Too Close for Comfort

[CATransplant]

On my last fishing trip of the season this year, I went to my favorite lake. Didn't do that well fishing, but I got a pretty good scare.

I was running up the length of the lake in my 12' tinny, doing the whole 14 mph it's capable of going, on the right edge of the main channel up the lake. The lake was almost empty of boats, but I was watching ahead carefully, since I always slow down when passing boats who are drifting or anchored. I was thinking about which spinnerbait I was going to throw into the weeds up at the north end of the lake.

Suddenly, I was drenched by the bow spray of a bowrider that blew past me doing at least 40 mph. He passed not 5' from my port side, hosing me down with the bow spray, then almost swamping me with his wake. As he passed, he raised his right middle finger as a salute. The deep channel of the lake at that point is at least 500 yards wide, and I was on the right edge of that channel.

I followed along behind, but, by the time I got up the lake, the boat was nowhere to be seen. I suspect that the driver had docked it at one of the many houses on the lake, then boogied. I didn't get the reg numbers.

What on earth makes people do things like that?

Add: I think I'm going to mount a rear-view mirror on the gunwale for next season.

 

[AZMinyard]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

What a schmuck! As a fellow 12' tinny owner, I feel your pain. I have not had this unfortunate experience yet, but fear it is only a matter of time.

General respect seems to be lacking in the world today . . .

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

I don't know what they think.

I would assume these are the same type of people that speed up and swerve at dogs & cats when they cross the road.

Two weeks ago, we were heading up the river in front of the boardwalk here (lots of people setting on the benches). It was to our starboard side and we were about 10ft from the wall, leaving the main channel free for faster traffic.

A cruiser was coming down the river in the opposite direction. As he approached us at a high speed, he left his side of the river and headed direct for us. I debated gunning our underpowered inflatable and cutting in his path and decided we didn't have the power, so I pulled as close to the river wall as I could get (3ft at the most).

He continued his path direct at us, didn't slow down, and laughed as he passed less than 3ft to our port side. We got swamped again.

Castration is too good for these people.

I am not kidding, I am getting mad enough to do something to get arrested for.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Yeah, I was mad, too. Malicious behavior like that is indefensible. Some folks, it seems, just are just plain mean. I suppose they were bullies in school, too. Too bad for them.

The danger is that they may do something even worse one day. As empty as the lake was that day, he could have hit me without anyone seeing him at all. Like I said, I'm going to make a rearview mirror to go in my portside oarlock socket, so I can monitor what's happening behind me. Had I seen him approaching, I could have been in water less than 2' deep in a couple of seconds from where I was. No problem for my boat, which can run in 1' of water all day long.

I think I'm also going to start wearing my vest PFD, too. I'm too old to go for a swim after my boat sinks.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Actually, right now on the lakes, most of the 12' boats out there have a couple of guys in them holding shotguns. It's duck and goose season in Minnesota. I suppose the buttheads are being more careful these days.

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

My girlfriend had a problem with my PFD law when we first hit the water this sommer, but now all I have to say is put on fast and she does. Afterwards she might ask why, but she does it. She had never spent any time on a boat, before in her life.

We are both great swimmers, but if I am missing body parts because of some bozo, I don't think I'll make it far.

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Actually, right now on the lakes, most of the 12' boats out there have a couple of guys in them holding shotguns. It's duck and goose season in Minnesota. I suppose the buttheads are being more careful these days.

Unfortunately, that won't work here.

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

I know that it will not be popular answer, but I wonder if carrying a paint ball gun would assist in identifying the offender. Just keep the splatters below the gunwhale.

We have to tie up our Cairn to a tree at the lake to keep her in the yard. We do have some free range dogs in the neighborhood, all with tags. They would challenge us in our yard and I finally got fed up. Got a pb gun and darn near solved the problem. And yes, we will be putting up a short fence to keep ours in our yard.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

1) I don't know what they think.



2) Castration is too good for these people. QUOTE]

>>>

1) ...they think?....

2) I have to strongly disagree ST. Castration is NOT too good for them.

 

[ne7800]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

i can't belive people would do this, when i was doing water trials on my boat i passed by a fisherman in probably a 14' tinny (was probably 100' from him) and my boat was throwing a big wake and i didn't see him till it was to late (was more concerned with why the boat wasn't running good ) i know no excuse but my point is i waved to him and yelled i was sorry a few times i felt terrible about it and it was just a accident

 

[evinice66]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

i am going to start selling short range paintball guns with pernament ink in them, if someone gets too close shoot their hull with a pernament paint ball and if they get pulled over by the c.g. or police boat they have to pay $100 per paint ball hit on the hull. id love to have a little revenge like that if someone did me dirty!

