Driving a boat with a skier or tuber

[HellRaZoR004]

Originally Posted by tis

A long time ago I posted this scenario and never got an answer. Since we saw a single ski floating for a long long time out in the middle, it comes to mind. If someone drops a ski and another boat comes along and hits it, who is responsible? The person who dropped the ski because he damaged the other boat, or the boat because he damaged the ski?

I had this exact thing happen about 5 years ago on lake Sunapee.

I was up on two ski's and got close to shore in a quiet bay and dropped one. Moments later another boat (some kid with dad's boat) ran over the ski . Ripped the ski on half and had fiberglass splinters everywhere.

Prop shaft (inboard) was bent and had major vibrations. We offered to tow the boat in but they declined. That's the last of it...

In my mind he's at fault for not looking in the water (the ski's were solid white). I'm sure he was pissed I put it there, but there's nothing I could have done different (besides not dropping it).

[AC2717]

I dont think that is any different then there being floating debris in the water. You need to pay attention to where you are going and what is in front of you. Also benefit of the doubt that they might not have seen the ski you dropped, but still leans to the boat driver a.k.a The Captain

[SIKSUKR]

A suggestion on towing tubes. I was always taught when I was skiing that if your ski is still near you then hold it up if another boat is approaching. Can't do that tubing. When pulling a tube and a rider falls off, don't do the usual circling back at speed in a big arc. Immediately come to headway speed and turn directly back to the tuber and speed back up. This should get the attention of another boat.

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

A suggestion on towing tubes. I was always taught when I was skiing that if your ski is still near you then hold it up if another boat is approaching. Can't do that tubing. When pulling a tube and a rider falls off, don't do the usual circling back at speed in a big arc. Immediately come to headway speed and turn directly back to the tuber and speed back up. This should get the attention of another boat.

That is a great idea, SIKSUKR. Most of my life on the lake and I never heard of that and it makes total sense. If you drive directly back to the person in the water, the oncoming boat would move to avoid you even if they didn't see the person.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by HellRaZoR004

I had this exact thing happen about 5 years ago on lake Sunapee.

I was up on two ski's and got close to shore in a quiet bay and dropped one. Moments later another boat (some kid with dad's boat) ran over the ski . Ripped the ski on half and had fiberglass splinters everywhere.

Prop shaft (inboard) was bent and had major vibrations. We offered to tow the boat in but they declined. That's the last of it...

In my mind he's at fault for not looking in the water (the ski's were solid white). I'm sure he was pissed I put it there, but there's nothing I could have done different (besides not dropping it).

This is a good topic. We frequently drop a ski. We do it in the cove, as close to shore as is safe/legal. We then drop the skier (assuming they don't fall) at the ski at the end of their run.

Last weekend, a couple on a waverunner saw the ski floating as they were riding. They picked it up and brought it to us. They were nice people, and I looked at it as "wasn't that nice?". But after they left, and thinking over the fact that they made a couple of comments about how tough it was to see it floating, I wondered if they did it out of annoyance, (again, they were very pleasant people) and were doing it so they could make a comment to us rather than as a favor. Not sure.