I thought I would vent a bit here on what happened Saturday on my way back to the marina. Hopefully it will at least make others aware and more cautious of others on the water.

I seems people drive their boats during the weekend like their cars during the week.

I've been boating quite a few years and yes mostly on crowded weekends. I consider myself a cautious and curtious captain.

This takes the cake. On my way back in to the marina, (town river). I am going headway speed (as posted).
There is a zodiac to my port side and a 35 ftr behind me about 20 yards. As I approach the first marina (I think it was Bay point), I hear a roar to my starboard side, the 35 ft is accelerating (over the posted speed) only feet away from my side. When he gets just in front of me he turns hard port and cuts me off. I leaned on the horn in frustration. I had to back the throttle and steer hard starboard to avoid hitting him. As is thats not bad enough, he is now on a collision course with two kids in the zodiac. They also had to turn hard starboard to avoid being swamped or run over. He acted like nothing happened, and continued on his way into the marina. If I did not have my son with me, I would have followed him to his berth and tore him a new one. Maybe embarrasing him in front of his dock mates might be some satisfaction. But rather than start more trouble I explained to my son why that is sooooo wrong and how we all have to be very careful out there. even in the calm sections of the river where you would think you are out of harms way.

To all SB boaters, please be aware of others around you. It seems you have to assume that boater is not knowlegeable and could be dangerous until he proves he is not !!!!

THERE I VENTED !!
Thanks for listeneing(reading)
:af: :af: :af:

here - here !

i saw a zodiak on friday night that must have been doing 45 mph in that same area. so much for no wake zone huh?

Right on Van. I was out sunday off of block island, I saw people in what looked like bass boats. what are people thinking??????

If you want to talk about shear ignorance.

Couple of years ago I took the family out to Stellwagon for whale watching. Beautiful day, whales everywhere.

Then what do i see..


Are you ready ???


A guy in a 17-18 ft. glastron has a friend or girl friend out behind the boat TUBING !!! :eek:

This is 30 miles offshore.....what is he thinking ?????:confused:

I think he was trolling!:smash:

A guy in a 17-18 ft. glastron has a friend or girl friend out behind the boat TUBING !!!

This is 30 miles offshore.....what is he thinking ?????
Less Wakes :eek5: :rolleyes: ?

It was his x-wife he was trolling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Yea,

Maybe a tube looks like a seal from the view of a great white !!!!

:D

Van, I threw up a similar rant in my report in the "reports" section.

I am a relative novice boater. Been around boats my whole life on the freshwater scene. But when I bought an aluminum a couple years ago, I realized after my first trip out (which was with an experienced boater), it had been 10 years since I'd really done much boating. I was really rusty, from boat handling and navigation to putting the dumb thing on the trailer. So I started studying the "rules", went out on off-days to get comfortable with the areas without traffic. Studied charts and planned my trips and studied the rules some more. I took and continue to take things a step at a time. I error on the side of caution.

You need a driver's test to get a license and in many respects, boating is much more difficult. There aren't roads and lines to follow. There aren't signs telling you what to do... the rules aren't necessarily intuitive. Most people know which side of the road to drive on (though in Boston, that doesn't mean they'll stay on that side). But do they know when they are the stand-on vessel or give-way vessel. I think alot of boaters get a boat and never have any idea that there are rules to follow.

I'm not saying I'll always be right or won't make mistakes... but I make the effort to know so that my actions won't endanger myself or others.

And people should never assume I can guess what they are doing. Coming in Saturday, I think I pissed a couple people off. The Back River is a no wake zone and once you get in there you take up position and that's your take out order for those heading for the launch.

On my way in, there was a guy idling several hundred yards before the no-wake zone, off to the left out of the channel. He was bs'n with another boat, so I cruised by him (not even close or anything), I dropped down to no-wake and suddenly I see the guy out of my peripheral vision flyin' right up behind me. I eye-balled him and he appeared to be mouthin' something. Whatever, I idled up the river and got behind a guy making bare headway (ironically, the same guy I pulled off a bar several weeks ago). I slowed down and stayed behind him and the guy started drifting out of the channel into the moorings... after a couple minutes, I bumped back up to 5mph and passed by him. I had no idea what he was doing and I'm not going piss around trying to guess.