 

[mthieme]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Yeesh.
Wanna borrow my jet boat?
It has a 4" nozzle out the back that can spray water over 100 yards...and does over 80 mph. Paybacks!

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

We had a similar incident happen to the 3 of us in my boat a little while back. It was me my older brother and my uncle. We was out fisihing from the side of the channel casting into shallow water at a place we call stump row. A newer bass boat comes through at full speed and cuts all 3 of our lines, and was close enough that we could of spit and hit them. We had to go find our lures. Then just after that to top it off a jet flea comes through and swamps us.

To bad the water wasn't winter level, that boat would have been history especially when doing 50 mph or so and hitting a stump. We had an idea of where he docked at but like you there were to many boat houses around also.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

i can't belive people would do this, when i was doing water trials on my boat i passed by a fisherman in probably a 14' tinny (was probably 100' from him) and my boat was throwing a big wake and i didn't see him till it was to late (was more concerned with why the boat wasn't running good ) i know no excuse but my point is i waved to him and yelled i was sorry a few times i felt terrible about it and it was just a accident

That was accidental and, besides, guys in small boats have to deal with wakes all the time. It's part of fishing from a small boat, and is one of the reasons I fish during the week, rather than on the weekend, when the recreational boaters are out in force.

What the guy did to me was intentional and very dangerous. Fortunately, my little boat is like a cork on the water. It has a lot of freeboard for its size, and just bobs over wakes. If an unexpected large wake hits me broadside, I just grab both gunwales and hold on. I've even weathered some large wakes from barges on the Mississippi with no ill effects other than some pretty serious rocking.

Had I been standing and casting, it's possible I would have gone over the side, though. In any case, his giving me the finger as he passed was true indication that he was simply being malicious. I wasn't blocking his recreational boating in any way. I never run in the main channel of the lake, and never would.

I wish I had been able to discover the registration numbers of his boat. I would have called the local Sheriff's office and waited for the hour it took for them to respond with their boat and shown them the boat that did it. Nothing would probably happen to the guy, but he'd be on notice, at least.

I'm just saddened that boaters have to deal with people like this on the water. It doesn't happen often, but it happens often enough to be a problem. Lake patrols aren't always on every lake to enforce the laws. When they're not, some people will take advantage of their absence to behave badly, at the risk of others.

Maybe I'll get another chance at this guy. I fish that lake a lot, and it's clear that the boat lives there, docked at one of the houses. Maybe I'll see him pull his nonsense on someone else and I can be a witness in court against him. I hope so. A big fine might give him a clue.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Yeesh.
Wanna borrow my jet boat?
It has a 4" nozzle out the back that can spray water over 100 yards...and does over 80 mph. Paybacks!

Not my style, but thanks.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

A big fine might give him a clue.

Suspending his boat license would be even better.

I have thought about leaving a 5 ounce weight rigged on my big rod and reel just for these type of occasions or maybe a pile of rocks to pick up and throw.

 

[oops!]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

cat....some times garboard plugs .....well the just work loose...all by them selves......


god will get jerks like that.......man i really hate that stuff.......i just hope i get to witness somthing like that and chase someone down and get the numbers.....thats durn near attempted murder

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

As the owner of a fairly fast boat I am constantly on the lookout for other boats that I could cause issues to. I don't think that you can be too courteous to others. We always stay as far away as we can and slow down considerably and even to a trolling speed if we are going to be close to others.
I only wish that the bigger and faster boaters than me used the same courtesy towards us !!!

 

[winman99]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Sounds like an idiot I dealt with a few years back.
My friend and I were out on the St. Mary's River near my house with my 14 ft aluminum and 10 horse Johnson trying to get a few Salmon. I was definitely outsized by most of the other boats, so didn't wander too far from shore. Some guy came cruising by in a large boat at about 30 MPH and kicked up a huge wake right beside me. I had to gun the motor, head to shore, and hang on to the side of the boardwalk to keep from getting swamped. A couple minutes later the same idiot came back and was only about 20 ft away from me. I reeled up my line and tried casting into his boat, hoping to catch him in the eye or ear, I was that upset. I'm glad I didn't get him, but would have loved to have met up with him at the marina.
I think this guy was just stupid, not a bully. Starting in 2009 all Canadians will need a licence to operate a boat, I don't think this guy will pass the test.

 

[mike64]

Re: Too Close for Comfort

Next time you see that guy coming up in that rear view mirror you're going to get CAT, you should find a submerged island, get between it and the shore and enjoy. A wise iboater told me that trick once
http://forums.iboats.com/showpost.php?p=1762214&postcount=16

Sun Tzu would be proud.