It never fails - almost got run over!

[Jim Seamans]

Here I am a nice HOT (96) day to be sailing on the Potomac river, moving along a 5kts. Watching a large cabin curiser (on my port) coming up the river at around 20kts, big wake. Watching him for 3 miles. At about 1/2 mile I expect him to change course a little, 1/4 still nothing. Now I'm starting to wonder about this person. At 200 yards I come off of autopilot and make a 110 deg turn to starboard to parallel his course. Somewhere between 100 to 50 yards they wake up and start a turn to the right to pass behind me. When I see him turn, I turn back to my original course. They pass with 30 yards at full bore throwing up a large wake. Tell my wife to hold on. We were rocked so bad that someone could have been hurt. I was unable to catch his boat name and there were two people on the bridge just looking around. No use hollering on the radio I find most of these people either don't have it on or the engines are so loud they could hear anyway.There was not another boat within 3 miles of us....I was telling this story to a friend this morning and wonders why boaters don't have to take a license course before getting behind the wheel. I told him it wouldn't matter look at the things people do behind the wheel of a car and they have to be licensed.Jim - just venting a little steam.S/V Java

 

[Don]

Licensing doesn't prevent stupidity

Unfortunately, anybody can get a license - just look around the next time you are driving (a car) in traffic...

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

Signal Horns

Jim,I feel your pain. This time of year the San Juan Islands are overrun with boaters, many of them unfortunately inexperienced.I now sail with a signal horn in the cup holder at the helm and will at least until Labor Day is past. I don't go crazy with it, but I think it has avoided a couple of close calls.Gary WyngardenS/V Wanderlust h37.5

 

[Mike]

License

Connecticut requires a course and licensing, doesn't make a difference. I have to go up a narrow river channel to LI sound and almost the entire river is a steerage only zone (bird sanctuary on one side of river). Doesn't stop the power boaters. They go flying by.

 

[Rick I]

Can you beat this?

I was anchored off Normans Cay last January. I was about a mile off the beach and two other sailboats were anchored about 500 ft either side of me. About 8:15 on a beautiful sunny morning an Irwin 46 who was anchored much nearer the beach picks up his anchor and starts steaming right for me. Seven or eight minutes later he hits me end on causing considerable damage. When we boarded him later we found that they (four adults)had all had their eyes glued to a laptop in the cockpit rather than keeping a lookout. The two males aboard each had six-packs. The skipper/owner used to run sunset charters out of Long Island and is now chartering his boat out of the Virgins. Oh I forgot to mention he's also a marine surveyor and member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary! So you think licensing will stop idiots from being idiots?

 

[Steve]

Some People Don't Think . . .

. . . about what they are doing. Just this weekend a friend of mine (Pearson 30) and I (Hunter 28) were rafted together with 4 large fenders between us. We were nowhere near a channel or major travel route. As our families were sitting enjoying the sun and sandwiches, out of nowhere a 35+ foot cabin cruiser running parallel to us comes to within 25 feet going full throttle. Boothbay, Maine is a very friendly place and everyone up here (power, sail, lobstermen, kayaks, etc.) always wave to each other when they pass. This guy didn't even look . . . before I could jump out of my seat or warn anyone, the 2 foot wake was slamming our boats together so violently that I thought our fenders were going to pop and our hulls were going to crack! Luckily no one was hurt. I think I am going to carry a small camera with me and keep it handy. This kind of thing is starting to happen more often . . . it's really sad that a few people are so inconsiderate! I'm not going t let a few people change my passion for sailing or being out on the water. Sail on!

 

[MarkDB]

Sailors do it too

We were coming into the channel at Herrington Harbor south yesterday and this 45+ foot Beneteau comes plowing int behind us at full speed trying to pass as we enter the channel. He had his bow anchor about 10 feet from our stern, THEN he starts blowing HIS air horn. He did not slow down we veer to starboard to give him room but he decided he was offended and would not go around after we said go on by CAPTAIN. His claim was that we were entering the channel from the side (we are on starboard) so he had right of way before either of us got their. Glad I wasn't driving...MarkPS Maybe yesterday was national stupid day and I didn't the memo...

