything contradicting Don Zee or Sue. Read between those lines. I think Don and Sue are right.
As for MP finding and stopping anyone when they really want to... I'm not sure I buy that. Radar and radios are not enough. Radar does not read hull numbers. Ship radar doesn't follow boats around or over islands. Of course Radar could have changed a lot since I got my FCC Ship Radar Endorsement on my (FCC Commercial Radio) license (to test, install, maintain and repair Radar equipment).
Sorry to ramble but I had to get this out of my system. Plus, I wish there were a Poker Run I could get in on. I think my family would love it.
AL, Radio Operator of the Sea Que (CQ)

And these are the guys (MP) who think we don't need a speed limit? Oh well, I'll pretty much leave the safety debate to those SL supporters who do a better job discussing the safety aspect; I'll concentrate on the noise/confusion/boats screaming by you only 150' away at those ungodly speeds. Glad I wasn't out on the lake that day described above. We sometimes joke that our family boating picnics on the lake would be more peaceful if we held them on the median strip of Rt. 93..