Stopped by the Marine Patrol - Advice Needed

Skippermark · 09-01-2024, 10:47 PM

I’ve been boating on Lake Winnipesaukee for over 25 years and for over 50 in general, and today was just my second time being stopped by the marine patrol. The first was about 20 years ago when we were fishing, and they wanted to make sure I had a fishing license.

Today my son and I were on our PWCs, and we had just passed underneath the Governor’s Island Bridge heading south and continued at idle speed until we were almost to the end of the island. My son was off to my side, so I went, and he went off in a different direction because I go too slow for him, and that’s when I got stopped.

The officer said he pulled me over because I didn’t follow the safe passage rule, which states that you have to be at headway speed when within 150 feet of another boat. He said we were about 75 feet apart when I took off.

To me, it seemed safe, but I did wrong and appreciate him only giving me a warning, but it made me wonder how others handle situations when they are less than 150 feet from another vessel.

Specifically, like if you were going through The Graveyard, which I think is less than 150 feet wide, but if not, boats certainly pass closer than 150 feet apart in it. We were there later in the day, and no slowed down when they passed other vessels.

When we entered the channel, a couple boats tucked in behind us and seemed irritated that we were only going 25. They rode really close, almost as if to intimidate us, and I was unsure of what to do as other boats entered the other side.

I think a lot of boating and being safe is using good judgement, and in the past, I probably would have maintained speed or slowed down a little, but after getting stopped earlier, I decided to slow all the way down to headway speed. Needless to say, the people behind me weren’t happy. They didn’t expect me to slow down, and I almost couldn’t control my PWC going so slow because the wakes from the boats passing by pushed me all over the place. My wife thought we were going to capsize because the PWC filled with water from a wave that washed over the handlebars, and it’s not very stable when the footwells are full.

Once we were out of the channel, I quickly turned a different direction than everyone was heading because I felt like I had done something wrong and didn’t want to hear them screaming at me anymore. I’ve never done it, but I felt like I had just break checked someone on the highway, and forced them to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting me.

I’m kind of worried what to do when this happens again because I know it will. I don’t want to get stopped by the marine patrol, but I’m concerned about getting hit or causing problems for others because no one expects you to slow down.

It’s kind of like when you’re driving on the highway and everyone is speeding. If you try to do the speed limit, you’re kind of a hazard, but if you speed, you can get pulled over. It’s kind of a lose lose.

I’m curious how others handles situations like these.

09-01-2024, 10:47 PM	#1
Skippermark Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 70 Thanks: 16 Thanked 26 Times in 11 Posts	Stopped by the Marine Patrol - Advice Needed I’ve been boating on Lake Winnipesaukee for over 25 years and for over 50 in general, and today was just my second time being stopped by the marine patrol. The first was about 20 years ago when we were fishing, and they wanted to make sure I had a fishing license. Today my son and I were on our PWCs, and we had just passed underneath the Governor’s Island Bridge heading south and continued at idle speed until we were almost to the end of the island. My son was off to my side, so I went, and he went off in a different direction because I go too slow for him, and that’s when I got stopped. The officer said he pulled me over because I didn’t follow the safe passage rule, which states that you have to be at headway speed when within 150 feet of another boat. He said we were about 75 feet apart when I took off. To me, it seemed safe, but I did wrong and appreciate him only giving me a warning, but it made me wonder how others handle situations when they are less than 150 feet from another vessel. Specifically, like if you were going through The Graveyard, which I think is less than 150 feet wide, but if not, boats certainly pass closer than 150 feet apart in it. We were there later in the day, and no slowed down when they passed other vessels. When we entered the channel, a couple boats tucked in behind us and seemed irritated that we were only going 25. They rode really close, almost as if to intimidate us, and I was unsure of what to do as other boats entered the other side. I think a lot of boating and being safe is using good judgement, and in the past, I probably would have maintained speed or slowed down a little, but after getting stopped earlier, I decided to slow all the way down to headway speed. Needless to say, the people behind me weren’t happy. They didn’t expect me to slow down, and I almost couldn’t control my PWC going so slow because the wakes from the boats passing by pushed me all over the place. My wife thought we were going to capsize because the PWC filled with water from a wave that washed over the handlebars, and it’s not very stable when the footwells are full. Once we were out of the channel, I quickly turned a different direction than everyone was heading because I felt like I had done something wrong and didn’t want to hear them screaming at me anymore. I’ve never done it, but I felt like I had just break checked someone on the highway, and forced them to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting me. I’m kind of worried what to do when this happens again because I know it will. I don’t want to get stopped by the marine patrol, but I’m concerned about getting hit or causing problems for others because no one expects you to slow down. It’s kind of like when you’re driving on the highway and everyone is speeding. If you try to do the speed limit, you’re kind of a hazard, but if you speed, you can get pulled over. It’s kind of a lose lose. I’m curious how others handles situations like these.