Back at the ramp, while waiting to pull out. I hear the first guy say the "guy in the white" something or other. I happened to be the only guy with a white shirt on. The two guys were talkin' and lookin' at me, so I cruised over and tipped my cap to both of them. Not to be a jerk, but I wanted them to say something so I could explain myself. Neither said anything, and maybe I was imagining things.

The point to all this is, they could've have been doing any one of a hundred things. I don't know what another guys intentions are... on the road, its usually clear where someone is going and what they are doing. On the water, you cannot expect someone else to know what you are planning..

I'll take the rain and wind back... but not the fog.

I could write a book on the stupid stuff I've seen boating. How about the fishing lines you've had cut right off while drifting or trolling as the Don Johnson's of the world run right by your stern completely ignoring all your waving and yelling. I've had spools damn near emptied a couple times. Hope their seals went soon after the 30# spiderwire went to work.

van and schoolie monster, ihave seen first hand the type of boaters(rodney dangerflied in caddy sack) on many days.
it seems like you have got to B bouy to fish in peace nowadays.
Seawatch Weymouth tries to control things,but sometimes he's the cause of traffic jam.
i fish the harbor ,north and south shore.I scan channel 69.
My boat is a 21ft seaswirl w/a with a fishing arch.
Hope to meet up with SB guys

Love that dirty water

hey Van,
I hear ya on this issue. I'm a novice boater and with my first boat, I'm just learning the ropes and getting my feet wet. I always try follow the rules of safety out on the water (with the exception of always wearing my life vest...... but I have a more comfortable one on order)
I think so much can go wrong in the blink of an eye for carelessness and recklessness.

There are so many guys out there on the weekends racing around it scares me. Personally, I just assume any vessel approaching me, does not see me, so I yield to them..... whatever, if they are in such a rush they can pass me.

Hope to see ya out there, give me a buzz on ch69, "Off-Duty"

You guys are right!!
I've been boating for probably 25 years total. I'd made mistakes too when I was learning, but that was in a 12' skiff.
You are right about things going wrong quickly.
When I was a kid and my father bought our boat, the old timer said "remember these 3 words".."RESPECT THE SEA", and obviously I still remember them. Nowadays we have to add ""WATCH OUT FOR OTHERS""". there are too many boats with too little knowledge of boating (safely).

Anyway, SM, GS, kenny and mako. Lets always be aware.

Scan 69 call SB SB my boat name is Karavi
I fish in the boston area mostly.

See ya out there, hopefully.

Van,
I have had similar things happen consistantly in PJ Pond no-wake zones. These xxxx's in these cabin cruisers really think they own the pond, they have the mentality of get out of my way or I'll run you over, or suck you into my wake. They are usually the 30'+ cabin cruisers.

Typically I find the sport fisherman to be very polite on the water, the problem is with the Yahoo's who drive their boats like they drive their BMWs.

Hmmm how about a well targeted flare from the flaregun right smack into their backside, Would I get in trouble for that? LOL

Hmmm how about a well targeted flare from the flaregun right smack into their backside, Would I get in trouble for that? LOL [/B][/QUOTE]

If the jury are boaters, they would acquit !!!!:D

someday when I have about 12 -20 hours we can go over all the idiotic things i have seen on the water!!:smash:

Kenny, you nailed it... Caddyshack.

In my weekend report I posted a brief story of a big pleasure boat that plowed through a very congested traffic area and literally almost buried small craft. It was exactly like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack... he was just oblivious up there at the helm, just staring straight ahead with tunnel vision.

I really think I'm going to get on and off the water early... it doesn't seem like things get really bad until close to noon. If I launch at 5am, pull out by 11, that's a good stretch without too many headaches. That's generally the best time to fish during the summer anyways.

On the plus side, I've now seen most of the conditions I'll have to face in the Harbor and my boat and I handled it just fine. From high winds, to heavy traffic. Don't get me wrong, I have immense respect for the sea. I just mean that I've been out in as bad of conditions as I care to and the boat handled them without problems. Any worse and I wouldn't be out anyway.

I had some doubts about the size of boat I was getting and how limited I might be, but I'm absolutely thrilled with it.