Having lived in Pensacola, Ft. Walton and DeFuniak Springs and as a U.W.F. grad I can attest to the fact that law enforcement in Escambia, Walton and Santa Rosa counties, Florida is an embarassment beyond belief. In few other places of the U.S. are tickets so blatantly a way of raising revenue instead of the honest law enforcement tool that a citation should be.

You should take this one to court and make an articulate and logical statement that the motorcraft did not give way and was being operated in a reckless manner that endangered not only the crew on the sailboat but the child on the one-person watercraft. The court should know that in order to avoid PWC's in Choctawhatchee Bay, or on any body of the Miracle Strip's water, would simply keep a sailing craft at the dock or on the beach. Their is no way to avoid the constant rambling and mindless tracks of a PWC. The motorcraft was burdened to keep clear of the sailboat and was clearly being operated in a reckless manner. Even a Redneck Riviera judge should be able to render a better verdict than the one you received at the beach. The Fish and Game officers are only good for measuring and counting fish. Water right-of-way rules might as well be calculus to them. Next time, call the Coast Guard from the Yacht Club.

It's sad that our society has become so suit-happy but my opinion is that you have a case that could be a head's up warning to boaters not paying attention on the water and you are certainly owed for the injury to yourself and your boat.

You should call the Daily News and tell them what the officer told you. Ask them to call the Coast Guard for what should have been done.

The beaches from Panama City to P'cola are my favorite sailing waters.

Sorry about the slam to the panhandle but some parts of life are pretty dumb up there. To wit: My wife and I were at Grayton Beach for about an hour this past May. We quickly tired of dodging pickups and SUV's being driven on the beach. We dared not spread our picnic on the sand. While we were there trying to decided whether to stay or go home, a Walton County Sheriff's deputy was attempting to locate the owner of a white Hobie 16 that had been pulled up onto the shoreline (not in a designated swimmmer's area). The officer was incensed that the boat was blocking traffic! At the risk of being hauled into the pokey in DeFuniak I told her that was the stupidest thing I had ever witnessed in law enforcement.

I hate to say it, but, if I were you I'd find an attorney...that owns a sailboat.