Did I screw up, I don't think so??

rbh

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So we are running down the center of the lake, I am on the port side of the boat in front, he is 100 +- feet in front of me and I am 20+- feet off his wake.
we have been holding this course for 10 miles and this boat is just bobing around directly in front of me, I do not want to cross buddy's wake so I cut left and give the guy in the bobbing boat a wide pass to his left outside.
Yes he is in between the two wakes, BUT ?????
Your thoughts, AND KEEP IT NICE and TO THE POINT, PLEASE. :)
 

NYBo

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Oct 23, 2008
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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

As long as you also slowed way down, no harm, no foul IMO.

Any feedback from the bobbing boater, like a one-finger salute?
 

rbh

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

As long as you also slowed way down, no harm, no foul IMO.

Any feedback from the bobbing boater, like a one-finger salute?

Yup lots of feed back, I did not slow down, but honest officer I was only doing 38 MPH :rolleyes: :redface:

But I gave him at least 150+ feet when I passed him, not enough???
 
Joined
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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

OK, make sure I got this right - you had 2 boats running together and overtook a third, one passed the other boat on the starboard side and you passed on port?

When overtaking another boat you're supposed to pass at a safe distance on the port side. Plus, if your boat makes a big enough wake to effect the boat being overtaken you should allow extra space. If your buddy passed the other boat on starboard he's the one that messed up.

If I misundersood what happened then NEVER MIND.
 

NYBo

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

Well, there is that whole, "you are responsible for any damage caused by your wake, " thing to consider.

Was this guy in a marked, narrow channel?
 

rbh

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

OK, so here"s the deal.
The arm of the lake is 1.5 miles wide at that point, we passed him in approx the center of the arm/lake.
He was facing towards us.
He was not moving under power or if he was it was really slow.
There was no skiers or borders in the water behind him.
I guess he just wanted to stop right in the middle of a high traffic area and relax or ??????
 

roscoe

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Oct 30, 2002
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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

I guess I would have tucked in behind your buddy. Or if going to port, I would have given him more than 150', probably more like 300-400'.

One - for safety, you never know why he stopped-could be a skier down.
Two - because I don't want anyone passing that close to me. You did say it is 1.5 miles wide there.
Three, if I tick someone off with my wake, I want to be far enough away so it is more difficult for them to shoot me.
 

Shrike

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

Your wake travels much farther than a few hundred feet.
It's not really that hard to slow down
 

5150abf

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

If i had been bober I would have probably just shook my head and let it go, you probably should have crossed the wake and run in line with your freind but if you gave him 150' that is fine.

I fish, never in the middle of the river, but get people within 30'-40' of me pretty regularly, I will have 80' on one side of the boat and 400' on the other and they always seem to want to squeeze in between me and shore, I don't understand.

You made a snap decision, no one is the worse for wear so let it go and learn from the situation.
 

Chris1956

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

In my opinion, you did nothing wrong. Under the rules of the road, you allowed him to hold his course and speed (which he must do, as the overtaken craft), and went around him. There is no requirement to minimize the number of wakes he faces, only the damage they induce. There is also no rule that says boats MUST pass port to port. It is customary to pass port to port, when it is convenient, as in a head-on meeting. Since you were left of him, that doesn't apply.
 

JimS123

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

So, let me get this straight! This guy is just sitting in the middle of nowhere with 3/4 mile of open water on both sides of him. He's relaxing with the wife minding his own business, then 2 boats accost him on both sides and pass only 150' away at 38 mph.

Nope, no laws broken here. No reason to complain and no citations were in order. You did nothing wrong so you shouldn't worry.

If it had been me I would have crossed my buddies wake so both boats passed on the same side. Let the 100' rule be damned, I would have gone 300' away. I realize that being courteous isn't required, but I try to treat other boaters like I like to be treated.

I've been nearly run over on a number of occasions because boaters come too close. 100' is too close to suit me, depending on how fast you're going. Its a damn shame that you go out in the boat and can't relax because you constantly have to keep aware of the other guy because you might need to take evasive action.
 

haulnazz15

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Mar 9, 2009
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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

I think slowing down would have made the wake worse. No reason to slow down below planing speed unless you plan on crawling by the guy.
 

soaringhiggy

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

He was facing towards us.
He was not moving under power or if he was it was really slow.

Many replies are talking about over taking the slower craft. In this case the they passed a craft Going The Other Way, albeit slowly or they other craft holding position.

Normally this should be a port to port pass as stated above.

I do not think that you did wrong, could the passing be on one side instead of two, sure, farther away sure, without being there to see the situation I think that we can not tell you if everything was safe and circuitous, you should tell us what you think of the pass that the two boats did.
 

jeeperman

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

Yup lots of feed back, I did not slow down, but honest officer I was only doing 38 MPH :rolleyes: :redface:

But I gave him at least 150+ feet when I passed him, not enough???

Did maybe he give you lots of feed back after your buudy, then you blew by without helping a boater in distress?

Maybe your "Harley on the water" exhaust is offensive?
 

JimS123

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

I think slowing down would have made the wake worse. No reason to slow down below planing speed unless you plan on crawling by the guy.

Once again, just me based on my past experience with other boaters that lacked courtesy.....

Two boats passing me on both sides at 150' and 8 mph throwing a 3 foot wake and I would have grabbed my beer so it didn't spill. The same 2 boats at 38 mph causing ZERO wake and I would have set the beer down and raised my finger.

(PS - in the past 3 years 2 boats were broadsided in my favorite fishing hole by gofasts that didn't even see them drifting there.)
 

rbh

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

As we were only 20+ feet off the wake I did not want to jump it in the old sundancer, suppose I could have, but I would have had to slow down. :rolleyes:
Kidding.
The beast of a boat we own is 30 feet long, and about 8000 pounds, figured it would be easier on everyone just to go to my port side and give the floater lots of room.

Mindya, we did hit 43 MPH for the first time this weekend. :)
 

JoLin

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Aug 18, 2007
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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

Yes he is in between the two wakes, BUT ?????

Okay, no laws broken, but it would've been nicer to tuck in behind the other boat. A 30-footer throws a pretty good wake, so I'm sure you guys knocked him around pretty good- somewhat unnecessarily.

My .02
 

rbh

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

OK
No rules broken, just a **** move on my behalf.
Should have listened to the wife, because thats what she said. :redface:
 

JoLin

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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

OK
No rules broken, just a **** move on my behalf.
Should have listened to the wife, because thats what she said. :redface:

Don't dwell on it, just pay more attention to 'the admiral.' I'm sure you know that it just generally makes life easier... :)
 

gss036

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Jan 18, 2003
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Re: Did I screw up, I don't think so??

Come fish the salt water with us, especially in the narrow channels between the island and let one of the 40+ footers come by at 25 knots. Then you are talking wake at that point. I had one throw a wake that came into my engine well last year, thank goodness it has 2 drains.
 
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