twistedtree
Guru
If one of those truly bad wakes, and there is no doubt of recklessness, reasonably secured items have been displaced and anyone goes down or against an object.......
I agree, make the call to the USCG and get it recorded.
Use the words "operating in a negligent manner" as the word negligent is the official term for the USCG (at least it used to be). Also immediately say checking passengers for injuries and vessel for damage. That will start the dialogue or they will ask those questions if the watchstanders are doing their jobs.
It leave it open that future injuries or discovered damage will have more than a "I got waked bad" call.
The USCG usually bounces wake calls to state enforcement (I had that happen last year in NC when a sportfish broke out w sections of rub rail when the wake jumped the boat entirely over extra large fenders at a fuel dock).
It may or may not go anyplace but if law enforcement boats are out and about...it may help.
Pictures may be the only real help....so whatever means, including a loop recorder might be your best friend.
A huge problem is there are so many complaints of reasonable wakes, the truly "inexcusable" ones dilute the reasonable complaints.
My though on the call to the CG is at least as much for the offending boater to overhear as it is for the CG to hear. The recorded call will come in handy if there is any action to be taken, but I would not expect the CG to take any action unless there were an injury requiring assistance.
But if you were racing around in your sport fishing boat and overhead the boat that you just waked placing a call to the CG reporting the incident, identifying you, saying their was damage to the boat and injuries, etc. wouldn't that scare the crap out of you? I think it's just the sort of wake-up call, or "come to jesus" that's needed. Now this of course assumes he's monitoring 16, which may be a stretch.....