Boating Safety

[The Real BigGuy]

I think people are willing to help but are afraid to ask some if they need it because they are afraid of the negative reaction they’ll get.

I recently suggested to a boater that he pass a marker on the right side of a marker instead of the wrong side due to rocks. You’d think I insulted his manhood from his response. It is true, “No good deed goes unpunished!”


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[Major]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

I think people are willing to help but are afraid to ask some if they need it because they are afraid of the negative reaction they’ll get.

I recently suggested to a boater that he pass a marker on the right side of a marker instead of the wrong side due to rocks. You’d think I insulted his manhood from his response. It is true, “No good deed goes unpunished!”


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Same thing happened to me in Sally's Gut. I was traveling from the east side of Stonedam Island, and a boat coming the other way was heading toward the wrong side of a black marker. Lots of boulders near the water surface, would have caused heavy damage to the hull and engine. I waved my arms and escalated from a loud warning to shouting at him to change his course. My reward, the dude started yelling at me, like a petulant child. I would have been grateful. Like Big says, no good deed goes unpunished. The next guy will not receive such a warning.

[znh]

Had two incidents the last couple of weeks...

First, going to get gas at West Alton, come off plane 150 feet away from the entrance to the channel at the edge of the sandbar, a red jetboat right at the red marker floors it full throttle right in front of us making a very large 3+ foot wake wave coming right at us, nowhere for me to go, very large wave comes right over the bow, soaking all the teens sitting in front wearing sweatshirts, now all the bags, clothes, phones, etc...are soaking wet, guy driving the boat was laughing and the teenagers in his bow were making some odd hand gestures at the boats behind them...what a complete douchebag...

Second, coming back from tubing at Ames and we had my daughter and her boyfriend in the tube behind us on the way back to our house, we are going by the mooring field at Lake Shore Park and I was admittedly probably already too close to the mooring buoys, say about 75-80 feet from them, a huge center console, at least 28-30 feet, three large outboards, comes flying by us between me and the buoys, less then 40 feet from our boat, with a large red tube trailing behind us and us barely on plane, he had to be doing at least 28-30 MPH, I throw my hands up and they start acting like they have no idea what they did wrong and flip me off, wish I could have followed them to their destination to let them know how stupid and dangerous they were...

[8gv]

https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...ad.php?t=29049

[ITD]

I suppose it's pretty tough to admit when you are wrong for some people. Unfortunately the price may be too high to stand by and protect their ego.

[tis]

I have gotten some nice responses like sorry and some disgusting words and gestures, not just the finger.

[XCR-700]

Hoping things are better after this weekend,,,

Sounds like some of you have had even worse experiences than me.

The close proximity to other boats is clearly getting worse, but I dont normally worry about it until we get under say 50 feet. Not saying its right, I just dont get worked up over it. But under 50 feet and when the other operator does not seem to know what they are doing or are clearly being reckless is when it quickly becomes concerning to me. Once you get much closer than 50 feet and are at speed it can go wrong really quickly.

I am also surprised at how many people are either going way too fast under the Weirs bridge, or so slow they are struggling to control their boat. Same for people running really fast and only throttling back the second they pass a no wake marker, or taking off the second they clear the marker. Its as if they dont get that the high water levels are extra problematic when your in no wake zones and to just take it a bit easy.

Be safe out there, clearly it goes wrong too easily and the result is never good.

ATB

[Lake Fan]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Hoping things are better after this weekend,,,

Sounds like some of you have had even worse experiences than me.

The close proximity to other boats is clearly getting worse, but I dont normally worry about it until we get under say 50 feet. Not saying its right, I just dont get worked up over it. But under 50 feet and when the other operator does not seem to know what they are doing or are clearly being reckless is when it quickly becomes concerning to me. Once you get much closer than 50 feet and are at speed it can go wrong really quickly.

I am also surprised at how many people are either going way too fast under the Weirs bridge, or so slow they are struggling to control their boat. Same for people running really fast and only throttling back the second they pass a no wake marker, or taking off the second they clear the marker. Its as if they dont get that the high water levels are extra problematic when your in no wake zones and to just take it a bit easy.

Be safe out there, clearly it goes wrong too easily and the result is never good.

