ifallsguy
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2009
- Messages
- 160
Yesterday we went cruising out in Voyageur's National Park. Nice sunny day, light breeze, warm.
Jetskis, skiing and tubing are prohibited, so when we saw someone who was towing two tubes, we figured they weren't aware of the rules. Anyway they apparently decided to stop at one of the park sites (camping or picnic) with a dock, still towing the tubes. One tube had one rider, the other about 4. This clown charges across the channel at full bore, heading towards the dock. A couple of kids bounce off their float, wearing their PFDs and start screaming.
The captain stops and throws it into reverse, almost hitting the single kid on the float, over the line of the other float and right up towards the kids in the water. He shut down just before he gets to them, saving them being whacked by the prop.
Pulls in the two kids and takes off again, catching the line of the tube with 2 kids still on it with the lower unit. They get dumped when it's jerked, there is a big bang and the boat stops. Caught the rope in the prop.
Now they are maybe 100 yards from the dock, so the captain, screaming at the kids for doing this, raises the motor, clears the rope, lowers the motor and starts to head for shore. Engine revs up but boat barely moves (probably spun hub). He keeps swearing and heads towards the dock. When he gets there, he puts it in reverse but keeps going into the rock onshore.
Has one of the kids get out to push him off, but apparently put it in drive because the kid is pushing for all he's worth and the boat goes forward, landing on his foot.
Captain screams at the kid, then jumps on the dock to check him out. Boat starts drifting away. Captain apparently doesn't want to get wet, so the kids in the boat and on the floats get in the water and try to push the boat towards the dock. That's a no go, so one gets the idea to swim the line over to the dock and let the adult pull it in. The Captain barely has the end of the line (maximum distance for the line) and pulls.
Splash....pulled in by the boat and his standing on the edge of the dock. We headed on, laughing and wondering if they would still be there when we headed in.
At the end of the day, we passed by with the idea we would help get them back to the ramp if they were still there. They were no where to be seen, so we head back to the ramp. There they are, trying to load to the trailer. We get loaded and their boat is still being loaded. The guy starts off the conversation "great day on the lake, but the kids really don't know how to handle a boat". The oldest was maybe 11 and he was having them try to load it. I gave them a hand and as they get into their van, the guy says "dumb kids really know how to f**kup a day on the lake". Takes off with his lines dragging, never lifted the lower unit, and PFD flys out of the boat.
Saw him gassing up at the main highway, gave him the lost PFD and headed home. And people wonder why I don't really enjoy seeing tourists from the big city come up this way.
At least there were no major injuries.
Jetskis, skiing and tubing are prohibited, so when we saw someone who was towing two tubes, we figured they weren't aware of the rules. Anyway they apparently decided to stop at one of the park sites (camping or picnic) with a dock, still towing the tubes. One tube had one rider, the other about 4. This clown charges across the channel at full bore, heading towards the dock. A couple of kids bounce off their float, wearing their PFDs and start screaming.
The captain stops and throws it into reverse, almost hitting the single kid on the float, over the line of the other float and right up towards the kids in the water. He shut down just before he gets to them, saving them being whacked by the prop.
Pulls in the two kids and takes off again, catching the line of the tube with 2 kids still on it with the lower unit. They get dumped when it's jerked, there is a big bang and the boat stops. Caught the rope in the prop.
Now they are maybe 100 yards from the dock, so the captain, screaming at the kids for doing this, raises the motor, clears the rope, lowers the motor and starts to head for shore. Engine revs up but boat barely moves (probably spun hub). He keeps swearing and heads towards the dock. When he gets there, he puts it in reverse but keeps going into the rock onshore.
Has one of the kids get out to push him off, but apparently put it in drive because the kid is pushing for all he's worth and the boat goes forward, landing on his foot.
Captain screams at the kid, then jumps on the dock to check him out. Boat starts drifting away. Captain apparently doesn't want to get wet, so the kids in the boat and on the floats get in the water and try to push the boat towards the dock. That's a no go, so one gets the idea to swim the line over to the dock and let the adult pull it in. The Captain barely has the end of the line (maximum distance for the line) and pulls.
Splash....pulled in by the boat and his standing on the edge of the dock. We headed on, laughing and wondering if they would still be there when we headed in.
At the end of the day, we passed by with the idea we would help get them back to the ramp if they were still there. They were no where to be seen, so we head back to the ramp. There they are, trying to load to the trailer. We get loaded and their boat is still being loaded. The guy starts off the conversation "great day on the lake, but the kids really don't know how to handle a boat". The oldest was maybe 11 and he was having them try to load it. I gave them a hand and as they get into their van, the guy says "dumb kids really know how to f**kup a day on the lake". Takes off with his lines dragging, never lifted the lower unit, and PFD flys out of the boat.
Saw him gassing up at the main highway, gave him the lost PFD and headed home. And people wonder why I don't really enjoy seeing tourists from the big city come up this way.
At least there were no major injuries.
