Note from the author: We promised, following the last Shallow Draft column (“Ready for Some Dark-Side Classics?”), that we’d soon share tips on restoration of small, vintage boats…whether fiberglass or wood.
I can sum it up, simply by just saying “ don’t get me started!” Courtesy is a lubricant of society, in the madness of the modern times is a constant theater of DIScourteous and rude behavior, on and off the water.
My favorite one was when I was while I was a Sea Scout leader back in the early '00s and I was up in the bow of our under-sail 27' O'Day as my kids was crossing the very busy ICW in a fresh breeze. They were doing it correctly by making all haste, perpendicular to the narrow channel. I was the spotter peering around the genoa, and here comes Captain Crunch in his 50'-something Hatteras, throttles open, while we're in the middle of the channel off of Dunedin, and actually trying to pass in front of us near a marker. You know how cars like to speed up as you signal and try to pass them on the interstate? He was that guy.
He did slow down hard as I waved him down, throwing a nice big wake toward us and because he was forced to idle for less than 5 seconds, he screamed in front of my kids: "YOU F*****S! YOU'RE JUST TOO CHEAP TO BUY GAS!"
My dude. Where do I even begin?
Everything here is spot-on. Thanks for the article! It's so much worse now. I just skim the shallows in my Melonseed and avoid the jerks.
Marty you are exactly right. It’s the rudeness that gets my back up. I can forgive ignorance once but not more. The situation that really bothers me is the “it’s my right to________” or the one where the errant boaters says that it’s ok because there is no one to enforce anything.
Back in the day when I was driving green boats courtesy of my uncle I got pretty good with a 12 gauge flare gun dropping one across the bow to remind the offending PBR to slow down. I've restrained myself ever since. Except once when I was rowing along, splashed by a water wall of a water skier who made the mistake of falling a short distance away. I rowed over and we had a discussion of oars, harpoons and swimmers. When he was picked up the ski boat left the area.
Painfully…Spot On by Marty!….Damn, I hate it when you are so right about such an unpleasant topic!! As my son (Capt. USCG) points out regularly….there is no law against Stupid……that’s why much of his time is spent rescuing “Subjects from the shallow end of the Gene Pool”!…..
My most recent example of boat narcissism from the Gulf Islands: Being passed in a narrow marked channel with rocks on all sides by a 50 ft power cruiser towing a 20 ft Boston Whaler that's rolling back and forth in the wake.
James - Your example sounds way more dangerous than most of the thoughtless encounters we’ve had with big, fast boats passing too closely. Scary stuff!
A timely article Marty. I've had two recent encounters with large cruisers that I've been mulling over, in both cases a combination of a shallow, narrow passage and excessive speed. Fortunately in both situations visibility was good and I was able to move out of the way well in advance (and having a shallow draft helps!). Watching each cruiser's laser straight track down the middle of the passage, their abrupt entry and exit turns , made me wonder if an auto pilot was being relied on in those tight quarters rather than a hand on the wheel. Both encounters felt like I was witnessing some predetermined mouse clicks making the decisions, not the skipper.
I was tied up near the inshore end of a long jetty, my ship was shoal draft and one that was ok to go aground when the tide went out and left her dry. There are fishing boats further in but they're all sitting in mud berths so are fine when the water goes away.
But a big twin screw three story thing about 45ft or so long came up and tied up behind me. I walked over and politely told the skipper that there would be no water there in a couple of hours, and that the entire jetty would be "dry" at low tide. He turned his head away from me and completely ignored me.
"Ok, have it your way" I said and walked off into town.
Came back four hours later to find the big chrome and plastic thing high and dry, over at an angle, sitting on its unprotected props, one shaft obviously bent, and I think the other misaligned.
The skipper looked at me, I shrugged and climbed down to my boat and began making my evening meal. I saw that boat under tow late next day.
A frequent one is what I have heard described as "niceholes", powerboaters planing as they approach but thoughtfully throttling back when passing my little boat. They come off plane and throw the maximum bow wave, apparently just unaware.
And a jet ski story: Usually I just encounter them near the dock, but once two came around the corner while I was far out in the back sloughs of the Sacramento Delta. They changed course and came right at me, suddenly stopping within yards of my boat. The first one called over, "do you know where we are?".
Yes, they're all out there. That's why we like shallow draft, we go where they can't, and if they do, we smile quietly knowing that they are sanding down their props or sucking sand through their fancy jet ski jet pump. We won't see them again until thousands of dollars of repairs later.
The flip side are people with sailboats who rig on the ramp, or right after they launch, clobbering the ramp for other folks wanting to launch.
This happened on my friend’s Sabre 32 last Fall between Coal and Goudge Islands just north of Sidney, B.C. As you can imagine it inspired a lot of fists in the air and cursing at the rapidly disappearing power boat.
I can sum it up, simply by just saying “ don’t get me started!” Courtesy is a lubricant of society, in the madness of the modern times is a constant theater of DIScourteous and rude behavior, on and off the water.