ATB

I've also noticed a big increase in operators who refuse to give way when required, or who, with a little situational awareness, could change course a bit to eliminate a pinch point. I believe it's a combination of entitlement, coupled with strict adherence to the navigation lines on the GPS.

The "boat rage" is off the charts also. I've been flipped off for just for trying to avoid some bonehead who's on a collision course with me.

No doubt about it, it's been like the wild, wild west out on the water this summer, but Fall is coming...

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by Lake Fan

I've also noticed a big increase in operators who refuse to give way when required, or who, with a little situational awareness, could change course a bit to eliminate a pinch point. I believe it's a combination of entitlement, coupled with strict adherence to the navigation lines on the GPS.

The "boat rage" is off the charts also. I've been flipped off for just for trying to avoid some bonehead who's on a collision course with me.

No doubt about it, it's been like the wild, wild west out on the water this summer, but Fall is coming...

Its obviously hard to know what another boater is thinking unless you have a personal interaction with them, but my gut tells me some of these folks are honestly unaware of the combination of the rules and the practical matters of operation. (and they are not always the same or even in agreement with each other) I suspect some of the rental boat operators have never driven a boat before!

Then some are like kids with a new bike riding around on public football/soccer/etc fields raising a little hell in what they feel is a safe environment and not realizing the dangers of operating a 50 MPH power boat on a lake like Winnipesaukee.

Then you have just the pure arrogant jackasses. I see so many of the entitled types just decide to cut you off whenever they feel, or power into a no wake zone at full speed and cut the throttle only after the bow is on the other side of the marker. And what surprises me is that its not just the wakeboat - big money people doing this, though there are plenty of them. I also see so many "senior" captains running modest older boats and driving them like they own the lake and get out of their way of you will get run over. They will jump the line at the docks and look you in the eye and tell you they were there first when they were in fact the LAST one in line! And so on and so on. And then there are the "cabin cruiser" guys curling 3 - 4 foot wakes all over the lake that rival the wakeboat people i their ability to wreak havoc.

Pretty much its like you said, the wild west, well at least on some days.

Be safe/ATB

[8gv]

It's pretty simple to me.

You know all those farging iceholes menacing the highways?

They bought boats.

🤬

[camp guy]

(Vehicle) driver's licenses have to be renewed every few years, maybe Boater Safety cards should be renewed every few years, and include an actual driving the boat test. I know, manpower shortages would preclude such activity, but it is an idea.

[retired]

We've also seen many illegal and dangerous operations this summer. It's the same every year. The answer is education and enforcement. I know Marine Patrol is understaffed and all the boaters know it and are more likely to break the rules. I seriously doubt that many boaters have a safe boating certificate. Especially those on personal water craft. The state needs to allocate more funds to the issue, and hire more officers.

[tis]

I think enforcement is the only answer. And the MP need to know the rules as well if they are going to enforce them. They need to know what no wake means and all the rafting rules, distances etc.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by retired

We've also seen many illegal and dangerous operations this summer. It's the same every year. The answer is education and enforcement. I know Marine Patrol is understaffed and all the boaters know it and are more likely to break the rules. I seriously doubt that many boaters have a safe boating certificate. Especially those on personal water craft. The state needs to allocate more funds to the issue, and hire more officers.

That would mean higher registration costs.

[The Real BigGuy]

Originally Posted by camp guy

(Vehicle) driver's licenses have to be renewed every few years, maybe Boater Safety cards should be renewed every few years, and include an actual driving the boat test. I know, manpower shortages would preclude such activity, but it is an idea.

I’m not sure this would solve the problem. No amount of testing, written or practical, can solve willful neglect. All/the vast majority of drivers take and pass a road test yet we all see what a s____ show driving can be.


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[camp guy]

Please don't confuse me with a "Mary Poppins" or a "PolyAnna", but, in reality, a significant number of boating and car "stupid" acts would be solved if drivers (of either and/or both) would start using a little common sense. It's a big Lake, there is plenty of room for everyone; the roads are generally good, and traffic usually runs fairly smoothly, so I ask one question - Why is everyone in such a hurry? Not knowing the answer, I can't respond, but, it seems to me, a few extra seconds isn't going to ruin anybody's day. Relax, everybody, we live in one of the nicest places there is to live - enjoy it. Good night.