i almost got hit for the first time...

[johnny howe]

Wow, it finally happened, i almost got hit by a pontoon boat. i was at least a quarter mile from this pontoon boat filled wiith people pulling a tuber. i went up the lake a bit and turned around, coming back i was watching another skier on my left. when i look right i see everyone on this pontoon looking back at the kid on the tube including the driver who is trying to turn to throw this kid outside the wake. but he was turning into me i had to hook left and basically jump the wake of the boat pulling the skier. if it wasnt for my brother who was watchin both boats, they might of t boned me rigt in the side at a good pace i might add. it was amazing to watch how fast he came upon me. one minute hes hundreds of yards away and the next moment right next to me. i wanted to yell watch where your going! but i think they were to tied up watchin the kid. i m kinda new to boating. this was my first close call, which i think was his fault, not watching. i know when everyone turned around and yelled "boat"!!! at the driver, he had to just about poop his pants, seeing me in front of him.

 

[lncoop]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

Yep. We have to be vigilant for sure. All it takes is a moment of someone not paying attention. Such moments are all too common on the water it seems.

 

[cribber]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

Glad you were able to avoid the pontoon since they were all distracted!!! I always try to look where I'm going to turn just beforehand... I've had a bass boat come up on me really fast just as I was about to turn right into him. If I hadn't taken that extra second to check we would have crashed.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

There've been alot of collisions around here lately. Sad stuff and it happens quick.

 

[axeman1988]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

yeah i know that feeling or as i like to say when you can tast the vinly chair your sitting in, cause some (shall we say person with head in rear) is not paying attention. this one time i was on new melones res, just about 4 months ago trolling for kokes and bows. when i notice a boat trolling as well decided to turn my way he was about 50 yards or so off my left side. aparently he didn't notice that i was using leaded line. two leaded and two downriggers it was quite funny cause he decided to turn about 20 yards accross the back of me needless to say one of my lead lines rang out. simply one of his downrigger lines caught my lead line and it was a mess. the dude was rude about it too, i wanted to jump off and give him a piece of my mind. although his wife was already tearing into him for it. so i feel you on almost gettin hit thing plenty of close calls on melones, sometime i think if your in a smaller boat in my case a 14 foot aluminum people in larger boats can't see you or maybe thats there excuse sometimes, like commander said stay vigilant.. its the key to survive stupitdity.

 

[scipper77]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

This is why I only stop my boat near shore. Priests don't always see every boat on the water, but they are usually well aware of where the water ends and land begins.

 

[johnny howe]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

what i was amazed at was how fast he was up on me, like i said when i passed him he was a good 400 yards away, and then it seems when i turned around he must have gunned it and then turned towards me. i am in a little 16 foot larson. my boat does only does 25 mph. he was probably easily doing that if not more.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

Johnny, I don't want you to take this poorly but lets face it you are partly at fault here, I know that being new to boating is also a consideration but luckily you learned a valuable lesson that I think nearly all of us have learned, that being that you can never let your guard down. By being aware you should have prevented yourself from being in the very position you wound up in. I am in no way saying the pontoon was right or wrong, merely that there are three boats with three operators and all three were either pig headed or not paying enough attention to the situation. Cars, Motorcycles, Boats or Airplanes all take superior awareness by the captain/driver, or others lives are in danger.

Like I said you are not guilty of anything other then learning a lesson we all as boat Captains have learned at one time or another, Some people just do not realize what they are in control of nor the ramifications of losing control of the situation. As a Captain of your boat YOU have to retain control of EVERY situation that comes about, not hitting things afloat, passengers not obeying your rules or other captains with their heads up their hind end, we have all seen drivers not pay attention and had to adjust our course to remain in control but that's part of boating.

The good parts of this are that you survived! But also that you can analyze the situation and learn from it, I assure you it wont be the last time!!

 

[cribber]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

The rule is boat behind has to look out for boat in front... boat in front has to look out for boat behind. And everyone has to look out for what is coming left or right. You really have to be aware of what is around you just in case they are not aware of what is around them.

 

[bassman284]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

yeah i know that feeling or as i like to say when you can tast the vinly chair your sitting in, cause some (shall we say person with head in rear) is not paying attention. this one time i was on new melones res, just about 4 months ago trolling for kokes and bows. when i notice a boat trolling as well decided to turn my way he was about 50 yards or so off my left side. aparently he didn't notice that i was using leaded line. two leaded and two downriggers it was quite funny cause he decided to turn about 20 yards accross the back of me needless to say one of my lead lines rang out. simply one of his downrigger lines caught my lead line and it was a mess. the dude was rude about it too, i wanted to jump off and give him a piece of my mind. although his wife was already tearing into him for it. so i feel you on almost gettin hit thing plenty of close calls on melones, sometime i think if your in a smaller boat in my case a 14 foot aluminum people in larger boats can't see you or maybe thats there excuse sometimes, like commander said stay vigilant.. its the key to survive stupitdity.

So, pray tell, how is another boater to figure out that you're using leaded lines? And if they suspect leaded lines, how far away should they stay?

