Boating Etiquette for 2002

Boating etiquette seems to be something that seems to be non-existent on the public lakes. Because none of the national publications seem to be addressing it, I thought I would take a stab at it. What I will do it describe a scenario, then state what the ‘rule’ should be. <br /><br />Pre-Boating Etiquette:<br /><br /> 1. You have been invited to go boating with friends. <br /><br />Rule: Don’t you dare cancel at the last minute unless there you do not wish to receive a future invitation. The prep work for the weekly trip takes a lot of time and effort. <br /><br />Rule: Be on time – if you were asked to be there at 8 AM, be there 15 minutes early. Boating for most boat owners is the “sacred outing” and noone wants to start the day out aggravated.<br /><br />Rule: Offer up gas money. As an FYI, gas is the cheapest component of boating.<br /><br />Rule: Do not leave a mess on anyone’s boat!<br /><br />Rule: No Shoes on the boat. In the summer the tar from the boat ramps will get on the carpet. <br /><br />Rule: If you are a smoker, ASK if it is ok, or do it on the back swim platform. <br /><br />Rule: Bring your own food/drink (or at least offer).<br /><br />Rule: Always listen to the captain and the rules.<br /><br />On the Dock:<br /><br /> 2. You arrive at the lake and are getting ready to launch.<br /><br />Rule: Do not get ready on the boat ramp – there is plenty of room elsewhere for that most of the time<br /><br />3. You have launched your boat and now need to pick up a passenger at the courtesy dock. <br /><br />Rule: That’s exactly what it is, folks – a courtesy dock. Do not wait for your passenger the entire time by parking yourself next to the dock. Other people may need to use it.<br /><br />4. You have loaded your boat on the trailer after a nice day’s outing. <br /><br />Rule: Simple enough – get your boat off the ramp so other people can use it. <br /><br />On the Water: <br /><br />5. You are in search of a place to ski, and think you found it, but there is another boat already skiing in the area. <br /><br />Rule for skiiers: Go find another area to ski. Noone on the other boat is interested in your skiing ability or skiing through your rollers. If you must ski there, then nicely approach the other boat and offer to take turns. <br /><br />Rule for boarders: Go find another area to board – period. Skiiers on the other boat are not interested in your boarding ability or skiing through your never-ending rollers. The constant stop-go-stop-go driving isn’t much good either.<br /><br />6. You are sharing an area with another boat. Everyone is taking turns nicely. <br /><br />Rule: No power-turns to pick up the skier. The water will stay nice for everyone if you take the throttle down to idle, let the wake hit the back of your boat then turn around and pick up your skier - slowly at idle speed. <br /><br />7. You arrive at an area where there are skiers present, and you are on your new overpriced crotch-rocket. <br /><br /> Rule: Just leave – everyone hates you, and you should know this by now. You are the bottom of the boating food chain and if we could control your boat by remote control, we would probably run you head on into the dam. <br /><br />8. You get to use daddy’s fishing boat and think it would be great to take a bunch of your friends out for a pull on your tube. There are skiers present and you wonder what you should do.<br /><br />Rule: You are the food-chain equivalent to someone on a crotch-rocket. Look in the glove box and see if there is a knife. If there is, put a hole in the tube. If you must tube, do it somewhere else where the rollers wont affect the skiers. Remember: Rollers can arrive in the ski zone from a long way away.<br /><br />9. You are at the lake where you regularly ski and anchor in the smoothest area of water on the lake. <br /><br />Rule: Do not be offended if skiers invade your area because they do require the smoothest water on the lake to enjoy their sport. <br /><br />Rule: If you are the skiers, try using an area not in the immediate area. For example, if the boat is parked next to a dam, use the area of the dam away from the parked boat.<br /><br />10. You are boating on the local river and decide to anchor. <br /><br />Rule: Do not be a moron and anchor in a limited-sight area or in the center of the channel. Be sure no boaters could be coming around the corner and come too close as a result. <br /><br />For what it's worth, I hope this helps at least a little.<br /><br />TxRiverRat

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

hay rat you forgot one , fisher persons have just as much right to the lake as any one else <br />my .02 worth

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I guess I'm at the bottom of the boating food chain (whatever that is). I sometimes use my buddys over priced crotch rockets on the lake. We also do alot of tubing, skiing, and wakeboarding in the same day. Not to mention I am an avid fisherman. Whatever my activity for the day is I use common sense and courtesy. Maybe you should check the glove box for a saw and cut them skis in half when you invade the area where someone is fishing. Did you already run into a dam head first?

