Who's at fault here?

RiverRat232

I say the small boat would been better off slowing down. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5VdfrH18s

PickleRick

I say its the state of Florida at fault for not making that a slow no wake zone and enforcing it.

Im not sure what boat restrictions are, the guy on the video said no large boats allowed but what's large?  20 ft, 30 ft? A 25 cc is small compared to a 33,  even a 19ft bayliner open bow would put out wake that would throw around that skiff.  

It's an area id avoid at all costs until the speeds are regulated and enforced.

The boats dont see each other until they are right on each other.  If each center console was within size limits of using the canal and there is no speed limit then the cc has every right to go full speed just as the skiff does. 

So both are at fault for using a dangerous canal if the cc boats are allowed in there...if the cc shouldnt be there due to size restrictions then the cc's are at fault 

Either way, should be a slow no wake zone.  A few buoys dont cost much, neither do signs. 

raybo3

Ultimately your responsible for your wake at all times. So IMO everyone was at fault. All boats should have slowed down and passed each other at no wake. 

PickleRick

@Raybo those mangroves are all blind turns, you don't see the other boat coming until its too late. 

Im not sure if you've navigated mangroves before or not

LaRea

Seems like these guys probably do this every weekend, month after month, year after year.  I noticed that he waves at the other captains, like it's business as usual.  Is he over-dramatizing an every-day occurrence?  

Ian

I agree with @raybo3 and @PickleRick. The speed that guy is doing is way too fast as are the others. Here on the narrow canal sections that are not the river it’s 10mph.

Use your brains anyway.

RiverRat232

Yes, both should have slowed but the skiff had more to lose. If it was me, I would have slowed as much as possible and try to bob over the larger boat's wake and apply power if I started to get pushed into the mangroves.

J3ff

Who throttles up into a wake when you're on a tiny boat like that? 

Ian

That dope!

J3ff

 https://keysnews.com/article/story/boaters-to-throttle-back-in-deadly-channel/ 

he also passes TWO markers that say it's a dangerous spot. On plane, at high speed. 

randy56

I think I would give the guy in the CC a different hand gesture.  

LaRea

Less than 200 meters north of this ditch, there's a nice, wide channel.  So these guys are taking chances like that, just to save 20 seconds.  

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Islamorada,+FL/@24.9464318,-80.6237401,964m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88d7377ccd9df6ef:0xa7d154af283bfc9!8m2!3d24.9242943!4d-80.6278364?hl=en

PickleRick

The keys are no different than anywhere else, good boaters and bad boaters.  The worst ones are the guys who hit the water once or twice a year, zero saftey training or common sense/courtesy on the water.  

Its funny to watch the guys stranded on the sand bar that didn't estimate the tide but it's sickening to see boaters put other boaters in danger.  Most of us look at the time on the water as a fun escape from daily life and we shouldnt need to fear our and our family's safety due to stupidity of others.

Now that our water ways are so crowded Im all for a boating license that can be revoked for negligence on the water.  

I take it most of you guys are like me and grew up on the water,  we started in an 15ft john boat and i remember getting bounced by bigger boats. I was maybe 8 when upgraded to an 18ish ft bass boat.  I remember my dad slowing down to pass a little jon boat that was fishing,  i told him lets go fast and rock his boat.  He promptly and justly jumped onto me for saying that, taking the time to explain how it was dangerous and how we didnt like it when that happened to us.    That stuck with me and to this day im conscious of anchored/drifting or beached boats.  I also dont ride in another boaters blind spot, he could veer off into a cove or stop for any reason at any time and if i run all over him it's my fault for riding where I'm not in his vision, if the boater doesn't tow anyone he doesnt need a mirror. Even then the mirror will be centered directly behind the boat where person in tow would be and not in his blind spot.   

That's all common sense but i can thank my dad for teaching me common sense.  Its sad so many people dont have common sense these days.

MarkB

J3ff said:

Who throttles up into a wake when you're on a tiny boat like that? 

Yeah, exactly!  I was like, did he just take his hand OFF the wheel, and then .... throttle UP?!?!?  I think the logical choice is to slow down ... I mean he must have seen that boat coming for at least 10 to 15 seconds.

mattie

'When in doubt - power out'.


Don't think I have ever mashed the throttles with a wake approaching. Maybe when I was 15.

PickleRick

I have  luffed sheets out on a sailboat as i steered into boat wake.  I went from 4 knots to about 4.2 knots. 

LaRea

I am throwing the bullshitt flag.  This is a made-for-youtube video.

He says it's his "very first time venturing into the wheel ditch."  But even though he's in a narrow, shallow channel that he has never seen, he's going probably 25 knots.  Then, when he sees the oncoming boat, he waves at the captain and goes to wide-open throttle.  Why?  So he would take air and have a controversial video for his channel.  

If the first boat really was such a "terrifying, heart-pounding encounter," why didn't he slow down for the second boat?  Oh wait, that would be boring for his viewers.

PickleRick

My admiral would have turned around to pick a fight after the first cc...then a fight with me after the 2nd 

J3ff

LaRea said:

Less than 200 meters north of this ditch, there's a nice, wide channel.  So these guys are taking chances like that, just to save 20 seconds.  

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Islamorada,+FL/@24.9464318,-80.6237401,964m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88d7377ccd9df6ef:0xa7d154af283bfc9!8m2!3d24.9242943!4d-80.6278364?hl=en

Have to get to the sand bar faster I guess? This is the one i've been to and apparently the most popular one in the keys.. it's right on the other side of the bridge. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/24%C2%B056'01.9%22N+80%C2%B035'56.9%22W/@24.9338744,-80.6002383,469m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x88d7377ccd9df6ef:0xa7d154af283bfc9!2sIslamorada,+FL!3b1!8m2!3d24.9242943!4d-80.6278364!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d24.9338725!4d-80.5991442?hl=en

rasbury

I bet that's a hoot on a weekend..

rasbury

Most of these sandbars have a name...

PickleRick

The one @J3ff is referring to is i believe the popular one all the weekenders from Miami hit up,  its apparently not entirely family friendly. I've only passed by.

J3ff

Depends on your family - I hear there's one a few mins north that's the family one.. will check that out when the music and skimpy bathing suits gets boring. 

Michael T

IMO the guy in the skiff is a moron. He had a passenger, likely his Admiral, who he put in danger. IMO unless you have a debilitating personality disorder choose your battles wisely.  This idiot would likely try to force an 18 wheeler over on an interstate with a Nissan Micro. "Stupid is as stupid does." 

J3ff

https://keysnews.com/article/story/warning-buoys-installed-in-deadly-narrow-passage/