Submarine boat!

[island boy]

The other day me and my friend were cruising around in my 12 foot skiff and this boat is natorious for cutting hard into waves and becoming a submarine.
This particular day a fairly large boat whent by and caught us off gaurd. Before we knew it we had already begun to cut into the wake at just about top speed. The boat dove under water like a fish and sent both of us flying, before we knew it we were swimming in 45 degree water. Luckily the boat that caused the wake saw the camotion and came to the rescue. After it was all said and done it was pretty funny but not at the time lol.

 

[Windykid]

Re: Submarine boat!

At least the other boat stopped to help

 

[Hashi]

Re: Submarine boat!

Man...I'd be pissed and have him pay for any damages he may have caused. Before I pass fisherman and other anchored boats, I always slow down so there's little disturbance from my wake.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Submarine boat!

Doesn't sound like being anchored had anything to do with it.

From original post:

Before we knew it we had already begun to cut into the wake at just about top speed.

Sounds more like the boat that got swamped did it to himself, he realizes that, and he isn't whining for anyone except himself to pay for his mistake.

 

[rndn]

Re: Submarine boat!

He's not complaining about the other boat as it sounds like he knows his boat is not best suited for the water he uses it in. You are lucky the other boat noticed you and helped out. I trust you both wear life vests when using the boat.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Submarine boat!

Man...I'd be pissed and have him pay for any damages he may have caused. Before I pass fisherman and other anchored boats, I always slow down so there's little disturbance from my wake.

Unless this was in a speed restricted zone I dont see your point.

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: Submarine boat!

Unless this was in a speed restricted zone I dont see your point.

By internationally accepted law, "INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA" a vessel operator can be held responsible for damages caused by his/her vessels wake.

Have a look a this press release from the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

www.auxpa.org/releases/20070504-Press_Release.pdf

Maybe island guy wasn't using the best of judgement being out where he was in a boat like that. But the other vessel's operator should have anticipated the consequences of his/her wake. This is another good example of the importance of keeping a proper lookout.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Submarine boat!

Fix your trim. Boat is not handling right. If you can't fix it run it in a gold fish pond.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Submarine boat!

By internationally accepted law, "INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA" a vessel operator can be held responsible for damages caused by his/her vessels wake.

Have a look a this press release from the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

www.auxpa.org/releases/20070504-Press_Release.pdf

Maybe island guy wasn't using the best of judgement being out where he was in a boat like that. But the other vessel's operator should have anticipated the consequences of his/her wake. This is another good example of the importance of keeping a proper lookout.

That is so true, in a NO WAKE ZONE. Re-read that document your posted... If what you say will be true no one would be able to operate at any time over wake speed.

 

[JCF350]

Re: Submarine boat!

That is so true, in a NO WAKE ZONE. Re-read that document your posted... If what you say will be true no one would be able to operate at any time over wake speed.

The actual rule says "reasonable and prudent operation" (lots of gray area here) if your in an open area your speed and wake are not an issue. If you are in a confined area it is an issue.

 

[island boy]

Re: Submarine boat!

We were in a harbor and there is no speed limit it was just being carless, i wasn't trying to blame anyone it was just a funny story, guess you had to be there.

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: Submarine boat!

That is so true, in a NO WAKE ZONE. Re-read that document your posted... If what you say will be true no one would be able to operate at any time over wake speed.

By internationally accepted law, "INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA" a vessel operator can (I stress the word can) be held responsible for damages caused by his/her vessels wake. This doesn't only apply in a "NO WAKE ZONE"

I agree that press release isn't the best example of my point as it does take place in a no wake zone, but the first tip says;

"You are responsible for damage caused by your boats wake: The navigation rules make it quite clear that the operator of a vessel is responsible for any damage caused by the wake a vessel produces..."

