Bonehead captains are BAAAK

[NHBUOY]

Has any one else observed what my son and I have termed "willful, planned interference" by the sail and paddle crowd.?. While out sailing our 25' Catalina last week, we were just tacking around off Glendale with some other blow-boaters and witnessed this behavior towards powerboats.. We watched 2 sailboats that would "short-tack"/change course and speed to willfully interfere with any powerboat that had the audacity to try to hold a steady and direct course through "their" area..I have observed this with the kayakers too.. Funny how the other sailors would wave to us, but when we went back out later in the family Wellcraft, they didn't wave at us and "tried" to do the interference thing to us......

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by NHBUOY

Has any one else observed what my son and I have termed "willful, planned interference" by the sail and paddle crowd.?. While out sailing our 25' Catalina last week, we were just tacking around off Glendale with some other blow-boaters and witnessed this behavior towards powerboats.. We watched 2 sailboats that would "short-tack"/change course and speed to willfully interfere with any powerboat that had the audacity to try to hold a steady and direct course through "their" area..I have observed this with the kayakers too.. Funny how the other sailors would wave to us, but when we went back out later in the family Wellcraft, they didn't wave at us and "tried" to do the interference thing to us......

I have not seen that kind of behavior very often. That said, when there's room, I pick a heading that sailboats and kayaks could never cross ahead of me no matter what they do anyway. I've also never had any issues with power boaters when I'm sailing, rowing or paddling, but I'm courteous.

[BroadHopper]

I witness a sailboat diverting the Sophie C off of Governors Island last week. Within minutes, the MP was there and pulled the sialboat over. I have no idea what that was about. As APS says, a sailboat can get in front of a commercial boat, the sailor has the right of way.

[jrc]

Originally Posted by NHBUOY

Has any one else observed what my son and I have termed "willful, planned interference" by the sail and paddle crowd.?...

Sunday I saw a lot of sail and kayak traffic in and around Gendale, I was in my power boat. Two kayaks we just sitting in the narrow spot between FL 53 and Pig Island. I thought for a minute that they were trying to stop or slow traffic, but my guess is they were just out having fun on a beautiful day.

I'm trying hard to give people the benefit of the doubt in situations like this. It's easier to believe that people are unaware that they are impeding me then to believe they are being malicious. I always have to work around someone in Smith Cove or Glendale, it's a crossroads.

If a coordianated effort to disrupt traffic was uncovered, that would be messy. The rules of the road do not allow boats to intentionally impede another vessel. This may be the lesson that Broadhopper's sailor learned.

NH RSA 270-D:2
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IX. Canoes, kayaks, rowboats, sailboats, and swimmers shall be given the right-of-way. This requirement shall not be construed to allow deliberate impediment of motorboats by canoes, kayaks, rowboats, sailboats, and swimmers.
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