 

[larry w]

fools afloat

I get on channel 16 and tell them what an idiot they are, being sure to mention their boat name or at least a location and description of the vessel. That way a lot of people hear it, including the CG.

 

[RichH]

Securité, Securité, Securité -hello all stations..

"Be advised that at xxxLat, xxxLon on the Potomac River heading east/west is a large powerboat with the Name (fill-in-the-blank) with Hailing Ports (fill-in-the-blank), (fill-in description of vessel, etc.) operating recklessly at a high rate of speed and coming extremely close aboard with a large wake. Coast Guard, be advised that Im checking for injuries on board my vessel at this time and will get back to you, etc. ( .... or anything close and appropriate to the above). Any boat operating in the vicinity of the (fill-inb-the-blank) vessel of (fill-in-hailing-port) should excercise extreme caution when is close proximity to this recklessly operated vessel". If a boat is heading straight at me at high speed and shows NO intention to head up or down, I signal with a bright spotlight direct at him or use a loud horn .... and if that isnt answered appropriately .... I'll add that non-response of signal to the Securité message. Securité messages are typically recorded by the watchkeeper at the CG station.

 

[John Nantz]

Jim - Venting is Okay!

I'm no psychologist or doctor but seems to me there have been studies that venting a bit is better for your health than letting it being cooped up inside - and, this is probably a good a place to do it as any! You got my sympathy anyway!Like Gary, I've been traveling for some time with the air horn under the dodger - it's supposed to be at-the-ready anyway. If someone does come too close by it's ready to be used if needed. If it's just a couple then it probably doesn't do much good although it seems that women tend to be more couretous. But, if the other boat has guests on board it might make the skipper a little more cautious next time. But then who knows, "birds of a feather flock together" so maybe there would be not much effect.The idea similar to what RichH had was used by my wife a couple months ago. We went past the Naval Station Keyport where they do torpedo work and they have a pier that sticks out into the channel. The pier is on the inside of where the channel makes about a 90º. Since one has to keep a distance from Naval facilities we were cutting it a bit tight as a large Chris Connie was coming up astern. Wouldn't you know it, the Connie cut between us and the pier with about 30 or 40 feet bwtween us leaving us to roll in his wake (not that we wouldn't have rolled in his wake if he took the outsdie!). Anyway, my wife got on the VHF (high power - we normally use low power so we don't broadcast all over Puget Sound), hailed him (boat name and type) and nicely let him and the world know what he did wasn't appreciated. It's good that she did it because I would have used a different "volcabulary set". We followed him into Poulsbo and went to the fuel dock first and when we entered the marina there he was tied up at the reciprocal dock! Yup, and flying a Seattle Yacht Club burgee.Most powerboaters listen to their VHF all the time so when you hail someone everybody else gets to listen. If you can be "professional" about it (not like I would have done!) then I think it would have more benefit for everybody. Frankly, verbally (or with air horn) blasting the guy probably has no affect what so ever.As for licensing, I really don't think a license will change anything. Look at the people driving on the road - heck, they all licenses. Do you realy think that peoples driving is better today than several decades ago? The regulations are already there - they just need to be enforced.In 2005 we live in a different world than what I grew up in. Manners, courtsey, etc. are "for the other guy". It's sad. *sry

 

[Before the Bell]

Horse Power vs Sail

In regards to power wakes, it's time sailboats have installed 300 hp engines. Let's see which boat handles that wake a sailboat with it's ballast and curved shaped hull or a monster power boat with it's huge higher center of gravity and little to no ballast!!

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

Just a day on the bay Jim....