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Here are my rules of the road.<br />Weight in motion stays in motion.<br />Tonage Rules.<br />Anything that can happen, will happen.<br /><br />For my guests: <br />sit down, and shut up. <br />Don't try to second guess me and ask questions designed to show how smart you are.<br />And for Gods sake don't touch anything if don't know what it is.<br /><br />My rule for boat captains, <br />don't go on other peoples boats, it will make you crazy.

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

txriverrat.<br /><br />sounds like you boating eperience could be better.<br /><br />have fun...

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Gee Txrivrat, You sound kind of parcel to skiing. Since when do skiers get the top billing? I love to ski, tube and fish. If I am the first one there than posession is nine tenths of the law (or rule of thumb), right? I have had skiers come up to me in my 12' fishing boat and ask if they could ski there. I have moved. Why? Because they are nice. Otherwise if they come off as pricks, I WILL not move. I WILL ride out the wakes even longer than I intended to stay.<br /><br />How 'bout this. Just be considerate. Think before you do.<br /><br />~Chris

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Rat,<br /><br />You should have included the fishermen. I fish and tube. My buddies ski with their rocket boat. If he tries to throw a wave on me from his ski he better not cry when I hit him with some trebble hooks. Or when I run him down in my Ranger.<br /><br />Courtesy is the key! Whether is is driving to the lake, at the ramp, on the water, or on the way home. Too many people in this world and we ALL have to learn to share.

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I thought the first part of the post about being invited on someone else's boat made some sense. But when I read down to: "...do not be offended if the skiers invade your area, because they do require the smoothest water on the lake to enjoy their sport" Much like your hated "crotch-rocket" riders, any sports enthusiast can wear out his or her welcome if he/she is convinced their sport is the only valid one, and that he/she controls the water. This 'etiquette lesson' seemed awfully one-sided in favor of skiers over all others.

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

Rule 1;Courtesy.<br />Rule 2;courtesy.<br />Rule 3;Courtesy.

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I'm like most people, I like to be treated with respect, so in turn, I return the respect. But treat me like crap, and I'll get even one way or another!<br /><br />Example: PWC parked in the middle of the courtesy dock for 45 min. There is only room for 2 boats at this dock. There were about 6 boats doing there best to manover around it. Finally some how it got untied and towed to a swim platform in the swimming area. Plus does someone need an extra set of PWC keys? Watercraft patrol was unhappy about that guy parking his PWC there. Shame on him.

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

I had a feeling I might ruffle a few feathers, so I thought I would clarify...<br /><br />Fisherman are definitely the oldest of the groups of people utilizing the waters, and therefore should be given the most respect of all because nine times out of ten they were on the water before anyone else. <br /><br />Personally, if there is a fishing boat out on the lake when we get there, we do not ski near them at all. If we were there before them however, it will depend on different factors such as if there is enough room for both the share the area, how bad he is blocking the run, and whether or not he/she is being a jerk about being in the way.<br /><br />I am very much into my skiing, and I feel like I am one of the only people out there that uses any amount of common courtesy out on the waters, but it never seems to pay off. It is possible that my tone may have been misinterpreted. Don't think this is an apology, because you'd be mistaken - my post was meant to be taken seriously, but with a few jabs and pokes at the 'other' user groups out there. <br /><br />Looks like it worked - don't get all defensive... We can all get along here (except the tubers and waverunners of course)... j/k hehe...

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River Rat, I to once was a skier also, I grew up on the Ohio River. The area was remote and very few boats except for the river tows. At times you could ski from lock to lock without meeting other boats and the water surface would be like glass. I have to admit that the large 10 to 12 foot swells made it a challange to ski. At times all you could see would be your tow rope going through the swell in front of you, and you would't even see the boat. Who says you can't water ski up hill or down hill. <br />So I can appreaciate what you are saying. Basically "Treat others with kindness and respect and usually you will get the same in return" It is sometimes good to ruffle feathers, otherwise you may never know exactly what the other person is thinking.

