Re: [Paddlewise] FW: Saturation Point

> standing legally on public property. > > Richard wrote: > Dial 911.   I've
> never heard of this happening on a Texas beach.  On a > hill > country
> river, yes, but a public ocean facing beach?  Never. > > And I respond
> that this very thing happened to a group of us 3 weekends > ago.  We were
> paddling on Barnegat Bay (NJ) and had crossed over to the > lighthouse. 
> Down the shoreline just a bit from the light is a public > municiple
> parking lot (dirt), used heavily by fisherman and 'water > gazers' which

I was talking specifically about Texas.  New England has always seemed 
to me to be a very strange and hostile place.   To be honest, if I had to 
choose between living in Mexico, or living in New England, I'd much rather 
live in Mexico, even if it would take me a couple years to become 
linguistically tolerable.

> sizable quiet area.  On the left is a beach (still part of the > municipal
> lot).  To the right and down a ways is a private marina.  Now, > back out
> on the bay are some very old pilings, 10 ft off shore, to the > right end
> of the bulkhead and they were at one time, I guess,  a barrier > wall.  To
> the right of that is the  "motorway" into a private marina.  As > we
> paddled in to land on the municipal beach, we were yelled at and >
> threatened by the marina workers.  This argument lasted several minutes >
> with us trying to explain that we had a right to be on the water and them

Don't argue.  Thats the biggest mistake people make in my opinion.  
Let'em yell, IF YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT.   As soon as someone raises 
their voice to me, they instantly become written off as unworthy of the effort 
of conversing.    If they physically threaten, call the cops, don't talk to the 
criminally inclined, it rarely makes things better.

> their usual rounds and I grab him > and explain what had happened.  We
> were all shocked to hear that Mr. > Marina had been on the legal side of
> the law.  As the police explained it > to us, he owns and insures the
> marina.  The marina apparently is defined > as the bottom land AND "all
> the water covering it" that the "motors" must > use to gain access to it. 
> So there you have it, at least here at the > Barnegat Bay in NJ.  Mr.
> Marina owns the water (all of it). 

See, every state has different laws, you have to know the law of the state 
that you live in.  I can understand me not knowing NJ law, but those who 
live in Jersey should know the laws of Jersey.

> > Let's see.  To get to Texas I drive
> south and then turn right . . . > > Debbie Reeves > Sandy Hook, NJ 

Sounds about right, it'll only take you 30 hours or so to reach freedom.

Of course, it'd probably cost less to just pay the marina guy for the use of 
his ramp like everyone else on the water does.  [or rent a slip if its a truly 
private marina.]  But then you'd never know what real freedom feels like.



Richard Walker
Houston, TX
http://www.neosoft.com/~rww/kayak_log.html
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