Not to discount your experience, but to share it....come on up my way..the West River. Every motor yacht in Annapolis wants to go up the West and Rhode Rivers to anchor out for the night....full speed without regard to the 100's of small craft, sail, paddle, etc. all around. It's the same people that drive on the beltway and interstates in this area. They've become so accustomed to going fast and squeezing into any open space that it's just instinct. I really think they (and probably me in the car too) have become immune/anestitized(sp?) to it. It's just the way of life now adays....head south, e.g., NC. The only crazy drivers/boaters down there are the northerners who've already gone that way.

 

[Jim Seamans]

Don, that's why I'm down here

We used to put in at Sandy Point. Every weekend it was "Watch your life flash in front of your eyes". We are very happy down here on the Potomac. We just get the wild one every once in a while.Almost any time, we see less that 5 sailboats out and the power boats are charging up and down the channel, ususally in a group of three going to a party.I've stated this before, a survey was done after hurricane isabel came through. Between Cobb Island and Point Lookout, Maryland and Virgina sides, about 870 sailboats at 30ft or more where at slips. Yet we can count on one hand the number we see out anytime.JimS/V Java

 

[gary]

bad manners

I have had my share of problem boaters coming to close for comfort. Now when I see someone coming in to close I toss a 25' line across their line of travel. Twice I have had the pleasure of fouling their props and leaving them dead in the water.

 

[Herb Parsons]

Line in the water

I wouldn't recommend the "line in the water" bit. A line from your boat is part of your boat. While the rules of the road may give you right of way concerning your boat, it doesn't give you right of way to the water 25' around your boat. You may find yourself paying for repairs or worse.It's NEVER the right answer to make a dangerous situation even more dangerous.

 

[Landsend]

There's no excuse for rudeness.

The waterways around here are like being on I-95 on the weekends. We have the waterskiers, the jetskiers, the big powerboats with their massive wakes, the fast Donzis and zooming in and out, and even people trying to fish. It's a total zoo. That why we carry guns.I avoid weekend boating completely if possible.

 

[George Kosta]

Get a Bull Horn!

I'm thinking of getting a bull horn to alert idiot boaters that they are too close etc. I think it would work well. For one thing, it sounds official as if it's coming from an officer of some type and you could convey a message of some type like "please don't come any closer or slow down please" rather than a horn blast that may be misconstrued. Also, it grabs your attention as it does have that official sound. Also, you could ask for help with it as I would imagine a lot of boaters aren't listening all that well to the VHF especially if it's down below like most are

 

[w0nko]

Tippy Canoe

I used to have this problem once in a while fishing from a canoe (Minnesota). Some of the stinkpots actually came close enough (on purpose, malevolently, judging by the looks on their faces) to sink an unwary or unskilled canoist. And I usually had a young son or two in the boat with me.I took to carrying a flare gun. I never actually fired on anyone, or even across their bow, but I did brandish it a time or two, with the desired result. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!?Now I'm sailing. I still carry one... handy, like the air horn.

 

[Bil sv Makai]

just remember the rules of the road

Just remember the rules of the road. Even if you are the stand on vessel it is your resposiblity to avoid an collision.It is good to vent, but remember when another boater does something in retaliation not only are they prepetuating the nasty boater image, they may also be putting someones life or property in danger which makes them the bad boy and liable.Having said that I call on the radio when other boaters are not following the rules. Just to make sure that both parties are aware. Many a time we have docked (herring bay) and have gone and visited the offending captain. We have also filed complaints with the CG.ALways be aware and even if the other Captain is a morron, give him room to hang himself. It is worth the damage to your ship!

 

[Rick Macdonald]

What about people fishing?

I don't fish, but others on my lake do. I've sailed past them in my 23.5 footer maybe 50ft away, and I've motored past them with my 9.9HP going about 5 knots, maybe 80ft away. Sometimes they're motoring slowly (tolling motor), sometimes they're just floating.What do _I_ need to know and do to be courteous? How close is too close? For example, when sailing it seemed to me to be OK to sail close enough to wave hello, but maybe that's too close? I've been stared at, but thought it was because they envied my sailboat... ;-)...RickM...