My favorite one was when I was while I was a Sea Scout leader back in the early '00s and I was up in the bow of our under-sail 27' O'Day as my kids was crossing the very busy ICW in a fresh breeze. They were doing it correctly by making all haste, perpendicular to the narrow channel. I was the spotter peering around the genoa, and here comes Captain Crunch in his 50'-something Hatteras, throttles open, while we're in the middle of the channel off of Dunedin, and actually trying to pass in front of us near a marker. You know how cars like to speed up as you signal and try to pass them on the interstate? He was that guy.
He did slow down hard as I waved him down, throwing a nice big wake toward us and because he was forced to idle for less than 5 seconds, he screamed in front of my kids: "YOU F*****S! YOU'RE JUST TOO CHEAP TO BUY GAS!"
My dude. Where do I even begin?
Everything here is spot-on. Thanks for the article! It's so much worse now. I just skim the shallows in my Melonseed and avoid the jerks.
Marty you are exactly right. It’s the rudeness that gets my back up. I can forgive ignorance once but not more. The situation that really bothers me is the “it’s my right to________” or the one where the errant boaters says that it’s ok because there is no one to enforce anything.
Back in the day when I was driving green boats courtesy of my uncle I got pretty good with a 12 gauge flare gun dropping one across the bow to remind the offending PBR to slow down. I've restrained myself ever since. Except once when I was rowing along, splashed by a water wall of a water skier who made the mistake of falling a short distance away. I rowed over and we had a discussion of oars, harpoons and swimmers. When he was picked up the ski boat left the area.
I find it interesting that when sailing any size sailboat even in open water that powerboaters go out of their way to speed by close.
The only reason I can guess they do it is that they think all sailors sail naked and they come to look at us.
I just haven't figured out how to lift my shirt up for them while wearing an inflatable life vest.
Wait....you don't sail naked?
Painfully…Spot On by Marty!….Damn, I hate it when you are so right about such an unpleasant topic!! As my son (Capt. USCG) points out regularly….there is no law against Stupid……that’s why much of his time is spent rescuing “Subjects from the shallow end of the Gene Pool”!…..
Dan - That is such a great description: “Subjects from the shallow end of the Gene Pool” (!)
My most recent example of boat narcissism from the Gulf Islands: Being passed in a narrow marked channel with rocks on all sides by a 50 ft power cruiser towing a 20 ft Boston Whaler that's rolling back and forth in the wake.
James - Your example sounds way more dangerous than most of the thoughtless encounters we’ve had with big, fast boats passing too closely. Scary stuff!
A timely article Marty. I've had two recent encounters with large cruisers that I've been mulling over, in both cases a combination of a shallow, narrow passage and excessive speed. Fortunately in both situations visibility was good and I was able to move out of the way well in advance (and having a shallow draft helps!). Watching each cruiser's laser straight track down the middle of the passage, their abrupt entry and exit turns , made me wonder if an auto pilot was being relied on in those tight quarters rather than a hand on the wheel. Both encounters felt like I was witnessing some predetermined mouse clicks making the decisions, not the skipper.
I was tied up near the inshore end of a long jetty, my ship was shoal draft and one that was ok to go aground when the tide went out and left her dry. There are fishing boats further in but they're all sitting in mud berths so are fine when the water goes away.
But a big twin screw three story thing about 45ft or so long came up and tied up behind me. I walked over and politely told the skipper that there would be no water there in a couple of hours, and that the entire jetty would be "dry" at low tide. He turned his head away from me and completely ignored me.
"Ok, have it your way" I said and walked off into town.
Came back four hours later to find the big chrome and plastic thing high and dry, over at an angle, sitting on its unprotected props, one shaft obviously bent, and I think the other misaligned.
The skipper looked at me, I shrugged and climbed down to my boat and began making my evening meal. I saw that boat under tow late next day.
John Welsford
A frequent one is what I have heard described as "niceholes", powerboaters planing as they approach but thoughtfully throttling back when passing my little boat. They come off plane and throw the maximum bow wave, apparently just unaware.
And a jet ski story: Usually I just encounter them near the dock, but once two came around the corner while I was far out in the back sloughs of the Sacramento Delta. They changed course and came right at me, suddenly stopping within yards of my boat. The first one called over, "do you know where we are?".
Yes, they're all out there. That's why we like shallow draft, we go where they can't, and if they do, we smile quietly knowing that they are sanding down their props or sucking sand through their fancy jet ski jet pump. We won't see them again until thousands of dollars of repairs later.
The flip side are people with sailboats who rig on the ramp, or right after they launch, clobbering the ramp for other folks wanting to launch.
My latest mantra is "more people, more problems". I find myself paddling more in the "way, way back waters " Pat Filardi
Great article.
Marty, If everyone obeyed rules and was considerate of others, Instagram would lose half of it's contents overnight!
This happened on my friend’s Sabre 32 last Fall between Coal and Goudge Islands just north of Sidney, B.C. As you can imagine it inspired a lot of fists in the air and cursing at the rapidly disappearing power boat.
The Canadian Navy, Spieden Channel, five foot wake. Even our 52 footer took a beating. Where does one begin?