Havasu boating Boycott

[clearwakeDan]

I have seen in my local shop that some boaters are starting a boycott of Havasu on Memorial day to protest the police state behavior of the police and heavy handed tactics of the local town Judge.
Having witnessed this behavior last year on a boat next to us where the man was cited for just swearing I agree something needs to be done. The people of Havasu are unfriendly to us tourist if you just read the discussion board on the local paper!

Lake Mohave is our destination this spring.

 

[QC]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

Lake Mohave is our destination this spring.

I can understand some concern, but the fact is if you follow the rules Havasu is a great place to hang. Memorial weekend has seen some terrible accidents and while I think there is a potential that the City could drive away the source of their revenues, they have to be prudent and not allow it to become a total hedonist experience. Rest assured that Havasu will retain its "charm", just maybe less so on Memorial Day weekend.

As far as Mohave is concerned, you can have it . . . bleeeechhh. The scene at the Katherine Ramp is one I do not do. Their slip "lottery" is a joke and the south end is kinda ugly . . . If you are looking for a great Memorial Day weekend experience even though their security measures are heightened as well, Mead is where we go.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

I have seen in my local shop that some boaters are starting a boycott of Havasu on Memorial day to protest the police state behavior of the police and heavy handed tactics of the local town Judge.
Having witnessed this behavior last year on a boat next to us where the man was cited for just swearing I agree something needs to be done. The people of Havasu are unfriendly to us tourist if you just read the discussion board on the local paper!

Lake Mohave is our destination this spring.

The Locals are probably gettign what they want then. I know here on Norris Lake in TN, we have had a lot of trouble from Out of Town Boaters.

If you follow the laws, what do you have to worry about?

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

In your post, you mention that someone was cited for "just" swearing. Frankly, I wish people would be cited for "just" swearing in public more often. I can't even take my 2-1/2 year old child to Micky D any more w/o him being exposed to any number of teenagers and adults dropping a certain four letter word as if it were completely acceptable language in a public place. Having your toddler asking for a "f$%^ing hashbrown" is not amusing .. nor is having to punish him for saying something that he doesn't understand is wrong because he hears it all day long.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

A couple of years ago a canoist on the Au Sable River in the northern lower peninsula was ticketed (arrested?) for swearing -- violation of an 1890's law. Appearently he swore when his canoe capsized, and a nearby family heard it.

Several months later he was convicted, but the appeals court voided the conviction and the law it was based on.

[ok, other Michigan members, how far off is my memory of this event?]

When popular culture and civility clash, no one wins.

 

[clearwakeDan]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

If you obey the laws in Havasu but have a nice boat and out of state plates the cops have been known to give tickets because you cannot stick around and fight it.
The Judge was reprimanded for not giving fair trials and is an ex-cop not a lawyer.
The police have put on the front page of the paper how they are ready to use the taser if you question them, and started a new revenue enhancement unit starting this weekend working the channel
I am all for the boycott. I have brought my family to Havasu for the last 16 years and watched to police become bully's. It is not a safe place to bring the family anymore because of the police.
If you do go to Havasu I would suggest bringing a video camera to tape and Youtube the abuse. It will not help in court as the Judge has thrown out videotape's if it would hinder a conviction (he has not ruled against the police in 8 years)

 

[magster65]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

Ridiculous. We're heading that way too... there's almost as many cops flying around in boats as there is public now. I'm sorry but the ones I've seen are idiots... I saw them pretty well destroy a brand new triple axle trailer with a brand new 30' rigid inflateable... they were trying to load it without getting the wheels wet! There was a few of us suggesting they back up the trailer but they basically told us to leave or risk being arrested... it's none of our business they said. Yeah right! Public ramp, public equipment... you try something that stupid in front of a cop and see what happens! There was rollers all over the place and they ground off the props on the ramp.
Even when they're in the water they do very little or nothing productive... meaning they just harrass people and don't even communicate with the coast guard. In the latest incident we had the coast guard calling for information on a sailboat on the beach where we were. It had blown onto the shore during a really windy night. Just minutes before the call came in, there was 4 cop boats there... 2 cops rifling through the old guys boat and others staring through binoculars at everyone on the shore. They gave him a fine because he didn't have the right size fire extinguishers (but he had more than required). Like the guys not stressed out enough! The poor man was in tears... and the whole beach was 'boo-ing' the cops. After the coast guard request, we tried to radio the cops on the emergency channel but there was no response... there musta' been a blue-light special on donuts and they couldn't make it!!
They need to take a long course on public relations.
btw, I never have a confrontational attitude with them... they'd harrass me right out of the water!

