Float Down

Open forum for regional discussion. (extension of the Information Search page for off topic & personal discussion)
Mike

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Mike »

Unsanctioned means there is no one to sue - no one to bill for services not requested - no one to place blame upon!

Just folks having some fun on a hot August day. some folks just can not accept this fact.
PDBLK25

Re: Float Down

Unread post by PDBLK25 »

Since the event is unsanctioned, law enforcement, Homeland Security, and EMTs need not be there. Neither should normal navigation (ships) shouldn't be curtailed either. Let the floaters take their chances. A spate of injuries & a few deaths should curtail the float down on the St. Claire and move it to more suitable rivers (like the Colorado.
People don't understand how the ships work. When on the Str. Middletown we had a guy in a small boat on the St. Marys who insisted on staying directly in front of us about 20 feet from the bow. He wanted up-close photos. I'm sure he got them. He also as lucky he wasn't run down. About a month later, we had a guy on the St. Claire who wanted to "ride" our wake. He got so close we thought he wanted to ride our prop. We had guys aft listening for the grinding of that boat. Fortunately a RCMP boat warned him away. I have dozens of similar stories, but I think you get the point. Some folks never learn.
Guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Guest »

guest wrote:With all the complaints about the float down what difference is it when the rivers such as Detroit river are closed to navigation for the fire works. Seems to me that there is no difference between the two events. We can allow all parties use these public waterways. I have not heard complaints on the fire works closure and it also involves USCG and law enforcement from both USA and Ontario. We may have some bias posters.

I sail as engineer on a thousand footer. I freely admit my bias and it ain't for the Floatin' Follies!!
Mike

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Mike »

I'd like to thank those folks who took the time to post in support of the float down. the float down is only one day a year to let folks have a bit of fun. in today's turbulent times, I would hope we all could take a 'time out' to have some fun! thanks all and cheers.
Jared
Posts: 798
Joined: December 6, 2014, 4:51 pm

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Jared »

That's a rather poor analogy. 75 used to be shut down at Zilwaukee due to commercial shipping before the modern bridge was built. So maybe they should have stopped shipping?

Also the event is posted months ahead of time allowing shipping companies to plan accordingly. You cannot keep them off the river. It has been tired and failed miserably both in the courts and public opinion. It's your right to use any public waterway as you see fit that corresponds with safety and the law. Since it does NOT violate the law, it cannot legally be stopped.
Guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Guest »

Wouldn't it be the same as shutting down I-75 (and for this analogy it would be the Only road for all traffic) so me and a bunch of my friends could go drinking and ride our bikes on I-75 at a leisurely pace?

As far as the fireworks it is short duration and go you wouldn't want boats passing and rocking barges shooting off explosives.
guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by guest »

With all the complaints about the float down what difference is it when the rivers such as Detroit river are closed to navigation for the fire works. Seems to me that there is no difference between the two events. We can allow all parties use these public waterways. I have not heard complaints on the fire works closure and it also involves USCG and law enforcement from both USA and Ontario. We may have some bias posters.
FH

Re: Float Down

Unread post by FH »

The river belongs to everyone, not just the shipping companies.
Mike

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Mike »

One day a year people enjoy floating down the river - and others complain! looks like everyone has an opinion. right or wrong - having fun is a thing of the past.
Guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Guest »

guest wrote:May I ask . How is this impeding a waterway when all commercial navigation is closed during the event hours? I thought I read that the river was closed to navigation during set hours.
Being closed to navigation is in and of itself impeding the waterway. Ships are impeded from plying their trade.
Jared
Posts: 798
Joined: December 6, 2014, 4:51 pm

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Jared »

As I posted last year, I work the event some years as a sheriff deputy. Our day begins at 10 and we don't get home until well after 11. It's a long frustrating day as the longer it goes, the more foolish the participants act and become downright hostile when we tell them that they either find their way back or they have to get out and they are done with the event. I have seen great changes in the last couple years as people wear the proper flotation and some sort of propulsion device. All in all its a pain in the rear for us who have to monitor the event and then save lives if the situation calls for it.

But with that being said it is our right to float down the river when we want to or participate in this event. Many years ago the CG, Sheriff, and OPP arrested or detained anyone who tried to float down the river. It created a massive public backlash and almost everyone who was arrested had the charges dropped by the judges who said we overstepped our authority by stopping them from doing the float down. So there is no realistic way in stopping it.
cpfan
Posts: 790
Joined: March 29, 2010, 2:04 pm
Location: Welland Ontario

Re: Float Down

Unread post by cpfan »

guest wrote:May I ask . How is this impeding a waterway when all commercial navigation is closed during the event hours? I thought I read that the river was closed to navigation during set hours.
The river is closed because of the float down, not to facilitate the floatdown, but to prevent problems. The river would NOT be closed if the float down was not happening.

