Lake Havasu Houseboat In The Channel - YouTube.

Reminds me of the year at the Shootout at LOTO back when it was still in front of Shooters 21 when the Celebration (big cruise boat) got hung up on a bouy and about landed in our laps on the front spectator line.

This guy needs a *ucking smack, he could've severely injured someone.

Said alcohol wasn't an issue!



Lake Havasu City police arrested a California man allegedly responsible for a house boat fiasco that occurred late Saturday afternoon in Bridgewater Channel.

Lake Havasu City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Troy Stirling said the incident was reported at 3:43 p.m. Saturday after a boat operator reportedly entered the south end of Bridgewater Channel with a rented 65-foot houseboat and lost control of the vessel.

“The guy started coming into the south end of the Channel when there were some big gusts of wind,” Stirling said. “It was too late. He didn’t have a chance to turn around because there were so many boats, it was really congested.”

The houseboat ended up sideways across the waterway’s travel lanes and clipped several boats on both the east and west banks. In all, about five boats suffered minor gel coat-type damage.

“That boat was so long, once it was turned around police were there getting him out of the Channel,” Stirling said. “(Authorities) were trying to stop him but the guy wasn’t stopping.”

Travelling at a slow pace, the boat operator continued until police boarded the vessel and shut it down.”

The boat operator, 36-year-old Donald Jackson, of Whittier, Calif., reportedly told police he didn’t stop because he thought police were escorting him and the houseboat from the Channel.

In the end, Jackson was arrested for alleged reckless operation of a watercraft. Investigations determined alcohol wasn’t a contributing factor. No injuries were reported in association to the call.

“I’m very happy to say it didn’t turn out worse than it did,” Stirling said. “We had people beginning to try to stop it by pushing it, but you can’t stop a houseboat.”

In the end, the houseboat was towed back to Nautical Beachfront Resort with reports of a compromised hydraulic steering system, as a result of the incident, and is now unable to make right turns.

Jackson has multiple years of boating experience but just not on a large boat such as the houseboat, Stirling said.

“He did a pretty darn good job controlling it, but unfortunately he just shouldn’t have been there,” he said.

It is unlawful to operate a houseboat of that size in the Channel, and beneath London Bridge, without a captain’s license. Jackson isn’t a licensed captain, police said.

Calls to Nautical Beachfront Resort’s water sports center to inquire about rental policies, liability and estimated damage to the vessel weren’t immediately returned.

Waterway authorities of Lake Havasu City Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and Mohave County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident.

Gino,

You totally missed your chance with this thread.......You could have started by saying you took a vacation to Havasu to relax on your new houseboat! :D

http://youtu.be/1S6_ndIi0cI @ :44... those guys are lucky they didn't lose some limbs.

guys a idiot but nothing worse then a bunch of people on your boat shouting orders especially a bunch of chicks. they were easily 100yds and yelling at their captain to take off. really???

You can tell by the trees on the second video that it is windy. Thats a big boat not saying he is not at fault. But he did have his hands full.....

I have been there twice & the channel can get cluttered pretty quick with all of the traffic but that is like threading a needle with a Mack truck!! Randy

I regularly pilot a 90' houseboat & if there is any wind whatsoever you really need to be ready for a ride. These things only draft 3' and have a ever so slight v to their bottom. Most of the rentals only have one engine & a jet drive making it even more rediclious to operate.
That guy was in way over his head & the people yelling at him were even more clueless.