Saw a great bonehead move yesterday

[Dave R]

The drawings are not to scale and the vectors are relative to each boat's motion.



I'm in boat A, I am standing-on for boat B who has adjusted his speed and course well in advance to give-way and pass behind me. Along comes Boat C, he clearly has to give-way to boat B, and should endeavor to pass me port to port. All he needs to do is steer to starboard a little, as shown by the arrow, and he'll pass well behind boat B. Any guesses at what the captain of Boat C does?



The yellow arrows indicate what actually transpired. Boat C decides to go between boats A and B. This makes me, in boat A, change course radically to starboard to maintain 150' separation from boat C (I actually changed course enough to allow boat C to turn to port even harder in order to maintain 150' separation from boat B as well, even though he did not). Boat B had to slow to a near stop and turn 90 degrees to starboard to avoid a collision and Boat C simply cruises on by with 30 feet to spare from boat B, without changing course or speed.

[upthesaukee]

Yesterday on our way back to the dock at Parker's, we were on a track from Rattlesnake to Little Mark, to pass close to the markers, because I try to keep to the right returning into the bay.

One, as in one, as in 1, boat coming out, in the middle of the bay between the markers and the east shore of the bay. I'm about a quarter of a mile or so from the markers, again going to hug the markers going by, with no boats anywhere near close behind me.

I said to my wife,"want to bet he turns left in front of us?", but she being a woman of sound mind, declined the bet, and well she should.

He turned to his left and cut across my bow, causing me to turn to my left, albeit not sharply (I was only doing about 22 MPH per GPS). Had he passed port to port, we both would have had good angles for riding over the wake and he would not have been delayed.

If nothing else, Captain Boneheads help make conversation between a couple that's been married for almost 40 years!

[caloway]

Yours is pretty good, but I think I have the winner for the weekend:

It was the end of the day coming through the bridge at Weirs. The channel was PACKED going both ways. A guy ahead of me needed to get into Thurstons. To do that he swung wide into oncoming traffic and then turned toward Thurstons.

His bow wasn't where he wanted it to be, so he threw it into reverse (while on the wrong side) to swing the stern around ?!? At this point, he was totally blocking all traffic. The girl at the marina noticed and waved him off telling him to circle around Paugus and come back.

He then put it in gear, turned port, swung wide and slowed to drift a bit next to the rocks south of the marina. Too close. He nailed the rocks and the engine stopped with a nasty clunk.

He eventually got it going, but I wouldn't want to see the bill for that lower unit.

[chipj29]

I saw a pretty good one as well. I was in a somewhat narrow area (600-700' wide) heading north. There was an anchored boat with kids swimming off of it roughly 300' from the west shore, which left about 300-400' to the east. Since there were swimmers, a boat at anchor, and relatively close proximity to shore, I came off plane and went to go by on the wide side at no wake. As I was putting by, a boat was approaching from the opposite direction. He decides to split the distance between the anchored boat and me. He was about 100' from each of us. To his credit, he did slow down. To his discredit, he went by at just about optimal plowing speed, creating a giant wake. Didn't bother me, but I felt bad for the people on the anchored boat, as they got tossed around pretty good. Why even bother?

[Dave R]

I witnessed two boats trying to turn around in between two Wolfeboro town docks at the same time, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise. They ended up with both boats 90 degrees to the docks and very close to eachother and a parked boat. The ensuing shifter/throttle/wheel thrashing and human fender work was quite impressive. I did not see any boat to boat contact.

[jrc]

I encounter a lot of "Boat C" guys.

My pet peeve (I have a lot of them) is boats coming almost head on, but at a slight angle. They just will not yield to their right. If you can see my bow and I can see yours, bear a little to the right.

More often then not, I bear to the right, the oncoming boat see me turn and then bears harder to his left, trying to pass in front on me, finally I have to stop and let him pass.

