No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

[River_Lizard]

Went out on the river for a few hours last night on a friend's boat to do a little catfishing and relaxin'. We were anchor'd about 50 yds from a channel marker with our lines casted towards the marker. I hear a I/O power boat burning up the river towards us and I'm sitting watching them get closer and closer to us. I turned to my friend and said "Look at this AH coming at us, don't tell me he's going to drive by us that close!" Oh no.....it even gets better not only did they drive by us within 20 yds of my friend's boat, but they also turned in-between our boat and the marker!! The river is at least 800 yds wide in that area and not 1 other boat around....instead of swing out in the main channel they burned right next to us and S curved between us and the marker!! My friend has a very limited fuse...it's shorter than short, he yelled reel in the lines now!!!! So I started reeling in the lines....I knew what was in store....yep, got the lines in and he fired up the engine I pulled anchor and he WOT'd it to chase them down. They had beached in one of the sand pits and when they saw my friend's boat come around the corner at 50 mph heading straight at them, they started walking towards the boat. I was a little worried by now that my friend would light his fuse and things were going to get really ugly but they started apologizing before he could get to the front of the boat and it's a dang good thing they did...I wouldn't want this dude snappin', someone would have gotten hurt and I don't think it would have been him. Anyway, he told the guy who owned the boat that he better learn where the channel was and how far away from an anchor'd boat you need to be or the next time he won't be so nice.
It just amazes me how close people will run their boats to an anchor'd boat even when they have 100+ yds of open water they still get within 20 ft. of the boat. I had 2 last year do it to me, no other boats around and yet they burn right by my pontoon instead of moving over on the other side of the channel to go by. I usually will slow down when I'm passing someone who's anchor'd so I'm not sending a wake to their boat. I know people don't have to do that, but it's something that I wish more people would do when they're motoring by an anchor'd boat.

 

[NewfieDan]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

Some people shouldn't own boats. They are either too stupid or too ignorant of the laws to know how to use them safely.

 

[BeaufortTJustice]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

Some people shouldn't own boats. They are either too stupid or too ignorant of the laws to know how to use them safely.

...and when that stupidity and ignorance finally catches up to them (e.g. collision), they usually take innocent bystanders down with them, unfortunately. Any loss of life is horrible, but I could tolerate it a bit more if they only took themselves out.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

And they might have done it on purpose, screwing around with you, not thinking that you were going to pull anchor and go pound them. Obviously, they knew they did it because they immediately started apologizing when they saw him steaming...

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

And they might have done it on purpose, screwing around with you, not thinking that you were going to pull anchor and go pound them. Obviously, they knew they did it because they immediately started apologizing when they saw him steaming...

They might have. I know at least 1 boat last year DID do it on purpose to my pontoon. They came out of the party pit at sunset and usually anyone that comes out of there is pushing DUI status.

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

I have had similar things happen to me on the river. We were anchored once, kids were swimming behind and beside the boat. We were about 25 to 30 feet off the bank. That left about 100 yards of river on my starboard side. I could see quite a ways up the river and I saw a bass boat running WOT coming our way. Something told me to get the kids in the boat, I yelled at them to get in the boat now. This yahoo passes between me and the closest bank, about 15' from my boat. I was hot. If I wouldn't have been paying attention, this idiot could have killed one of our kids. I think I got my point across when he saw me cussing and drawing back to throw something at him.

Another trip out, we had put in and were heading up river, and saw a coal barge coming down river. There was a pontoon anchored on the right side of the river. I could have just kept going between the barge and pontoon but that would have put me kind of close to the pontoon, and I knew that would have sent him rocking and rolling in my wake. I backed out of the throttle and waited for the barge to pass, then swung out to give the toon plenty of room and headed on up river to where we would beach the boat. We had been there for a little while when the toon came up and beached beside us. The guy who owned it came over just to thank me for not passing close to him when the barge went by. He was a nice guy and we hung out for a while and shot the breeze and had a good time. A little common sense and courtesy goeas a long way.

 

[joed]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

But did you catch any fish?

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

Another trip out, we had put in and were heading up river, and saw a coal barge coming down river. There was a pontoon anchored on the right side of the river. I could have just kept going between the barge and pontoon but that would have put me kind of close to the pontoon, and I knew that would have sent him rocking and rolling in my wake. I backed out of the throttle and waited for the barge to pass, then swung out to give the toon plenty of room and headed on up river to where we would beach the boat. We had been there for a little while when the toon came up and beached beside us. The guy who owned it came over just to thank me for not passing close to him when the barge went by. He was a nice guy and we hung out for a while and shot the breeze and had a good time. A little common sense and courtesy goeas a long way.

