You just can't protect yourself from stupid!

[Rick Templeton]

Last Sunday morning my wife and I checked the weather and headed out of Long Beach for a leisurely sail in light winds and sunshine. About 1 pm we noticed a fog starting to form between us and shore and headed in. It wasn't long until we were fully engulfed in a thick fog with less than 100 ft visibility. By this time we had tucked the sails away and were motoring in toward the queens gate to the harbor at a whopping 2 knots.

I'll be damned if we didn't have 3 narrow misses with power boats flying out of the fog at full throttle ( remember Vis was less than 100 ft). What the hell are people thinking? Death wish, Extreme unfiltered ignorance, or maybe, Just plain Stupid!

 

[Captmayhem]

it's a phenomenon you don't see elsewhere in the world, certainly not to the extent you do here in the states.
They also drive like that in the fog, so don't feel special
It's a combination of arrogance and stupidity, makes for great YouTube videos sometimes

 

[Roland5048]

I've always said that nothing scares me more than fog. Not because I'm afraid of not knowing where I am or where I'm heading but because of some idiot power boater running full speed into me.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Not that I condone that carelessness at all, but I suppose it's possible that the powerboats could have had you on radar. You'd be a slow moving target easy to buzz by close. Also, if under power both you and the powerboat are supposed to be blasting a horn every two minutes. Anybody doing that? Consider up-grading your VHF to a combination w/fog hailer, and install a horn. I've driven a lot in fog on the freeway having lived in the San Joaquin Valley. You know, where those pile-ups sometimes occur on Highway 99? You can get more or less "comfortable" with it after a time, but it's always treacherous.

 

[Rick Templeton]

I was doing everything by the book, there is no justification for that kind of operating. It endangers real lives of all those on the water and is inexcusable no matter how you look at it.

 

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[Kings Gambit]

I was doing everything by the book, there is no justification for that kind of operating. It endangers real lives of all those on the water and is inexcusable no matter how you look at it.

So, you had a fog horn blasting every two minutes? I did not say or mean to imply that it, the bad behavior(s), was justified.

 

[Captmayhem]

Not that I condone that carelessness at all, but I suppose it's possible that the powerboats could have had you on radar. You'd be a slow moving target easy to buzz by close. Also, if under power both you and the powerboat are supposed to be blasting a horn every two minutes. Anybody doing that? Consider up-grading your VHF to a combination w/fog hailer, and install a horn. I've driven a lot in fog on the freeway having lived in the San Joaquin Valley. You know, where those pile-ups sometimes occur on Highway 99? You can get more or less "comfortable" with it after a time, but it's always treacherous.

even if neither boat was sounding a horn, it takes a special kind of moron to see how close they can get to another boat in the fog using radar/the force!
anyone who operates a sailboat in the US has had to deal with "power boaters" I just wish they'd open up duck hunting a little closer to shore lol

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

it's a phenomenon you don't see elsewhere in the world, certainly not to the extent you do here in the states.

I must protest, most vigorously .

I still maintain that the coast of British Columbia has a monopoly on powerboating idiots because of the complete lack of policing in our waters. These are the idiots that don't believe their engines will start until they've had two drinks. Mix that with complete ignorance of any boating regulations, and that explains why we have so many deaths on the water each year.

As I always say to our southern neighbours, when you are in Canadian waters you are ALWAY the give way boat ........... same as every other competent boater up here.

 

[Rick Templeton]

I was sounding the horn, had the proper lights and extra eyes assigned. You have gotten off on a tangent trying to school me and changed the tone of the thread.

Bottom line, tell the captain, first mate, and rescue swimmer on the coast guard zodiac that heads out into that mess putting themselves in harms way to pull innocent men, women, and god forbid, children, along with the guilty captain (and any innocent passengers he may have onboard) out of the water when the collision occurs, that it's ok because there was a rule broken! That devil needs no advocate, if the power boat was going the same speed we were we could have pushed him off with our hands.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

but I suppose it's possible that the powerboats could have had you on radar.

Sorry, but if you suppose that possibility, you're opening up yourself to a disaster. I can only speak for Canadian waters, but you want to avoid those idiots like the plague, and particularly in fog.

 

[Stu Jackson]

As I always say to our southern neighbours, when you are in Canadian waters you are ALWAY the give way boat ........... same as every other competent boater up here.

Thanks for the warning, now that spring seems to be getting closer. I'm sure that many travel waypoint to waypoint on ap, and never even look out.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Agreement from south of the border. I've had "near" misses in the fog. People with some bucks, boat, and no brains..come to full stop, observe on radar/maybe AiS, and stay out of their way...

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Years ago at Smith Mt. Lake in pure daylight around midday, two bass boats headed toward each other on the upper side of Hales Ford Bridge and hit head on. Death occurred. Not fun pulling out a body from the water You are correct that power boaters are less courteous than sailors who exhibit responsibility on the most part. At least now Virginia by law you have to take a safety course to operate any boat except for sailboats with no motors essentially. If caught, you are fined. I wonder if country wide such a course was warranted if things would be different

 

[flynhi4u]

Years ago at Smith Mt. Lake in pure daylight around midday, two bass boats headed toward each other on the upper side of Hales Ford Bridge and hit head on. Death occurred. Not fun pulling out a body from the water You are correct that power boaters are less courteous than sailors who exhibit responsibility on the most part. At least now Virginia by law you have to take a safety course to operate any boat except for sailboats with no motors essentially. If caught, you are fined. I wonder if country wide such a course was warranted if things would be different

It would probably help some Dave but you just can't take the stupid out of stupid. You have to have a license to fly a plane and it seems there is no shortage of idiots in the air. This is proven every year by the number of senseless accidents and deaths that are often proceeded by the two most dangerous words in aviation, "watch this!"
Then we have idiots who buzz loaded airliners in their toy airplane because they are mistakingly landing on the taxiway instead of the runway in broad daylight on a beautiful sunny day and get off punishment free. Great way to teach other stupid idiots how to be responsible.

Sam

 

[GDanko]

Snowmobiling after lunch when the crowd leaves the bar is another display of stupidity. Racing down a narrow path betweeen trees while trying to stay on the correct side and not hit oncoming sledders is a real trick. I'm almost at a point of giving up the "sport".

I've been caught in traffic heading to a major university football game on Saturday morning. Wow, get out of the way of those righteous tailgaters!!! The tailgating starts on the interstate where they are on each other's bumpers all the way to the game, drink for hours before kickoff, then race bumper to bumper going home.

My point is....the display of bad judgment or whatever it's called, isn't unique to boating.

 

[Kermit]

Snowmobiling after lunch when the crowd leaves the bar is another display of stupidity. Racing down a narrow path betweeen trees while trying to stay on the correct side and not hit oncoming sledders is a real trick. I'm almost at a point of giving up the "sport".

That must be a northern thing. We have NO discourteous snowmobilers in South Carolina.

 

[justsomeguy]

My point is....the display of bad judgment or whatever it's called, isn't unique to boating

Ayup.

 

[justsomeguy]

That must be a northern thing. We have NO discourteous snowmobilers in South Carolina.

Had a difficult time offloading ski equipment here in Tucson the other day. Wassup with that?

 

[DayDreamer41]

I don't think that BC Canada would have exclusive rights to claims on the market of idiot boaters, try anyone of the Great Lakes on a beautiful Saturday afternoon it can be pure madness!