 

[brazosboater]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

Never been to any havasu, meed, or anything else in the area, but down here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area I don't go to any of the lakes that all of the "crazies" go to. It only takes one idiot, or sometimes drunken idiot, to ruin everybody's day. I drive an extra hour or so and avoid where all of them go. That being said, I now am farther away from game warden/police, and have less idiots. There are still idiots, and we still need the police because of said idiots, but at least the police that are there have enough to do. I can remain scared of the idiots, and not scared of the police citing me for something that is probably ridiculous, like some of the above posts indicate. Cops are people too, and as much as I support having police, they sometimes live up to every stereotype in the book. How does this pertain? You either encounter cops being idiots, or boaters being idiots. Its still worth boating, but maybe find a different location.

 

[QC]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

He's exaggerating. I am sorry. I have been boating at Havasu for the same amount of time. With that said, I DON'T hang out in the Channel, but I do cruise through a couple times every day. I start every year by flagging over the coppers, I ask if there are any new rules and/or laws that I need to know about. I want them to see me, and my boat. To remember it, and to know that I have no issues with them. It may be this, but I have never had any discussion with any of them other than that, ever . . . oh, wait, I did get a "nice boat" while fueling at the same time once.

I have boated on Memorial Weekend, July 4th and Labor Day. Non-issue. Also, in case you think that I am running an Electric Duffy, with a vintage Surrey type canopy, wearing a Captains hat and swilling a Fresca, while handing out fliers for senior Bingo night . . . I have a Carrera with through transom exhaust, no mufflers, she looks well cared for. We have a 1000 watt system, and I crank it in the Channel when I cruise through. I will usually have about 6 people on board, some young and in Bikinis (Mrs. QC too for that matter), maybe one or two could even be dancing. I have a 19 YO and he always has friends with him. They look like typical teens. Some of them with tats and piercings (thankfully neither on mine).

Now, we do not cruise through with water cannons and soak boats and people. We do catch and throw footballs etc., and I always cruise close to shore looking for skin (I can't help it, sorry). I usually have an open beer, but I do not hold it out and toast the Beach patrol coppers . . . Other people will usually have visibly open beers. My wife and other bikini clad passengers are often sitting or laying on the sun lounge in properly provocative positions. We are not unlike 75% of the reasonable partying crowd. We do NOT hang on the beach and swear in drunken stupors. We do NOT get into fights, we do NOT allow underage drinking. We do NOT ram our boats onto the Channel beach and then rev up to 5500 RPM in gear to shove the bow up to the sidewalk. We do NOT have kids swimming near the drive with the engine running. We do NOT have women showing their wares (dang it, I try, I really do . . .) on the beach.

I too hope that they do not kill the scene there, but I think they get more revenue from Occupancy taxes than they will ever see from a coupla more tickets every day.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

...Having your toddler asking for a "f$%^ing hashbrown" is not amusing...

C'mon - it's a little amusing.

 

[azlakes]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

He's exaggerating. I am sorry. I have been boating at Havasu for the same amount of time. With that said, I DON'T hang out in the Channel, but I do cruise through a couple times every day. I start every year by flagging over the coppers, I ask if there are any new rules and/or laws that I need to know about. I want them to see me, and my boat. To remember it, and to know that I have no issues with them. It may be this, but I have never had any discussion with any of them other than that, ever . . . oh, wait, I did get a "nice boat" while fueling at the same time once.

I have boated on Memorial Weekend, July 4th and Labor Day. Non-issue. Also, in case you think that I am running an Electric Duffy, with a vintage Surrey type canopy, wearing a Captains hat and swilling a Fresca, while handing out fliers for senior Bingo night . . . I have a Carrera with through transom exhaust, no mufflers, she looks well cared for. We have a 1000 watt system, and I crank it in the Channel when I cruise through. I will usually have about 6 people on board, some young and in Bikinis (Mrs. QC too for that matter), maybe one or two could even be dancing. I have a 19 YO and he always has friends with him. They look like typical teens. Some of them with tats and piercings (thankfully neither on mine).

Now, we do not cruise through with water cannons and soak boats and people. We do catch and throw footballs etc., and I always cruise close to shore looking for skin (I can't help it, sorry). I usually have an open beer, but I do not hold it out and toast the Beach patrol coppers . . . Other people will usually have visibly open beers. My wife and other bikini clad passengers are often sitting or laying on the sun lounge in properly provocative positions. We are not unlike 75% of the reasonable partying crowd. We do NOT hang on the beach and swear in drunken stupors. We do NOT get into fights, we do NOT allow underage drinking. We do NOT ram our boats onto the Channel beach and then rev up to 5500 RPM in gear to shove the bow up to the sidewalk. We do NOT have kids swimming near the drive with the engine running. We do NOT have women showing their wares (dang it, I try, I really do . . .) on the beach.