[momof3]

I try to be very aware of the boating rules/laws on the lake. I have to say there are many times I am doing the right thing and some bonehead is doing the wrong thing and to avoid a disaster I manuever in such a way that I end up looking like a bonehead.
What do you do in these situations???? So many people just do what they want with no regard.
Example, heading in Friday evening I pass Eagle Island on my right, come out of the no wake zone, head towards the weirs channel, their is a small rental boat (it says rental on the side) on the wrong side of marker at FL1, he notices the marker, he is on my left and then decides to turn the boat in front of me, what do you do?????
I end up being flustered and am sure i look like a bonehead!

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by momof3

I try to be very aware of the boating rules/laws on the lake. I have to say there are many times I am doing the right thing and some bonehead is doing the wrong thing and to avoid a disaster I manuever in such a way that I end up looking like a bonehead.
What do you do in these situations???? So many people just do what they want with no regard.
Example, heading in Friday evening I pass Eagle Island on my right, come out of the no wake zone, head towards the weirs channel, their is a small rental boat (it says rental on the side) on the wrong side of marker at FL1, he notices the marker, he is on my left and then decides to turn the boat in front of me, what do you do?????
I end up being flustered and am sure i look like a bonehead!

Your description makes it sound like the rental boater is plainly at fault. Anyone who understands boating rules that witnessed that situation would have to conclude the rental is captained by a bonehead because he was on the wrong side of the marker and then created a collision course situation with you off your port bow.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by momof3

"...(it says rental on the side) on the wrong side of marker at FL1...I end up being flustered and am sure i look like a bonehead...!"

Many cottage rentals begin and end on a Saturday.

The renters are usually unpacking and relaxing lakeside on Saturday, and may not pick up their rental boats until Sunday. I'd guess most are totally unfamiliar with their rental boat and, if from out of the state, are also unfamiliar with the "Unsafe Passage" rule. My abutting three-in-a-row rental cottages have all been "one-week-rentals", with most having the same brand of boat.

This one brand of boat is a brand unnoticed previously by me. Nearly all have an inventory number on the right transom. All are white in color. (Hint: the brand begins with the letter "E").

You're not the only one flustered: Sometimes, to avoid a swamping from an oversized wake, I've had to turn 180° right away to avoid becoming a flush-to-the-gunwhales speed bump.

While I'm not really 100% comforted with others' observance of the 150' rule—and that my sailboat nearly always has the right of way—it can still make for a flustering day for me and for others.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by momof3

I try to be very aware of the boating rules/laws on the lake. I have to say there are many times I am doing the right thing and some bonehead is doing the wrong thing and to avoid a disaster I manuever in such a way that I end up looking like a bonehead.
What do you do in these situations???? So many people just do what they want with no regard.
Example, heading in Friday evening I pass Eagle Island on my right, come out of the no wake zone, head towards the weirs channel, their is a small rental boat (it says rental on the side) on the wrong side of marker at FL1, he notices the marker, he is on my left and then decides to turn the boat in front of me, what do you do?????
I end up being flustered and am sure i look like a bonehead!

It seems like everyone cuts that black tip spar near FL1 on the wrong side.
Very common.....is there even a hazzard there?

As an aside, on weekends, I always operate with the assumption the other guy has no idea what he is doing. Very defensive, I know...but weekends are tough.

[jrc]

from memory, the hazard there is that it's too shallow for the Mount Washington. I've been on the wrong side once before, looks sandy and a deep enough for most small craft. I always avoid the area just because I don't know.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

It seems like everyone cuts that black tip spar near FL1 on the wrong side.
Very common.....is there even a hazzard there?
.

No hazard at all sa.I do it all the time and never worry with my 1 ft draft.That whole area is app.6 ft in depth minimum so it is marked accordingly.It is a little unerving though seeing the bottom at speed!

[6meter]

FL1 to me means nothing in my 20 footer. As are many markers in the lake. Yes one can see bottom at points, sand. Several are just for the Mount.

