I saw an article [parody?] today that their insurance claims are being denied. I believe there is a "safe operation" clause in most policies. It would be the same sort of clause that requires operators of all vessels to maintain a good lookout at all times.

As one who has spent a lot of time on the water, I can testify that large boats, even operated at reasonable speeds, in confined waters create very large wakes which can be destructive to both structures and other boats.

I would be very surprised if none of the small boat owners take advantage of the principle that a boat owner is held responsible for any damage his wake does.

As basic physics says says, force is equal to mass times velocity, especially if, as in this case, the boats were operating at what is called displacement speed.

We have a situation here with people of varying skill levels all operating in close proximity to each other. Looking at videos of the event, I noted that most of them were not wearing life jackets [required by the Coast Guard in these circumstances, especially in smaller boats] or masks.

The indications are that there were no lives lost. Will any of them learn any lessons in safe boating from this? I doubt it.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/9/6/1975496/-Trump-Boaters-Out-Of-Luck-Insurance-Claims-Denied