I know that a lot of trollers figure they own all the water to the ends of their lines, but it ain't necessarily so.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

Actually, the boat with the maximum manuverability has the responsibility to give way for those with less manuverability. Trolling does limit your manuverability. In my opinion, it does so more that pulling a tube does. Also, I suspect that you will find laws on the books about interfering with someone who is legally hunting or fishing. I know there are some here in Michigan. More importantly, both boaters have a responsibility to give clearance to each other. Twenty yards is too close. If I recall correctly, you are required to give 50 yards clearance unless you have no wake. I doubt that he was doing no wake give that he was pulling a tube. In fact, here in Michigan, the definition of high speed boating specifically mentions water skiing, tubing, and the like. If there had been a collision or other damage, the tuber would have been responsible.

TerryMSU

 

[j_martin]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

When some ropadope puts you in a near collision situation, and you hit the real loud air horn right at the closest point, it's downright funny to see the reaction of the inattentive captain.

However, sometimes they are just plain stupid and belligerent. I had one pass by me real close at mush speed with about a 25' cabin cruiser as I was shore plugging, and his reaction and remarks when I hit the horn caused me to pull up lines and follow him to the landing, taking pictures and making it real obvious that if he messed with my rig I'd have a record of it. The idiot killed the engine, killed the battery, took almost an hour to get his piece of junk out of the lake.

Maybe I should put a train horn on the bass boat.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

i was watching another skier on my left.

This wouldn't happen to have been a female skier would it?

If you and the other captain had both had your eyes forward no one would've gotten scared.

When traveling in a busy/congested area like that I always slow down a little and let everyone get out of my way... especially if there's skiers and tubers in the area, the last thing I want to do is run over a downed skier or tuber with my prop.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

Any time I see a family pulling a tube, etc. I keep a close watch on them b/c the driver is almost always distracted. As with pedestrian v. car, always try to make eye contact. i especially watch out for boats that are not likely to be operated by an experienced boater, like a boat that is too big to pull tubes, pulling tubes.

The incident shows why, when the waterway is busy, you want to keep your sounding device in immediate reach--no time to look for it. Keep in mind, too, that more times than not, when the distracted driver finally sees or hears you, he will likely be slow to react, freeze, or do the complete opposite of what he should do (including cut his speed). Count on it, and be ready. and watch out for the victim being pulled, too!

 

[scrat]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

j_martin, I hope your that considerate of others as well. Mann, Many, Many times I've been just dropping a cork with a minnow on it near the bank when the big bass boats scream by - almost washing me up on the bank. Seems most bass boaters I know only know two speed - MAX and troll.. When their trolling motors come up. they max out the gas...

 

[j_martin]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

j_martin, I hope your that considerate of others as well. Mann, Many, Many times I've been just dropping a cork with a minnow on it near the bank when the big bass boats scream by - almost washing me up on the bank. Seems most bass boaters I know only know two speed - MAX and troll.. When their trolling motors come up. they max out the gas...

Yes, I'm considerate. I also found out that I don't make much of a wake when I'm moving right along.

I came upon a little canoe in the middle of a lake I was crossing. Too late to either give it a wide berth or slow down, I went by about 70 feet away at full throttle.

I came back down the lake in a little while, and the canoe was still about in the middle of the lake, so I approached it slowly to inquire if they needed help, and to apologize for going by so fast. They told me they didn't mind, and that I made more of a wake idling up to them than I did when I flew by.

So if a bass boat washes you up into the weeds, it's because he wasn't going full throttle. At half throttle, they really displace a lot of water just to maintain control.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

I think many paddlers would welcome some wake to break up the monotony--I do. Especially yaks.

 

[narwhals]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

i thought bass boats only had one speed and thats full throttle wide open. been on the water for most of my life and took a boaters safety course when i was fifteen. i still remember almost 90% of everything in that course and try to apply it everytime on the water as well as pass the knowledge onto my wife and kids. besides letting me drive the boat it was the best thing my father ever did for me about boating.

 

[j_martin]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

i thought bass boats only had one speed and thats full throttle wide open. been on the water for most of my life and took a boaters safety course when i was fifteen. i still remember almost 90% of everything in that course and try to apply it everytime on the water as well as pass the knowledge onto my wife and kids. besides letting me drive the boat it was the best thing my father ever did for me about boating.

Actually, it's a lot of work to drive a boat at high performance. At 1/2 - 2/3 throttle you get there, it's a pleasant ride, with partially spearing wakes instead of leaping them, and you make some waves like everybody else.

Now in competition fishing, the main motor has two speeds. On and off.

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: i almost got hit for the first time...

i've had some issues where i couldnt see the boat or they dont see me as well this year, i have quite a largeish size rig compared to most of the boaters i see and they dont give any respect and its like there lost dogs that cant drive straight. last weekend i was backing out of a beach that we parked on and this pontoon flys in and hits the beach at 15 mph she[lady driver] was litteraly 5 feet away from my boat. not sure if thats disrespect more to me or the other boats/poeple on the beach.