I too hope that they do not kill the scene there, but I think they get more revenue from Occupancy taxes than they will ever see from a coupla more tickets every day.

... dood i wanna hang with you at Lake Haveasip

 

[geoloco5150]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

We have never had any trouble at Havasu. If you stay away from the London Bridge (it ain't fall'n down) you shouldn't have any problems. The main problems that I have seen are darn jetskiers racing around in the no-wake zones, and drinking. Generally, we stay at the south end of the lake where there aren't as many crazies. I recommend launching at Cattail Cove.

 

[1976 Slickcraft]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

I never been to Havasu, or anywhere west of the Mississippi for that matter. Do you all have the Coast Guard Auxillary out there? Every year during the week before Memorial Day they do free safety inspections right at the ramp. If your boat passes you get a little sticker for your winshield. Those stickers are like a ''Get Out Of Jail Free Card" around here (Potomac River, Lake Anna, and Raystown Lake). Never had any problems with the cops since I started getting those stickers, no matter what the girls were up to!

 

[QC]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

I found this site today which will give some non-Havasu boaters a taste of the scene there. This is Memorial Day 2006 . . .

BTW, there are some very quiet and beautiful coves as well as these party spots, and they didn't even show the best/worst one . . . The infamous Sand Bar!!!

 

[NeverEnough02]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

Looks like a fun scene to me! I can agree, tourist areas, the rent-a-cops always think they are the king of the **** stack. It is really fustrating all over the country. Try owning a motorcycle. They try to pass law just because of the style motorcycle we have. That is illegal and its close to passing! Imagine if the said bowrider owners loose their boat for breaking a wake zone law while CC owners get a slap on the wrist... I would create as much negative attention for the police as possible. Make sure you offer those tapes to local news crews and make plenty of copies. There was a huge rioting issue up in New England a few years ago (mainly because the police started issues and people reacted in mass amounts). Well, the police were so used to shooting rubber bullets at the crowds (illeagily) they killed an innocent girl. You better beleive those cops went to jail and sure enough the police levels simmered out quick as the cops got a reality check. In my experience with large crowds, large amounts of cops with a mindset to overule always ends in a negative outcome for everyone. Boaters need to go there and buckle down with the stupidity and let the cops be idiots on tape. Sorry if that is a vent but, history shows that overbearing police rarely help in large peaceful crowds. I am sick of them abusing the law.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

On this side of the state, I never see any law enforcement or GC. and am on the water at least 2 days a week year round. Dont need them, dont miss them. Judging from those pictures posted though, maby a bit of show of authority might be necessary. Is most of the lake crowded like that?
Authorities in KEY WEST seem to have their act together during fastasy fest, you never see them, they keep a low profile. FRED

 

[QC]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

Is most of the lake crowded like that?

No. Two things to remember. That was Memorial Day weekend, and . . . That is the "Bridewater Channel". In the '70s McCullough (yes the chainsaw guy) bought the London Bridge and had it shipped brick by brick from England. He had it assembled on a Peninsula that juts out into Lake Havasu. Then he had a channel dug under it that turned the Peninsula into an Island. True story. That Channel (and the Bridge) are the 2nd most popular tourist attraction in Arizona, #1 is the Grand Canyon.

There are some other party places on the Lake too, but nothing like The Channel. You could boat all day on Havasu and not even see that scene if you don't want to. Orrr, you can duck in there, take a peek at some things worth peeking at, and then get out. You can go to Dinner at a nice Restaurant by boat, Hotels with slips etc. But you can also camp just as primitive as you want . . . I love the place, something for everyone.

 

[azlakes]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

... no more worms that eat your brain? We hope to go to Havasu this summer. Camping you say? Along the shores w/boat?

 

[DJ]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

In so many cases, those that sow bad seed, get a bad harvest.

Be civil, have fun and you'll be fine.

I've never had an issue but I run a Boston Whaler (read; cop boat).

 

[QC]

Re: Havasu boating Boycott

Camping you say? Along the shores w/boat?

Oh yeah. I said "primitive" as you can go up into Topock Gorge and camp with no facilities whatsoever. But the BLM maintains 105 sites on the AZ shore and a few on a Little Island (I have GPS coordinates if anybody wants). I have camped there three years in a row. This year (3/21) we are borrowing a Coach and letting Mom come along, so we are staying at Park Moabi which is up on the river north of the Gorge. Take a look here: BLM Site Great campsites, boat accesible only, good heads, benches, sorta some shade and barbeques. First come, first served. No reservations.