[Campari]

I was only out briefly Friday night, all day Saturday and all day Sunday and I saw nothing but inexperienced or STUPID boaters. Sorry, but there are some real bozos out there!

Middle Channel with about 200 feet of visibility and I got boats appearing out of nowhere, ACROSS THE CHANNELL, digging ditches at incredible speeds, nearly wiping me out! Charts, people!

In the North Channel at Deckers, some idiot's flying through with about a 30 footer, doing maybe 30 MPH with a boatload of what looked like older folks. I'm honking and motioning for him to slow down. The damn old lady in the back sees me and starts waving frantically, like, "Hi, yeah, it's me, we're having a blast, nice to see you too".

It's NO WAKE people! There had to 50 boats around us all going at idle speed and this idot's flying through there. And it wasn't anywhere near either end.

And in the creek at Metro some fool in a big-a$$ boat decides I'm going too slow for his tastes (like I have any say in the matter with three thousand boats in front of and all around me!). So he's passing me, kicking up a hell of a wake and blowin' by everyone else. It's like, dude??!! Do you have eyes? Did you happen to notice that half the world's population is in this narrow creek and attempting to creep through as safely as possible?

Morons.

Had to vent, sorry about that.

 

[No More Mini]

Understood....believe me. Try doing it in a boat that sits 2 feet off the water.....YIKES!

Mini

 

[Snowbi-Wan]

And when they are not in their boat, they are on the road. <_<

 

[Campari]

QUOTE(John Maniaci @ Jun 16 2003, 01:14 PM)Understood....believe me. Try doing it in a boat that sits 2 feet off the water.....YIKES!

Mini
Oh Mini, man, I don't envy you guys in them boats. I watch these fools blow right by guys all the time. You must get swamped a lot out there.

I espeically like the dickweeds who, no matter who's go the right, they're gonna maintain their current course no matter what, even if it means going directly through the beam of your boat. "Better get out my way, I'm bigger than you!"

 

[Campari]

QUOTE(Snowmaker @ Jun 16 2003, 01:15 PM)And when they are not in their boat, they are on the road.

I believe that! It's the same ones no matter what the vehicle is; they don't know how to drive it.

 

[No More Mini]

I hear ya bro.....I thank the lord for 225 horses everytime I see someguy that is the stand down vessel heading straight for me, the one with the right of way.

Boaters safety classes should be required.....

Mini

 

[afiremen]

Some people just don't know better!

 

[Bayley]

I was out on Sunday and I have to agree with one hundred and ten percent of everything that's already been said. Trying to get around Gull Island was a real treat as well. Everyone and their brother slowed to "almost planing / maximum wake" speed to get a look at the Island "that Channel 4 news keeps talking about!" Then when you try to go around them, they would make a quick 90 degree turn to get closer to the Island. It was nuts.

As far as getting passed in the Black Creek (the no wake section, theres no excuse for this in the open water section of the channel), I'm going to play devil's advocate a little bit here. This past Sunday, I got stuck behind a train of boats following a little 10 foot aluminum boat. The little boat had maybe a 5 hp motor idling at 200 rpm pushing what couldn't have been any bigger than a 1" pitch prop. Just out of curiosity I reset my GPS average speed and after 10 very long minutes, I averaged 1.9 mph! This guy in the little boat just didn't get it. He could have at least stepped off to the right and let the larger boats use the center of channel to pass. Those big guys need to be under power to control the boat. Also some of the larger Offshore style boats run very aggressive props with rather high idle speeds. Coming into the harbor yesterday I was only able to run one of my motors in gear, and even then it was probably 10 seconds in gear, 50 seconds coasting, 10 seconds in gear, 50 seconds coasting, etc...

I'm starting to doubt this whole "bad economy" theory. It sure looked like every dumb @ss was approved for a boat loan of some sort... and they were all out on the Lake this past Sunday.

There's the proper way to boat, then there's the Lake St Clair way!

 

[pinemartin]

yea, sitting at gull saturday we watched some guy in a
small powerquest try to beach his boat on the north side
of the island, just about on plane 100 feet from the beach
he hit the sandbar. stopped dead kicking up dirt 2 feet
high at a dead stop, his face looked like this

i think it gets worse every year! <_<

 

[ThreeCrabs]

Don't even have the time to write it all! As Mini said, Take your boating safety course!~

 

[Shandog]

Completely not boating related, but to answer your question...

YES!! I have noticed that some people are completely stupid

 

[Campari]

QUOTE(Bayley @ Jun 16 2003, 01:57 PM)I'm starting to doubt this whole "bad economy" theory. It sure looked like every dumb @ss was approved for a boat loan of some sort... and they were all out on the Lake this past Sunday.

There's the proper way to boat, then there's the Lake St Clair way!

TOO FUNNY!!

I agree. And the guy in the 10ft aluminum is part of the stupdity, too. Don't tell me he doesn't realize what's going on behind him. Move over and let them go by. But when you're just showing off, kicking up wake in a creek with a billion other boats, that's plain stupid!

 

[BoatChic]

Don't get me started.

