[Speedwake]

I was thinking about Kooks misfortune the week before last with his boat and more importantly the passenger who was seriously injured and I thought about how unforgiving the waters on the bay can be.

I'm sure most of you experience the same but our biggest problem is big boats....especially the 40 plus foot cruisers that push a ton of water. You've just got to be on your guard all the time. Conditions can go from wonderful to horrible in an instant.

I've been out with lots of other boaters and folks that are new to boating and I'm starting to appreciate the years of experience I have in terms of reading waves, winds and conditions.

Years ago when I owned my 32 cruiser I pulled up to a fuel dock on a really windy day. Another guy in a cruiser was pulling up and the clueless moron had no idea or was not astutue enough to realize he was getting blown across the water right toward me and BANG! into my boat he slams.

Nothing to the point where the was damage, just to the point where he went into me side against side. He was very apologetic and said "there was nothing he could do because of the wind" - that's when "yours truly" went off on him big-time and explained to him in no uncertain terms that when you take the helm; you take responsibility and if we wasn't astute enough to take into account wind then he should not be at the helm of a 10,000 lb boat....

needless to say I was not a happy camper.

Boats can be a lot of fun but we all carry big responsibilities on our shoulders when we take the wheel.

May all of you enjoy hours of trouble free boating..... I guess the moral of the story is that you can never take you eye off the birdie... and PLEASE!!!! - take a few boating courses from USPS or USCG reserve.....and when in doubt....back off the throttles....

Dirty Harry put it best when he said "A man has got to know his limitations".

- jeff

 

[laster]

"nothing I could do" BAH! How about stay on the dock where you obviously belong. Of course there was something he could have done. He could have stayed well clear until you had left if he was incapable of handling his boat any better than that. Good for you for going off on him.

 

[Iggy]

You are absolutely right.
I take piloting a boat seriously, be it 10' or 40' LOA . When I'm behind the wheel I'm not very sociable, just busy watching the water.

I've seen many idiots do bonehead moves that scare the heck out of me. I've done few myself. I learn from my mistakes, a lot of people don't.

We all need to be careful out there.
I treat it like I'm riding a motorcycle. Always watching for the other guy.

 

[ducHunter]

I hope the guy learned a lesson after that!:gunner:

 

[MXZ800]

jeff, being a boater on the bay myself i fully understand what you are talking about. sunday went to kent narrows for dinner with a neighbor, ride over was WFO, ride back was slow and unfun to say the least. these conditions changed in a two to three hour window. the worst place for big cruiser wakes i have found is the mouth of the patapsco under the key bridge on the weekends.

Rob

 

[OldMagicfloat]

For what it's worth... the BIG cruisers are the ones that are screwing up LOTO, not the "cigar" boats like some people are saying! I had to have my dock repaired again on the 4th of July weekend because of a certain 41 Carver, who almost sunk 2 little boat that were pulling their kids on tubes. The guy was pushing a 4-5 ft wake according to the marina owner across the cove, and damaged their dock to the point that they coud'nt rent them out for the weekend. When they hollered at him ,they were saluted with a beer bottle in hand. He's not the only one who plows the lake either,seems not too many people with big cruiser boats know how to run without pushing a wall of water!!!It's a shame, but my nabor sells Formulas and they are selling twice as many cruisers as "hot rod" boats!

 

[cuda]

The cruisers can be brutal. Is the boating IQ inversely proportional to the displacement of the vessel? This past saturday, I hooked up with a Donzi owners club for a cruise down the ICW from Sarasota to Venice. Some of the members were in the 16 and 18 foot classics, and had to negotiate the mountainous waves. I understand they have to use the channel too, but they show no concern at all for other boaters by trying to get on the far side of the channel. After going over one big wake, one of the boats in our bunch quit running, he figured it stirred up sediment in his tank or bowl. That wasn't so bad, but then a 16 footer was towing him in, and I was riding beside them trying to keep the wakes from slamming them around. When we saw a cruiser coming, we would start waving for him to slow down. A couple of them did, but most of them didn't.

The weekend before, we were out and a big cruiser began throttling up as we were entering a no wake zone. I was barely crawling over his huge wake, but I came down so hard, it broke the cabin door off the hinges. Mind you this cabin door had already survived 17 years at sea. I was pissed! I did manage to make a new door last week in time for the ride with the Donzi boyz.

 

[jimgoog]

Jeff and others I totally agree with you in regards to changing water conditions. As far as the cruisers go, I have nothing good to say so I will refrain from making any comments. Maybee that is what the wrist rocket a bag of gumballs on board is for.

 

[OldMagicfloat]

What some people dont know,be it cruisers,snailboats,jet ski,fishing boat,or a bathtub with a motor on it,We are ALL RESPONSIBLE fir the wake our vessels create. That means that if someone damages property,or swamped your boat,they ARE liable,and can be held responsible for all damages.


Or,jimgoog's idea was good too. How about a stray flair :laugher: :gunner:

 

[Candyman]

Jeff and others I totally agree with you in regards to changing water conditions. As far as the cruisers go, I have nothing good to say so I will refrain from making any comments. Maybee that is what the wrist rocket a bag of gumballs on board is for.

A new use for gumballs! :laugher: I like it! People forget they are responsible for the wake that their boat produces. I have seen bass boats, open bows, jet fleas, cruisers and go fasts all ignore No-Wake zones. Notice I didn't say Snail boat. They couldn't leave a wake if they wanted to. If you can get a picture of someone producing a wake that damaged your vessel or property file a report with the Coast Guard. Those are the clueless people that don't deserve the right to boat.

Jeff,
You are absolutely correct. You need to read the waves and be aware of cruisers that are on any body of water. We have all been caught by that rouge wave that catches us by surprise. Never fun. Most racers will tell you they are watching way in front of their boats for weird waves. If they see a freighter or large cruiser they know at some point it produced one of those rouge waves and watch for it. When I run on the lake with a light chop I don't need the trim tabs but I still keep them at neutral just in case. If experienced racers can be caught off guard so can we.
Dan

 

[cuda]

Oops

Posted the wrong pic, that was the door we made, here is the cruiser damaged one.