Senior Moment / angry boater

halifax212

While running back into my bay with a 20 knot wind at my back riding a 3 foot chop , I was watching for Green Can DU51 as I always do keeping a wide berth around the island. Today I go past the Can and continue toward the island then realize what I'm doing and make a hard turn port in 7 feet of water. Fortunately it was high tide or I would have bottomed out. I've been past there a hundred times and never did that before. Turning 60 this year has not been kind. Then I enter one of my coves in the headwaters of the Bay, slow cruise in and out as I always do and power out. A  19' Regal comes out of the cove and comes along side at cruising speed so I give a friendly wave and he gives me the finger. WTF, I power down as he does and highly agitated informs me I came into the cove too fast creating a big wake causing his boat to bang against his dock. I apologized,  and then he leaves full throttle away.  By the way I was probably going 15mph at the entrance before powering down after entering the cove.  I've never had a problem in this area in 10 years until today, nor have I ever been chased after.  Hope my season gets better.

Aqua_Aura

He's probably one of these new COVID boaters that overpaid for his boat 😂. 

halifax212

no, he is a resident and know the boat. I figure they may have been having problems with new boaters and I was the last straw before he snapped.

LaRea

Wait -- you panic in 7 feet of water?  In Potomac River tributaries, 7 feet of water is an embarrassment of riches!

I'm joking, of course.  I think the bottom in your area is rocky.  Here, it's like chocolate pudding.  Running aground is a great way to keep the props clean.  

halifax212

@LaRea , yes all rocks around the islands.  not forgiving at all.

oscar1

Good times Capt

J3ff

I used to panic in 7 feet of water. Then moved to the keys... where 5-6 ft of water on the bay is "deep" if you can find 10, that means the 'tide' is super high! 

Dream_Inn

Yeah, I actually thought the same, 7 feet is ok.  But I couldn't imagine boating with rock bottoms. 

As far as entering the cove.  Did you say you entered at 15mph?  If so, that is probably a speed of large wake.  Either way, don't let it get to you.  It might've been a bad day.  I was flipped off last Friday by a fisherman.  There are areas around here where the fish are biting and hundreds (yes that many) of fishing boats gather in a very tight area.  Could be right in the middle of a channel.  Well, I actually was approaching the group, on plane, and decided to just go around them all.  One fisherman was trawling and was on the edge of the group, I made sure to go in front of his bow to not cross his line.  Plenty of space between us (100s of feet).  He gave the finger, I just waved.

halifax212

Thanks Dream, yeah I was pushing I lot of water coming off plane. I probably wasn't the only guy as his property is the first one at the entrance of the cove.  Ill give him a friendly wave next time if he is out  

PickleRick

J3ff said:

I used to panic in 7 feet of water. Then moved to the keys... where 5-6 ft of water on the bay is "deep" if you can find 10, that means the 'tide' is super high! 

If you find 10 ft deep in the bay you have found a spot to drop a couple chum bags and do some fishing!  

Handymans342

You should have pointed your 9mm at him. 

LaRea

@halifax212 I'll thank you to stop bashing people who have achieved their 60th birthday.  That's hitting a little too close to home.  

raybo3

Yeah @halifax212 I will be 61 in 10 days. I call it summer Christmas....lol

PickleRick

@halifax212 that was not very Canadian of them 😂😂😂

Must have been one of those people Don Cherry was harping on.  

On another note

I feel like Mario Lemieux is using Mr cherry's suit supplier.

davidbrooks

Glad to know i am in good company. I was running down the Severn in the channel and got flipped off by a guy crossing the channel in a smaller boat. I think he was angry he had to slow down because of my wake. At first i thought he was waving and then realized it was only with one finger.

RiverRat232

My favorites are the people who anchor and fish in the channel and expect everyone to slow down and go around them. 

Aqua_Aura

Coming back at night on Saturday on someone else's boat as we entered the channel they turned there flood light on and BAM! right in front was a boat anchored broadside across the channel for the night. The channel is not that wide and getting around them was a bit awkward. 

aero3113

RiverRat232 said:

My favorites are the people who anchor and fish in the channel and expect everyone to slow down and go around them. 

Yea, doesn’t make sense to me. I had to come off plane last week because of this. I wanted to blow right by them but felt bad because they were in smaller boats (there were 3 or 4 boats anchored in the channel).

halifax212

@Aqua_Aura Wow that's a scary situation .  That floodlight saved a bad event from happening to both boats.  I assume no bow or anchor light on the anchored boat.

