How to deal with idiots on the water?

[rrranch]

On this subject I am lost. I know what we would have done in the Navy if we were in a tight channel and some way too rich motor yacht driver didn't want to give way to an aircraft carrier but what do we do as sail boat owners trying to obey the rules of the road? Seriously. I just bought my boat last week. The previous owner is just awesome. He's teaching us to sail and just a great guy. He is nervous about the channel traffic though and understandably so. I have served on ships from carriers and battleships to frigates and destroyers and I qualified officer of the deck on two of them. As an enlisted man. I know the rules out there. Just what do we do when we're on the upwind side of a narrow channel, obviously have the right of way and motor boaters are going by us at 80 mph and heading straight at us likes it's my duty to give way? I'm armed and about sick of how rude and unsafe people are. What do I do other than a warning shot or two? Call the coast guard and report them? Would they do anything?

I have tried ringing the bell, blowing the horn, and even yelling at people. Only to get flipped off or end up in their wake. It's just amazing. It's like driving in Dallas traffic in my one ton at rush hour out there. I just want to get to the bay without an accident and have fun.

 

[Manureva]

my girl friend say you must be my long lost brother! you seem to have the same patience as i do, id hole their boat but thats just me.lllolololol, i insured the boat very well ....

 

[Ross]

You could try trailing several lengths of polypropylene line from your stern and hope that they tangle their prop in some on it.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

It may not help oblivious boaters who aren't listening to the radio but often a simple call on Ch16 saying that an reckless boater (insert name here) traveling in such and such location, heading ____ at a high rate of speed and maybe not under command. That type call can usually get the attention of a harbor master, marine police, CG, etc who do care enough to find the guy and teach him the expensive lesson he deserves. If nothing else, it might embarrass the jerk.

 

[Fly_H23]

Have a good camera or video recorder and call the local authority. A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[DeniseO30]

CG told me that the CG gets very few actual complaints. The best way is to have a camera on board and take photos of the offending boat. Make sure their numbers are in the photo.
Most of us. (me included) yell and get angry but almost never really do anything about it. like suggested by the CG

 

[rrranch]

The camera and radio are good ideas. Better than mine which was involving bodily harm. I will do that. I don't have patience for these idiots at all. I've been land locked for nearly 10 years now and never really been into pleasure boating. I had no idea it was this bad.
I have already decided to report the next barge pilot that is not flying proper flags or shapes. I know they are big and wide and would give them right of way whether they deserve it or not but when I am meeting them on the correct side and only have about a boats width to 3 inches of water and then they turn toward me I get a little hot. If they aren't flying their restricted maneuvering flags then they have no right to run me down. I haven't seen one yet with the right flags up for being in a channel like that. It's not safe to just assume what their intentions are. At least barge pilots have their radios on though and use them.

 

[rrranch]

I never had much respect for the coast guard. Since I was navy and worked with them a lot but I guess I need to learn to talk to them. They need to get a handle on the dangerous boaters out there around corpus. Ya know this one stupid woman yelled something at us the other day and threw an empty beer bottle at us. We were just cruising along about 7 knots minding our own business and they overtook us to port and did that for no reason. I was all the way to the left in the channel on the windward side too. Not like I was blocking any traffic or anything. Is it illegal to drink and drive a boat because it's obviously not illegal to be stupid and drive.

 

[dhays]

I have already decided to report the next barge pilot that is not flying proper flags or shapes. I know they are big and wide and would give them right of way whether they deserve it or not but when I am meeting them on the correct side and only have about a boats width to 3 inches of water and then they turn toward me I get a little hot. If they aren't flying their restricted maneuvering flags then they have no right to run me down. I haven't seen one yet with the right flags up for being in a channel like that. It's not safe to just assume what their intentions are. At least barge pilots have their radios on though and use them.

The nice thing about commercial traffic is that they are professional and do monitor the radio. Find out what frequency the traffic monitors in your area and then contact them via radio if your unsure of their intentions. Even if you can't identify their name, you can identify them by direction and location such as "Barge traveling downriver at marker #6" and identify yourself as "'Sailing vessel under sail to your Northwest". Generally just letting them know that you have given them as much room as you can, are restricted by draft, and would like to know their intentions. Most of the time, a friendly contact will solve the problems. At the very least, you can get an identity this way if you later need to report an incident to the CG.

 

[dhays]

I never had much respect for the coast guard. Since I was navy and worked with them a lot but I guess I need to learn to talk to them. They need to get a handle on the dangerous boaters out there around corpus.

You need to lose the inter-service chauvinism and give these guys the respect they deserve. The CG can't keep people from being rude, ignorant, or stupid (or all three at the same time). They don't have the manpower or the funding to police the waterways as you would like. I get just as annoyed as you do by the behavior of some folks on the water so I understand the frustration. However, blaming the CG isn't going to help.

Dave

 

[shemandr]

Ranger 29 is a good boat. Find another place to sail or time to sail to lose the a holes and start enjoying your boat. They are not going away but there's undescribable beauty awaiting you. Tune in with that.
And, thank you for your service to this country.

