[Paddlewise] Jetskis

Here's a new topic - Jetskis.

Paddling my Navarro canoe in the Oakland Inner Harbor in 1997, two jetskis began to harass me.  They made a series of fast runs by me.  At first I thought they were just inconsiderate fools, but on the fourth or fifth pass, they pointed at me, said "Let's get him" and ripped by me at their closest yet.  One came by about 7 or 8 feet away, and the other was on the other side a little further away.  I decided that the next pass, if they were within reach anyhow, I would do my best Mark McGwire on the first one by.  It didn't come to that -- they got bored with me and moved on to something else.  

Luckily, my open boat is pretty hard to tip.  (I have a kayak now but won't go anywhere near there alone again.  No sense tempting fate or baiting fools.)  All this was within about a mile of the Coast Guard station.

I did not carry either a cell phone or marine radio at that time (I do now).  I felt pretty damn helpless out there and still think about that day anytime a jetski comes within sight or sound of me.  I really hate those things.   

Have others had experiences like this?  I can't imagine I'm the only one.

jerry.
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