For many years we sailed our C22 and then C25 out the Oakland Estuary, almost a good hour out to San Francisco Bay from our marina. There were freighters to dodge, pilot and work boats that threw up HUGE wakes, ferries, jet skis and the usual assortment of small, medium and large powerboats doing their best to show how stupid they were by throttling up just below plane and creating the largest wake they could 'cuz they hadn't understood that there's slow, medium and fast: slow works, fast works but medium is just horrible for anyone and everyone around them. There are also no wake zones all over the place, but do they care or even know? Who knows.
In addition, and perhaps regardless of this type of nautical traffic, many folks serenly sail in and out of this estuary. Calmly and confidently. No shooting, no nastiness, just fun sailing in windy but protected waters.
What makes it work?
A couple of things:
1. Learn how to deal with a LARGE wake from a boat that is passing you. Altogether too many mostly smaller sailboats turn 90 degrees into the wake and get violently jostled. All you really have to do is a 20 or 30 degree turn and PARALLEL the wake to the waves in line with your boat's fore and aft. Instead of a violent corkscrewing motion if you don't turn at all 'cuz the waves are hitting your quarter, and instead of the violent and jarring bow digging into those waves, the boat will just rock some side to side in one plane, you keep your teeth and your rigging intact and then just resume your course. It's about as "hidden" a maneuver as the midships spring line and I still don't get why so many sailboat skippers just don't get it. If you're sailing with quartering sea, it s*ucks, right? So you either go to a beam reach or a run to deal with the wind waves. Same thing with passing powerboat wakes. Learn how to do it, and your life gets real easy, real quick.
2. Stop with the "right of way" nonsense. As suggested, chill and enjoy the ride.
3. Learn how to do #1.
4. Leave your guns and paintballs and attitude at home. Man, listening to this drivel about clueless powerboats skippers makes me think that the accusers have too much testosterone, you know, the same thing they accuse the OTHER GUY of having.
Safe sailing. Have fun out there. Motor away from congested areas, you'll get to the good cruising grounds quicker and in a better frame of mind.