And that's what more boaters should do. I've actually had barge captains slow down when they came by me to reduce the wake. I think it had to do with me radioing him and asking if I needed to move for him to get by or if I was out of his way. If I'm anchor'd in the channel or along the edge I always monitor my VHF for barges, once they get close (1/4 mile) I hit them on the radio asking if I need to move or not. They appreciate it 200% vs those that don't have a radio and don't move when the barge captain blows the horn at them. I bet those barge captains can tell some stories about boaters. I know I've heard of a few boats getting ran over by a barge. It's not like you can stop a barge on a dime and you sure aren't going to win a head-on battle with them!!

 

[hog88]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

I'm with you brother some people are either too stupid or too rude to be on the water.

We usually anchor up with a few friends in a cove well off the main channel and it never fails at least a few times a year some idiot will swing thru there within 20' to 30' of us pulling tubes or skiers. That drives me crazy, whole big lake and you have to run right up on anchored boats.

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

I steer wide and clear of the barges running up and down the river. Seems like every year I hear of someone being hit by, or running into a barge. I have been "buzzed" too many times to count. It really get me fired up when someones in the water. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior in my opinion.

My first boat was a small (16 or 18 foot) pontoon. Everytime someone would run close to me when passing, the wake off their boat would send that thing rocking and rolling. I didn't like it but the wife HATED it. I will never understand why people feel the need to "buzz" another boat.

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

But did you catch any fish?

1- 20+ lber is all. Missed several take-downs. Seemed like every place we anchor'd up, we were in the trash-line. We had a recent storm out West and it always sends all kinds of stuff floating down river and then of course the incoming tide brings it right back up river!!

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

I steer wide and clear of the barges running up and down the river. Seems like every year I hear of someone being hit by, or running into a barge.

There was one about a year ago on the James where the guy anchor'd up in the shipping lane and the barge captain blew the barge's horn and was pointing the floodlight on the guy's boat....didn't move and the barge ran over him. Come to find out the guy fell asleep on the boat amd didn't hear the horn until the last few seconds and he just barely got off the boat and out of the way before the barge ran over his boat. The boat owner was trying to claim that it was the barge captain's fault and was a reckless operator but what was found out was the boat guy was parked in the shipping lanes, which there's a law against anchoring in a shipping lane I am told.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

I have often thought about keeping a paint ball gun handy just cause

 

[Fireman431]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

I have often thought about keeping a paint ball gun handy just cause

Might get you shot with a real gun. If someone pulled an automatic weapon looking device out on me, I know I would be ducking for cover and getting ready to return fire. How am I supposed to know it's a paintball gun?!?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

i keep one of those on board to .

 

[bgc]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

If we all make the effort to show some courtesy out on the water, other might catch on to what we're doing......

My wife buzzed the pontoon docks one day, I gave her a stern explanation on why the "No Wake" buoys are there....

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

bgc,

Anyone I take out boating with me I try to explain some of the basic stuff as we're motoring down the river, but I also point out errors on other boaters actions out on the water while we're out there. One being, driving too close to an anchor'd boat, cutting another boater off, don't slow throttle by someone plowing your boat that just causes a bigger wave than flying by at full speed, etc.... Seen plenty of boats slow down, drop off plane and then cruise by with the bow in the air plowing a huge wave behind them, then throttle back up after they passed me. That's ten times worse than just going by on plane. If you're not going to idle by, then just cruise by up on plane.

 

[bgc]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

bgc,

Anyone I take out boating with me I try to explain some of the basic stuff as we're motoring down the river, but I also point out errors on other boaters actions out on the water while we're out there. One being, driving too close to an anchor'd boat, cutting another boater off, don't slow throttle by someone plowing your boat that just causes a bigger wave than flying by at full speed, etc.... Seen plenty of boats slow down, drop off plane and then cruise by with the bow in the air plowing a huge wave behind them, then throttle back up after they passed me. That's ten times worse than just going by on plane. If you're not going to idle by, then just cruise by up on plane.

And one by one you are making boating better for each of us

 

[oops!]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

i dont know why .....its really stoooopid......but people will always go close to another boat.....even though there course is a ways away.....the seen to steer toward you.

my gal and i were making whoopie floating a looooong way from anybody.....and some jerk corrected the course...(he was over half mile from me...too far to see) and he changed course and came crusing by !....the jerk.

my boat as you know....is really different.....the only one like it....so no other boat looks like it.

i do know that every time you pass a small craft like a canoe or row type boat...or fishing boats with lines out..drop right off the throttle, and idle by....no wake. then go.....when you do that,......you wouldnt believe the nice waves and thumbs you get from the people.....
when you do that ,,,,,you should see the faces of the

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: No....the river isn't 800 yds wide where we were anchor'd...

when you do that ,,,,,you should see the faces of the.......

of the...........what? If I'm in the shipping lane I don't usually drop off plane because someone is anchor'd up there but where the river width is fairly narrow I usually do. Goes back to the old saying.... Do unto others as you would want done to you.