 

[Allan12210]

I feel your pain, however you should just enjoy your boat and if following the rules isn't enough, move out of the way when necessary even when you are right. Its not worth getting into a confrontation about as there are enough looneys out there that you or someone with you could get hurt. Its the same on the roads...there's always some jerk that is too aggressive and impatient. Its not my job to act as a traffic cop or find some way to further piss them off. You just have to let them go by and know that eventually they will be caught or get themselves into trouble and it won't be with you. Dealing with a confrontation will take time and money and in general just waste your time. Enjoy your boat and adopt the philosopy "Illegitimus, non carborundum est. , or don't let the bastards wear you down!

Allan

 

[rpwillia]

Get a picture of the driver

CG told me that the CG gets very few actual complaints. The best way is to have a camera on board and take photos of the offending boat. Make sure their numbers are in the photo.
Most of us. (me included) yell and get angry but almost never really do anything about it. like suggested by the CG

You need to get a picture of who is driving the boat. We had an incident where a big power boat blew through an anchorage at full throttle. We were able to get the name, and the Marine Police were going to prosecute, but none of us could ID the driver.

 

[Anchor Down]

God Must Love Idiots: He Made So Many of Them

After I quit a short college-career as a lifeguard, it was a few years before I could just be at the beach and lie on my towel: I always wanted to sit up so I could see the water & the kids playing in the surf.

I had to let go, because it wasn't my job anymore.

You may need to do the same, to turn your boating into "pleasure boating." It'll take some practice. If you can't do it, you'll never be happy.

Fair Winds,
Jeff

 

[rrranch]

Boy, everyone has great advice! Thanks a lot. We will be moving the boat across the bay to the Corpus Christi municipal marina sometime in the next couple months. Right now it's in Aransas pass at a marina right off the ship channel where every moron with a boat launches them. I'm taking sailing lessons from a couple friends over there right now so can't move just yet. I'll just carry our nice camera all the time.
Oh, I have two radios in the boat. One is always on 16 and the other is on whatever I found out the harbor pilots use now. I forget the number. They are nice generally. Just doing a job. I need to put a speaker for the radios in the cockpit so I can hear it better. All those years of steam turbines did a number on my ears.

 

[Joe]

rrranch.....around here the mile long channel gets loaded up with yayhoos on everything from kayaks to jetskis to 65 foot cigarettes to 100 fishermen day boats. Some sailors insist on tacking out to the ocean in this traffic without realizing that a lot of the hot rods just don't know the rules of the road that they think they own. Choose to chill out and enjoy your quiet motoring experience out to less populated waters before you start your sailing.

 

[Mike B1026]

Barges

Welcome to South Texas. I agree about some of the idiots on the powerboats, we don't seem to have as many problems north of you on Aransas Bay. Probably less traffic.

No doubt you have far more knowledge about the "rules" than most of us. But if I might suggest that you spend a bit more time learning the "local customs," it might save you from getting an ulcer. I'm not saying the barges are following the proper rules but they definitely have the gross tonnage advantage and most are pretty darn good at what they do. Whether they are flying the right flags, it's pretty obvious they are restricted given the shallow waters we have here. I would like to hear the conversation when you report the first one.

Enjoy your new hobby!

Fair winds

The camera and radio are good ideas. Better than mine which was involving bodily harm. I will do that. I don't have patience for these idiots at all. I've been land locked for nearly 10 years now and never really been into pleasure boating. I had no idea it was this bad.
I have already decided to report the next barge pilot that is not flying proper flags or shapes. I know they are big and wide and would give them right of way whether they deserve it or not but when I am meeting them on the correct side and only have about a boats width to 3 inches of water and then they turn toward me I get a little hot. If they aren't flying their restricted maneuvering flags then they have no right to run me down. I haven't seen one yet with the right flags up for being in a channel like that. It's not safe to just assume what their intentions are. At least barge pilots have their radios on though and use them.

 

[dhays]

Oh, I have two radios in the boat. One is always on 16 and the other is on whatever I found out the harbor pilots use now. I forget the number. They are nice generally. Just doing a job. I need to put a speaker for the radios in the cockpit so I can hear it better. All those years of steam turbines did a number on my ears.

If there is any way that you could install a RAM mic for a radio, it might be a good idea. I have a VHF in the cabin, but I've only actually used it there at the nav station a couple times (and that was to just listen to the weather forecast for the next day). OTOH, the RAM mic in the cockpit is always being used.

Of course, with a new-to-you boat, spending additional money on other "stuff" is probably difficult at the moment, but some day...

I only have one VHF. One of the things on my list of "wants" for the boat is a handheld VHF to use as a second.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I only have one VHF. One of the things on my list of "wants" for the boat is a handheld VHF to use as a second.

Good idea. Could well be less than $100 these days.

And lots of good ideas to "chill" in these answers.

Why not search on "rules of the road" and have reading material for years.

 

[monkeybars]

trying to sail in a congested area is not your most intelligent choice,your just asking to be abused and targeted as you are the minority,it doesnt matter if your in the right or hold the high moral ground(ask any black person in texas) keep your motor in tip top shape and use it until your in the bay, if your to high strung to relax let the wife drive and you have a cocktail.