Running afoul of the law!

Saturday I arrived at the Stuart Causeway at 3:30, rigged an 8.5 and took out the formula board. I had plenty of wind and headed for the House of Refuge. Art and I had a good time buzzing around for an hour or so and the wind started to fade. I was schloggin’ dead down wind towards the east island and about 200 yards out the wind kicked up so I headed west towards the channel. After crossing the channel I jibed in the shallows and headed back for the east island. A catamaran had made its way to the channel from IRP marina and was turning south, a power boat had just come under the bridge and was heading south slowly. So I got up on plane crossed the channel and passed the catamaran on its north side when all of a sudden I hear a siren. I look around and a Martin Co. Sheriff’s boat has its blue light flashing and is heading right at …….me? So I make my way past the boat ramp and sheet out the sail. The boat pulls alongside and the deputy asks if I thought I was taking a risk back there? I replied no considering the speed at which the boats were going. Then he says, well their could have been a power boat on the other side of the sailboat and I would have been in trouble. At this point I realize their is no reasoning with this guy and decided to agree with whatever he said and then he launches into this rant. You are not a vessel…..You don’t have the right of way….. You are just a surf board with a sail. I don’t remember what he said after that my head was spinning and we parted ways. My neighbor, who jet skies the causeway a lot, suggested that the deputy must have been bored. To pull over a windsurfer is the strangest thing he had ever heard of. I am going to copy this into the forum, if anyone wants to comment they can do so there. Click on the following: http://www.treasurecoastwindsurfing.com/