cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

[Home Cookin']

This is a post from a local fishing/boating site about Christmas night--he describes the kind of "boater" we all to frequently encounter when the population is hungry to go out and catch the stripers at the bridges. Last year I towed in a rig like this b/c all they had was a trolling motor which broke down! Get 75 yards from the lights and you are in pitch black open water in a busy Navy/commercial harbor:

"Went out about 9 last night only to find that the forecast was way off again. Glad we went to HRBT instead of CBBT. SW 10MPH was more like NW at 20-25. Pretty rough and only got worse as time went by. Caught two at about 21" or so. Both released. Around 11 it really started to churn, so we decided to call it. Come around the bend by the pier in Willoughby and almost run over two guys in a 12' BLACK jon boat with no lights whatsoever. They must have had a death wish. They turn and follow us to the dock ask us what we caught and went back out after we informed them that it is the law to have a 360 light as well as bow lights. The only reason we saw them was their registration numbers reflective tape that would come over the waves then go under the waves. I sure hope they didn't try to get to the bridge. Looks like there will only be a few more chances this year in the bay. Thursday looks good, but Wednesday night that will probably change. Good luck if you go and be safe."

PS the weather started calm, then suddenly went to 25 sustained 35 gusts from the worst direction for us

 

[ultra353]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

People like that are just an accident waiting to happen. Just clueless

 

[cribber]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

There are Darwin Award candidates everywhere out on the water.

 

[mommicked]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

Tiny black boat, no lights, in the dark,.......You think they had fishing licenses or life jackets?:facepalm:

 

[sasto]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

There are Darwin Award candidates everywhere out on the water.

Guilty:facepalm:

 

[cribber]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

Guilty:facepalm:

You're not alone there brother!!! I've had my fair share of OH SH!T and hold on moments!!!

 

[dingbat]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

An unlighted boat is only one of the many hazards you may encounter at night. There have been many Darwin awards given out to Captains that where running at night w/o radar as well.

 

[Beefer]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

I have a neighbor a few doors down that has a 12-14' Jon boat with a trolling motor and zero lights (not even reflective reg numbers), who always goes out at night. I'll be sitting on my patio, and here the slap-slap of the water on his hull, but not see him. Seeing how I go night boating pretty regularly, I know it's just a matter of time before I run him over (and I don't drive fast in the neighborhood waterway).

I'll never understand people that do that.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: cold water, small boat, nightime, outgoing tide, bad weather "boaters"

I was involved in a search for some boaters like that, about four years ago. We found two of them alive and two of them dead.