GMSLITHO

one word "sailboaters"

LaRea

When I fish near a channel, I expect to get waked.  Any fishing boat should expect it.  And still, we're all responsible for our wakes.

Last weekend, there was a fireworks show in Alexandria.  From what I saw cruising up there, it was also National Anchor Your Fishing Boat Right in the Dang Channel Day.  In one spot, there were at least 10 little boats anchored in a narrow channel.  Not at the edges ... mid-channel.  Must have been a catfish tournament. 

I came off plane, but I'll admit to being irritated about it. A barge or large motor yacht would not have been able to maneuver around them.  

PickleRick

As a former sailboat owner I give sailboats the right a way as is the rules of the water so long as they are under sail.  A boat at drift is suspposed to yield to sailboat under sail.  


Out in open water a saiboat might be able to go around but for those that don't sail, or have not sailed, sometimes it takes 2 or more people to change course.  Going forward in rough water to tack a Genoa single handed means leaving a helm that most likely doesn't have auto helm.  It also means the person going forward is likely to be attaching a safety rope.  


When im 5-6 miles off shore with open ocean on both sides, miles from any channel, and they sail trough my chum slick I do get ****.

raybo3

At my club the channel gets real narrow and its hard for 2 boats to pass at once. As I was leaving the club last weekend right in the middle of this narrow channel was a kayak just sitting there fishing. I couldn't see him because he was right at a turn. Needless to say he got waked pretty good and he gives me the finger. First of all he should not be there and no he does not have the right to be fishing in the channel just like no boat has a right to anchor in a channel. My friend and fellow boater who was with me told him just what he thought of him being in the channel......LOL 

Aqua_Aura

halifax212 said:

@Aqua_Aura Wow that's a scary situation .  That floodlight saved a bad event from happening to both boats.  I assume no bow or anchor light on the anchored boat.

They had an anchor light that was about 100 yard visibility 😐. 

Aqua_Aura

GMSLITHO said:

one word "sailboaters"

We were on a sailboat and they were a power boat 🤔

PickleRick

shawnmjr said:

PickleRick said:

As a former sailboat owner I give sailboats the right a way as is the rules of the water so long as they are under sail.  A boat at drift is suspposed to yield to sailboat under sail.  


Out in open water a saiboat might be able to go around but for those that don't sail, or have not sailed, sometimes it takes 2 or more people to change course.  Going forward in rough water to tack a Genoa single handed means leaving a helm that most likely doesn't have auto helm.  It also means the person going forward is likely to be attaching a safety rope.  


When im 5-6 miles off shore with open ocean on both sides, miles from any channel, and they sail trough my chum slick I do get ****.

Every sailboat I see around me is always under motor power and not sail, yet they seem to think they have the right away. If the sails aren’t up, they loose that privilege. 

Then they are jerks and im done defending them. Their right a way goes out the door once they fire up the motor.  At night they are supposed to use a steaming light when motoring, it's about half way up the front of the mast. It's clear/white and faces forward.

Since the big ones have so much windage/limited power I let them pass trough a narrow passage before I do in a motor boat, but id do the same for a small barge.  The small channel at the 7 mile bridge Marathonfor example.  I try to be the "friendly" boater that we used to see in 1995.

Dream_Inn

So, after a few weeks ago, my mind has changed about someone anchoring near the channel.  Very long story, short, I  had to drop anchor in a channel while I waited for Boatus to bring me fuel.  I'm leaving it at that, but I look a little differently at it now.🤗

raybo3

Bottom line.......... Not supposed to hinder the aids of navigation. Dropping anchor in a channel is hindering the aids of navigation..........

Aqua_Aura

They had been at anchor all day down channel a bit and then decided to move to the entry and set anchor for the night. They were definitely not in distress. 

Dream_Inn

raybo3 said:

Bottom line.......... Not supposed to hinder the aids of navigation. Dropping anchor in a channel is hindering the aids of navigation..........

Completely agree.  I was at the very edge of the channel (not much you can do when you have no gas).  But my point is, there are those times when you have no choice.  I now acknowledge that it is possible someone is not anchoring where they are on purpose.  

raybo3

@Dream_Inn of course if your stuck or stranded and you have no choice. I am talking about people that are fishing, sunning, BBQing, swimming and so on. Some people either have no clue or just flat out jerks and selfish.