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I think that moderate amounts of skiers, jet skiers, tubers, etc, are ok. My kids like to tube and ski. But I don't plan on running up close to some fishermen just so they have a place to ski. That is also unsafe.<br /><br />I was fishing a private pier one morning in the late 70's. It was just after day break an no one was around, not even the land/home owner was awake. (this was on a public lake) Anyway, I caught a couple of fish and was moving down the bank to the next pier. <br /><br />From out of nowhere this guy comes out and jumps into his flatbottom boat and fires it off. He starts doing figure 8s right beside me. It was rocking the boat pretty goood, but I just kept on fishing and moving down the bank. <br /><br />Well, when he got tired of going around and around he headed for he bank an hit going WFO (Wide &%$#ing Open). That guy flew from the back of boat all the way to the front. Sounded like you dropped a side of beef on a tin roof.<br /><br />I darn near fell out of the boat laughing so hard. Then kept on fishing. <br /><br />Even fishermen can be fools.........

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12 FOOTER said it... courtesy of all around is the only way it works for all around....that being said, hanging around river rat would suck some fun out of my boating day......

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I think 12 footer is correct also...<br /><br />However, most people (at least down here) have NO CLUE what courtesy is... <br /><br />I am a proponent of requiring boating licenses, but I also think they need to include courtesy as a topic for the course. You can still be quite annoying while falling within the boundaries of the law.

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

I thought I must have forgotten something, so I checked my "Chapman's". I couldn't find jack-s*** about water-skiers and right-of-way. Did find several mentions of being at anchor and right-of-way but still no mention of water-skiers. My "Chapman"s" must be out of date.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />hooty

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

lets convince our water mgmt beaurocrats to genetically create fish that bite better when the water is crowded with people/boats/pwc/skiers/tubers,etc...

Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

Oh golly gee thanks for mentioning the people who fish. Thank you, thank you, thank you.<br /><br />The fact is most of us on this board have been boating for decades. I've skied, tubed and still take the kids in my family out to tube. I would guess most skiers and PWC riders are responsible and respectful of their fellow boaters. But a few bad apples… I rarely run into poor manners from people fishing.<br /><br />One BIG point you seem to be missing is that many municipalities that contain lakes are realizing where the REAL money that they make from the boats in the lake comes from the FISHERMAN AND WOMEN.<br /><br />Like you we pay for all the boating related costs and I dare say serious fisherman spend far more on equipment (locally - taxes & business revenue). And there is the fishing license with an extra 10.00 for this stamp or that stamp. That goes on and on all year every year. Not once every couple of years. Oh I forgot fresh bait at the local marina. <br /><br />Priced a fast bass boat lately and the insurance as apposed to a runabout?<br /><br />Many times a fishing trip may mean people coming from far distances to purchase an out of state fishing license, check into the local motel for the weekend or the week. After a long day of fishing there is the meal at the local dinner and maybe tip a few at the local tavern. Next morning we are off to pick up more fresh bait and a brand new 79.99 thing-a-ma-jig that broke yesterday. And another launching fee.<br /><br />Unlike most skiers loading up the boat to ski the day at the local lake.<br /><br />I could go on and on to describe the financial boon to a community that fishing brings but the real point to all of this is that skiers, tubers and PWC's are getting pushed out or back in many lakes.<br /><br />The lake 10 minutes away from me was completely turned into a sportsman’s lake (fishing only) many years ago because the people who were taking over the lake and had the worst manners were skiers. It boiled down to $$$ and peace in the community so they said fishing!<br /><br />In my state I know of several lakes where skiers and PWC's are confined to a very small section of the lake and the vast majority is for fishing.<br /><br />I rarely run into poor manners from people fishing, the exception is the novice. Some of that can be excused but skiers and PWC.s buzzing you while you are trying to fish is inexcusable. Politicians are already concerned about the activity of PWC riders and their deaths. I think you should direct your concerns to the people in your sport (skiing). If it gets out of hand who do you think will be pushed out.

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Re: Boating Etiquette for 2002

I'm not exactly sure I agree completely about how much money is spent by industry. Sure you can buy a runabout for a small amount of money VS a well equipped fishing rig. But if you are going to match a serious fishing boat to a serious ski boat, you will find that the ski boat would be far more expensive (35-60k depending the purpose and options)... <br /><br />Equipment would be another story as well... Ever looked at the p rice of new high performance skis? Even though I didnt pay retail, I just picked up a new ski which is sold for right at 1000 bucks. life jackets, ropes, wetsuits, drysuits and gloves cost alot more than lures... <br /><br />Still, it seems that the original intent of my post has been misinterpreted. It was really meant to serve as the baseline for discussion about boating etiquette, and not to mean that one group reigns supreme over another. Athough it is natural to be patrial slightly to my own group, it shoujld always boil down to courtesy, and education.