Can't help a drunk

There are new renters in Aunt Gertrude's old cabin at the lake. (She would roll over in her grave) The guy owns a company, but basically they are out of shape mullet wearing, trash mouthed drunks who drive great big vehicles including their boat, a 28 foot Bayliner. (pictured)

Montana doesn't require any boating certification for the operator. Any idiot can buy a great big boat and jump in and go. (I have a Washington certification, not required yet even in Washington) Flathead lake is a very big freshwater lake with many bays. I've known people to get lost during the day let alone night. I grew up on the lake and had my own little skiff at a very young age so I literally could find my way home in the dark. I joked with Christine about this last year. But if I'm going to be out after dark I do leave the dock light on, and I have every docking movment planned in advance including line/rope placement on the boat. Anyone who has sailed or motored with me would tell you. And with a big boat it is important. If the wind comes up it is critical.

So Saturday night I'm sitting at the fire by the beach and the new neighbors decided to go out on their Bayliner. They were arguing about going and one guy gets in the boat and takes it out from the pier and waits for the others to come down and join him. When they do he backs the boat up to the pier. Not something you ever do. The prop can strike the pier. None the less they all jump on and go. Hours later they return around midnight. But they are clearly drunk as the water is still and we could hear everything they said. (another thing you learn if you've been around for a while) They can't tell in the darkness where to dock. So I hear them say "can anyone tell us were we live?" and they laugh. So I turn on my flood lights that light up all of our piers including the one they need to find in the drakness. But they don't get it. They drive on lost. They go down to the end of the bay and out of sight. Then they go way back up to the other end of the shore and start looking at all of the piers again. A process they would repeat for 2.5 hours.

The neighbor, Steve, from Alaska, and used to helping others comes over and we try to guid them in with a light. But they are clearly drunk. They are fighting for the controls of the boat and just out of control. We use a light to flash at them but they take it wrong and start yelling at us. We debated on just calling the sheriff and they would have gotten DUIs as they were clearly drunk, but since they were the new neighbors and nobody else was on the bay, we gave them a break.

They came by again and this time I flashed the flood lights. They were right infront of the right pier. The guy told me to "Turn The XXX Light Off!! so I said "Ok just trying to help" I knew when I turned the light off they would never figure it out. And they never did. Then I sat there and watched them for a couple of hours go to each end of the bay. Stupid bastards. Each time they came by I could hear every word they said. Once when they came by looking again, Steve came back out to try and help them. I told him that we had tried and they are beyond help, and I was enjoying watching them try. He said "Ok don, screw em."

Steve told me that they came home at 7am the next day. I ususally try and help newcomers as it is kind of a dangerous place to boat if you don't know what you are doing. The wind can come up and the waves get really big, and the pretty boat can be lost. But screw these guys. I'll never help them. You can't help a drunk.

And all drunks are the same. Doesn't matter how much money they have.