At Gull yesterday had one boat next to me that refused to beach his boat - thought his drive would hit bottom - Hello, trailer button?! he was in a Chapparal, pulled up a bit and had 2 anchors out, it was rough from boats cruising the channel to begin with, this guys boat kept swinging bow and stern - wife, kids, parents on board had no clue how to help out, so kept eating their snacks watching... the boat bowed over and hit another boat, i could never leave mine, had to sit and babysit it. Annoying. Aside from the guy coming out of the channel at me on the wrong side... Shall i go on?!?! <_<

 

[MrsSunbum]

QUOTE(BoatChic @ Jun 16 2003, 02:20 PM)Don't get me started.

At Gull yesterday had one boat next to me that refused to beach his boat - thought his drive would hit bottom - Hello, trailer button?! he was in a Chapparal, pulled up a bit and had 2 anchors out, it was rough from boats cruising the channel to begin with, this guys boat kept swinging bow and stern - wife, kids, parents on board had no clue how to help out, so kept eating their snacks watching... the boat bowed over and hit another boat, i could never leave mine, had to sit and babysit it. Annoying. Aside from the guy coming out of the channel at me on the wrong side... "Shall i go on?!?! " <_<
"Shall i go on?!?!
Yes. Just vent, you will feel so much better.

 

[Aggressortom]

I felt like one of the dumb asses pulling in to gull Sunday in the wind, but I just had to jump in three foot of water to straighten the boat out and throw anchor. I did watch a 19 foot run about on the lakeside of Gull run a ground Saturday. Probably 35 mph hour heading towards the island, I went wide to the south channel markers and as I started to say "I don't think he can go there" his boat came to a nice stop. Back at the boat ramp when I hollered out to the lady the back of her 19 foot Bayliner is about to hit my boat as they go side ways in to the ramp, I hear a splash on the other side and her husband fell in the scummy water trying to grab the dock, pretty comical.

 

[UncleDupie]

I have had smaller boats in front of me going 1-2 MPH in the creek and I usually pass them. My boat idles at 4 mph so to go slower I have to disengage. If there is any wind, I'm all over the place.

I worry about the little row boats out fishing though. Just out from Beacon cove is a popular fishing spot and these morons in fourty footers come within ten feet of people anchored in row boats!

I think that they do it on purpose. I wonder if they even look back to see if they caused them to capsize.

 

[Madmax]

QUOTE(Campari @ Jun 16 2003, 01:12 PM)I was only out briefly Friday night, all day Saturday and all day Sunday and I saw nothing but inexperienced or STUPID boaters. Sorry, but there are some real bozos out there!

Middle Channel with about 200 feet of visibility and I got boats appearing out of nowhere, ACROSS THE CHANNELL, digging ditches at incredible speeds, nearly wiping me out! Charts, people!

In the North Channel at Deckers, some idiot's flying through with about a 30 footer, doing maybe 30 MPH with a boatload of what looked like older folks. I'm honking and motioning for him to slow down. The damn old lady in the back sees me and starts waving frantically, like, "Hi, yeah, it's me, we're having a blast, nice to see you too".

It's NO WAKE people! There had to 50 boats around us all going at idle speed and this idot's flying through there. And it wasn't anywhere near either end.

And in the creek at Metro some fool in a big-a$$ boat decides I'm going too slow for his tastes (like I have any say in the matter with three thousand boats in front of and all around me!). So he's passing me, kicking up a hell of a wake and blowin' by everyone else. It's like, dude??!! Do you have eyes? Did you happen to notice that half the world's population is in this narrow creek and attempting to creep through as safely as possible?

Morons.

Had to vent, sorry about that.
I was im the Middle Channel at the same time. Cruising slowly and watching close my GPS and I saw few crazy boaters coming like crazy.

Campari, It is the old lady from the Deckers ??

 

[Gary864]

Boy does this ring a bell. Stupid boaters? Say it isn't so!!!!! let me tell there are many. Come with me on patrol. I like to work the Algonac area. 90% of the people breaking the no wake rules (200 / 600 ) and or noe PFD on the boat are residents of the area. I have even been told that the rules only apply to people who don't live in the area. If I stop somebody in, say the North Chanel and they tell me they lived there 30 years I would consider writing a ticket. Now if the guy is from Somewhere else and is not sure of the area, I would more than likely just have a discussion with him NO TICKET. The local people are the worse when it come to breaking the rules.

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

The reality is most of the morons are only out there on major holidays. I did say most, then a couple come out on the weekends too. And they have another excuse besides the lack of common sense, lack of a boaters course and they are probably so freakin drunk when they are out there. They have no clue. People just need to be very defensive out there and remember the rules about the right of way, courtesy to other boaters, being responsible for the wake that your boat kicks out and the damage it may cause and also the most important rule is avoid collision at all costs.

 

[No More Mini]

QUOTE(UncleDupie @ Jun 16 2003, 02:31 PM)I worry about the little row boats out fishing though. Just out from Beacon cove is a popular fishing spot and these morons in fourty footers come within ten feet of people anchored in row boats!

I think that they do it on purpose. I wonder if they even look back to see if they caused them to capsize.
Sometimes they doo look back and those usually are the ones that do it on purpose.

If you get close enough for me to hit you with a cast you are way too close. I do launch lures at boats that get too close.....I figure if a person has to pay for new upholstery or go to the hospital for hook wounds they will remember it next time. If they report me I am sure any competent law officer would have to figure that I cant cast beyond the 100 foot rule.

You have to be careful when passing in a no wake area as small as the Black Creek.

Please remember that different types of craft throw different wakes. Some cant go as fast as others and still be considered no wake.