32 Comments
Commenting has been turned off for this post
Peter Swanson's avatar

Okay, everybody. This Greg Groome character has repeatedly said that he didn't subscribe to Loose Cannon to read stories about Wally Moran. Turns out not to be true. He subscribed in December after reading my first story about Wally Moran and his troubles in Canada. So, Greg, you can't keep saying this isn’t what you signed up for.

Expand full comment
pascosailor's avatar

If he is fighting for anchoring rights I say leave him be

Expand full comment
Sean Welsh's avatar

I guess I now know what watermaker to avoid.

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

Peter has nothing better to do than harass y! I have a copy of his business license if you’d like it!

Expand full comment
Eugene Carlson's avatar

If you think the story is factually wrong, then cite what you think are errors. But attacking the messenger for a story you don't like is changing the subject and does nothing to devalue the article. I'm sure you can do better than this.

Expand full comment
Tom Yardley's avatar

I never thought the Leopards would eat my face!

Expand full comment
Eugene Carlson's avatar

Seems like a solid article to me, with lots of supporting facts. Entering the U.S. by vessel should be no different than by car, except contact with CPB is often by phone, not face-to-face. That may be changing under Trump's emphasis on America First. (Yuck!) Easy to prove you're in the U.S. legally. Don't know why Wally's evading the issue. (Well, it's easy to speculate why. That's the point of the article, isn't it.)

Expand full comment
Greg Groome's avatar

Think you need to fact check the article but better yet ask for the motivation for writing it in the first place .

Expand full comment
Eugene Carlson's avatar

Meets every definition of a legitimate news story, which is reason enough to report it.

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

It’s pure harassment!

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

The lawyer he cites stated he never had this conversation with Peter…

Expand full comment
Greg Groome's avatar

Not sure how writing an article like this adds anything to the boating community.... sounds pretty obvious you have an issue with Wally. I'm a new subscriber but I do detect an edge to your writing... will continue to observe

Expand full comment
Peter Swanson's avatar

My job is not to "add" to the boating community, just to report on it. That's what you're paying me for, right? My motivation is to provide the boating community with facts about the people that purport to be our leaders.

Expand full comment
Greg Groome's avatar

You obviously want to pick a fight with Wally... like I said I have no skin in the game but how does writing a hit piece on Moran serve the marine industry... comments I'm seeing on Facebook are not serving you well!

Expand full comment
Ruv Draba's avatar

Greg welcome to your subscription and to the LC community here.

Before reacting to a single article on uninformed principle, please read an earlier article also in this newsletter, and linked from that same article: https://loosecannon.substack.com/p/judged-a-grifter-in-canada-he-fights

Once you've read that, please post your answers to the following questions to better explain your position:

1. Do you agree that cruising sailors depend on trust and integrity in the community?

2. Does that make them especially vulnerable to fraud and grift -- especially from itinerant social media celebrities who might prey upon them to fund their own lifestyle?

3. Would they benefit from reporting which exposes risk of fraud, grift and misinformation clearly, promptly and objectively? And finally:

4. Do you object to a news-focused channel with a history of investigative journalism taking a pro-active interest when such allegations occur? If so, on what basis?

Expand full comment
Greg Groome's avatar

I'm not reading the article in question...I subscibed to a newsletter that I thought would have well thought out pieces on news of the marine industries interest. Trying to out Wally and possibly get him deported does not fit that narrative.

Wally's immigration status which Swanson doesent even have the facts of has nothing to do with whether I'd do business with him or not.

You two are both a joke to try and hide this attack as " helping the industry"

Expand full comment
Peter Swanson's avatar

Dude, people don't get deported because of articles. They get deported because of things they’ve done or failed to do.

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

Wally is a terrible member of the cruising community. He bullies and grifts. I've seen him doxx people. Call women bimbos. Infiltrate groups he doesn't like with fake accounts to spy on other people and destabilize the conversation. After he and Jeffrey Seigal had their day in court, he posted pics of himself with guns (a poorly veiled threat after his defeat). Just last week he asked people for money. People have the right to know not to get involved with him and not give him money. Plus, seriously, he gives all of us a bad name. Do you think Vicki Lynn Lopez wants to talk to any boater about her anchoring bill after seeing Wally post on her page as both himself and Jayne Arpege (his writing style is SO obvious)? His "white paper" that he sent to most of the FL legislature was likely a rant that only turned them off. No thanks, I'm not buying it.

Expand full comment
Greg Groome's avatar

Your a friend of Swanson's and obviously support his grudge against Wally... Wally's no saint... just object to Swanson's attack on a newsletter I paid for to read industry news, not gossip!

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

Agreed! SSCA removed this ridiculous slander from their Facebook page….

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

They confirm he was kicked out. That organization is desperate for members, takes a lot to get kicked out.

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

I've never met Peter. We are not friends.

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

He spends countless hours writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls and attending court, to fight for YOUR AND MINE rights to anchor in Florida! You’re obviously a friend of Siegel, who I believe is a horrible person. He private messaged me 5 years ago crap talking Wally . I’m glad I didn’t listen. I’ve received great knowledge from Wally for the past 5 years. He can be gruff at times especially when so much shit is being talked about him. Wouldn’t you?

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

Also not a friend of Seigal.

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

You have zero idea what you’re talking about!

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

And what business license do you have? I would think Wally would love you to share it in his defense. Please, do.

Expand full comment
Debi Wiedekamp's avatar

I don’t see a way to share it here.

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

What part do you dispute? Be specific.

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

So Mike Spanos is saying republicans and Trump supporters don't need to follow the law sounds like.

Expand full comment
Little Birdy's avatar

And now ICE says Canadians staying more than 30 days need to register and be fingerprinted. It does say entering "by land" but I wonder if cruisers need to do this? Wally should be in full support of this as he worships Trump.

Expand full comment