Steve
guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by guest »

May I ask . How is this impeding a waterway when all commercial navigation is closed during the event hours? I thought I read that the river was closed to navigation during set hours.
Bookworm

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Bookworm »

Up North George said it well:
"Well they actually are impeding a navigational water , really no different than when the fisherman refuse to give way to vessels attempting to transit. As stated it is unsanctioned. No different if a group decided to skateboard down a large hill section of a freeway for the fun of it and caused all traffic to stop do to safety concerns. Because of where this is located they actually could fine people. Which is what they should of done at the very first one which would of curbed it in the first place. As with fisherman that impede vessels until they actually start to fine people it won't stop."
Having lived on the St. Clair River for 5 years, I never could understand how this event (unsanctioned) could be allowed to continue, especially when I read the amount of tax dollars diverted for local law enforcement, EMT services, US and Canadian Coast Guard, and Homeland Security presence.
hausen
Posts: 803
Joined: July 2, 2010, 1:36 pm

Re: Float Down

Unread post by hausen »

guest wrote:Is the St Clair River a private or public waterway. Also how do you impede traffic when the river is closed to navigation?
The St. Clair River is a public waterway. As such, it is governed by the rules that we as a nation have agreed upon. The big commercial ships do not indeed own the river, however the navigation rules we've agreed upon say that the big boys do have priority over all other river traffic.

The river is closed to navigation during the float down because the Coast Guard knows that people are going to break or ignore those rules during the event anywas. In the interest of the safety of the rulebreakers it's best to avoid conflict between big ships and float participants in the first place.

A day of fun's not such a bad thing. The St. Clair River is probably not the best place for such an event. If a big enough mass of people want to do a float there regardless, it's not the end of the world. Float down participants, however, should be appreciative of the patience and graciousness that law enforcement and safety personnel demonstrate with respect to the float down. There is a pretty big crowd of folks doing a questionable thing in a less than ideal environment. Many floaters are probably in over their heads on a big, wide river with fast currents that happens to be an international border. Many people do the float while under the wit-dimming influence of alcohol. I'm sure any of the folks whose thankless job it is to try to support and enable floaters' safety could tell you what a completely dumb circus that event is, much more so than if folks floated a river that was more appropriate for the activity.
Guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Guest »

guest wrote:Is the St Clair River a private or public waterway. Also how do you impede traffic when the river is closed to navigation?
Just because you can do something legally, doesn't mean you should...

Besides that's what the Colorado river is for.
guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by guest »

Is the St Clair River a private or public waterway. Also how do you impede traffic when the river is closed to navigation?
Mike

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Mike »

One day a year people meet on a hot day to float down the river. the commercial boys think they own the river -- they do not !
up north george

Re: Float Down

Unread post by up north george »

Guest wrote:
Guest wrote:The Coast Guard discourages it only because it’s not a safe, controlled event. Just read the statistics from the event.
1) 3 lives saved
2) 168 life assisted
3) 2 arrested
4) 2 missing, located later

…………and the Float Down was slower than usual due to the south wind.

The event was not sanctioned, authorized or approved by any structured organization that could set safe guidelines and regulations that would include the Coast Guard guidance and required support staff.

25 law enforcement agencies with over 60 boats assisted throughout the day including the Canadian Coast Guard, Ontario Provincial Police, St. Clair County Sheriff Marine Division, Port Huron Police, Port Huron Fire Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, St. Clair fire and police departments, Burtchville Fire Department, Marysville police and fire departments, among others.

As it was very well written earlier:
Last but not least, cost and resources diverted. There is a HUGE cost to the Coast Guard, local law enforcement agencies, and homeland security. They are trying to maintain the safety of the participants, which is great. But in doing so, they are compromising the other duties they are normally tasked with, and subsequently, compromising security we might normally take for granted if the Float Down never happened in the first place. Never mind the potential risks of a boater elsewhere who needs assistance.

Without all the assistance from the agencies listed the statistics could have easily read 171 lives lost and 2 arrested 2 missing, located later.

With the information above I believe this should help answer your question.
On a practical level, how could it be stopped ? Unless laws are being broken, this will continue.
Well they actually are impeding a navigational water , really no different than when the fisherman refuse to give way to vessels attempting to transit. As stated it is unsanctioned. No different if a group decided to skateboard down a large hill section of a freeway for the fun of it and caused all traffic to stop do to safety concerns. Because of where this is located they actually could fine people. Which is what they should of done at the very first one which would of curbed it in the first place. As with fisherman that impede vessels until they actually start to fine people it won't stop.
Guest

Re: Float Down

Unread post by Guest »

25 law enforcement agencies with over 60 boats assisted throughout the day including the Canadian Coast Guard, Ontario Provincial Police, St. Clair County Sheriff Marine Division, Port Huron Police, Port Huron Fire Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, St. Clair fire and police departments, Burtchville Fire Department, Marysville police and fire departments, among others.
Looks more like a fine training day for all involved and I very much question the over blown claim of "171 lives saved"
Offering someone a hand or give them a tow does not mean those persons would have otherwise drowned.

Looking forward to next year's event, sanctioned or not.
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