No mention of no wake zone anywhere in this paragraph. By the "The navigation rules" I am assuming they mean the "Collision Regulations", not some local laws regarding a no wake zone

RULE 2 of the Collision Regulations reads:

"RESPONSIBILITY
(a) Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner, master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case.

(b) In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make a departure from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger."

Now I'm no lawyer, but it seems like this rule is a catch all for anything that might go wrong. I know I'm going to do my best to avoid situations such as the one mentioned by Island Boy and hope I never hurt anyone, get charged or sued.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Submarine boat!

We can argue all day about it. Unless the authorities for some reason think you to be reckless or intentionally trying to cause damage there are not charging you with anything. Otherwise, again, no one would be able to go faster than the no wake speed.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Submarine boat!

several year ago, we were waiting for bridge traffic to clear. quite a few boats waiting on each side. 2 or 3 came thru, then this huge cruiser, when he cleared the bridge, he gunned it, thru a 5 foot wake, several boats took water over the bow, including mine, as we were sitting idling. the bridge tender called the water police, who were in the area, the stop the boat and gave him a ticket for unsafe operation.

 

[ddennis]

Re: Submarine boat!

That Tasha is exactly why I boat on a lake here with NON movable LOW bridges! the big cruisers and wake board boats ( I HATE THOSE!) cant go everywhere when the water is up..

 

[jtexas]

Re: Submarine boat!

I read Mike's last post carefully, and all I have to say is, can't we all just agree that the phrase "practice of seamen [sic]" is funny as h311?

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Submarine boat!

Now I'm no lawyer, but it seems like this rule is a catch all for anything that might go wrong. I know I'm going to do my best to avoid situations such as the one mentioned by Island Boy and hope I never hurt anyone, get charged or sued.

In the circumstances that Island Boy mentioned, the case would have been dismissed. However in the case Tashasdaddy mentioned, he (the guy with the cruiser) could have been held responsible for wake damage.

Glad he stopped, even with a life preserver, 45 degree water will make you hypothermic quickly.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Submarine boat!

several year ago, we were waiting for bridge traffic to clear. quite a few boats waiting on each side. 2 or 3 came thru, then this huge cruiser, when he cleared the bridge, he gunned it, thru a 5 foot wake, several boats took water over the bow, including mine, as we were sitting idling. the bridge tender called the water police, who were in the area, the stop the boat and gave him a ticket for unsafe operation.

Deffinetly a ticket there for being unsafe.

 

[LORDY611]

Re: Submarine boat!

I used to do that on purpose!
When I was 12 I helped my dad build an 8' hydroplane. You know the kind, 2 sheets of plywood and a few 1x4's shaped like a clamshell. It had a 5-1/2 Johnson on it and would do around 18-20 mph. The lake I'm (still) on in Maine is small and usually flat, but when an 18' Whaler goes by at half throttle it leaves a nice little wave. The hydro's nose only sat about 6" off the water, and waves higher than that would get cut off and lifted up to about face-high. I used to criss-cross wakes just getting soaked! It would never get anywhere near diving under, but the cockpit would fill up so I would have to stop every few minutes and bail 'er out, then start all over again.
Not the same situation as the original in this thread, by a long shot. Wish I could do it all over again.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Submarine boat!

I have a 12' boat, too, and I've learned not to expect other boaters to pay any attention to me. Now, it's not easily swamped, but sitting at anchor, fishing, when a wakeboarder's wake shows up isn't my idea of fun, either.

So, I don't fish on weekends, and most of my fishing is done on smaller lakes, where the recreational boaters are pretty much confined to a small area of the lake, simply because the rest is too shallow.

Still, I try to be aware of the boating going on around me. If a wakeboard boat goes by, I fire up the outboard and quarter the wake. Same when I'm on the river. A barge tow goes by, and I fire it up and prepare to deal with the wake.

The rules of the sea are not followed all that much on the freshwater lakes around here. Small boats are well-advised to keep an eye out for folks who don't know and don't care about the rules.