[rick35]

I think that quote from sa meredith sums it up. This is our third week on the lake this summer and just about every time we've gone out in the boat we witness at least one bonehead move. Most of the time its been between the Cattle Landing and Dolly. You can't do enough to make yourself safe out there. I usually hug the red markers heading north to Browns but no matter how far over I go there seems to always be someone who wants to push me over even further. Heading south its even worse as we hug the Cattle Landing side but have to cross over to Bear. Its about time they make the south end of the neck no wake. Either that or park a MP out there. They'll could pay their yearly salaries in fines in one weekend. And then there was last Friday night around 11pm when I was passed from behind well within 50 feet near Timber. That was pretty unsettling to see someone that close come out of the darkness. Was it a planned move or did he not see me until he was almost on me. Either way it makes you worry about the next night time trip.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by rick35

Most of the time its been between the Cattle Landing and Dolly. You can't do enough to make yourself safe out there. I usually hug the red markers heading north to Browns but no matter how far over I go there seems to always be someone who wants to push me over even further. Heading south its even worse as we hug the Cattle Landing side but have to cross over to Bear. Its about time they make the south end of the neck no wake.

I almost never go on that side of Bear on weekends. If you stay on east side and pass west between Bear and Mark, there's usually no hassle, no boneheads and no need to come off plane. To me, it's the same as the Pitchwood vs. Eagle route to Weirs Beach from the east. Hardly anyone goes the long way, so there's usually there's no hassles when you do. I can't imagine opting to go through a busy no-wake when there's an on-plane route with little traffic a 1/4 mile or less away, but most people do. I used to do it before the NWZ at Eagle existed, just to avoid the washing machine effect there.

[VtSteve]

I usually went the Pitchwood route, and many times, I'd go through the Gut just to avoid it all. The Bear/Neck hassle has been there forever, nothing new. It gets far worse when people come off plane all at once and start plowing. Now you have all that boat wash to go through in addition to everything else. There's always a plus and minus to everything, and that's the downside to having a lot of islands.

[alsadad]

I witnessed a Capt Bonehead move that left me speechless on Sunday. I had to have my boat towed from Braun Bay to Thurstons. (Aside: thank goodness I signed up just this year for BoatUS unlimited towing.) Fortunately it turned out to be a minor problem. My son was with me in the boat while being towed. We were headed west about a quarter of a mile from the Eagle/Governors NWZ. A large cruiser had approached from astern, somewhat to port. Because of our position and oncoming traffic exiting the NWZ, that captain had appropriately slowed to our speed since he was little more than 150 feet away with no way to get around us without violating the 150 foot rule. I felt bad for him but certainly appreciated his courtesy. Suddenly a 26 or 28 foot cruiser traveling at probably 25 mph or so, and throwing off a large wake, wove between the other cruiser and my boat, passing me no more than 30 feet to port, then continued on past the tow boat and turned sharply to starboard cutting across the tow boat’s bow no more than 30 or 40 feet in front of him. I really regret that it happened so fast that I was unable to get bow numbers or a name, and the tow boat operator had his hands full just making sure that neither of us was swamped. I am not a violent man, but I’d love to meet up with that nitwit again.



By the way, I would like to commend Tow Boat US and Chandler for prompt and skilled assistance.

[VtSteve]

We have a large amount of cruisers that all seem to share the propensity for always moving forward at a 25 to 30 mph speed regardless of what's in front of them. I just assume that they are all too bothered to slow down and have to get those bathtubs up to plane again. It's always fun when four of five of them leave narrower sections at once, their wakes threatening everything in their path ahead and behind

[ApS]

I frequent a forum-website for cruisers. (Though not all members own real cruisers).

While most declare themselves thoughtful and considerate, I recall one comment regarding their wakes in narrow spaces...to the effect:

"...I pay a lot of money for my cruising. Fishermen should go somewhere else to fish..."