cardude01
Guru
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2012
- Messages
- 5,290
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Bijou
- Vessel Make
- 2008 Island Packet PY/SP
I know this has been discussed multiple times here, but these boaters who toss others around with their giant wakes continue to perplex me.
Latest example. Cruising through a narrow part of the ICW with very shallow 2’ banks, going about 7 knots. Lots of boat traffic going both ways even though not a weekend (Florida). I see the wakemaker with the multiple white nauticles coming, and try to get ready. Wakemaker is actually going at what looks like a fast idle so I pull back to about 4 knots to let him pass thinking that this is a considerate boater.
Ha! At about 20 yards behind my stern he nails it and starts to plow water and throws a massive wake. I don’t have time or the room in the channel to escape, so I roll helplessly while all manner of crap flys from the shelves, wife and kids stumble around, other small boats and kayaks bob around in the massive wake violently.
After the waves subside I get on the radio, using some of my most colorful F word combinations, and explain how I slowed down so he could make a pass at a fast idle and not rock my world like a hurricane. I did get a response from him. He said “roger that”. So maybe I made an impact, but I doubt it. I realize I should use my radio to let them know how to pass me in advance, and I’ve tried that, but sometimes they come up on me too quickly and I’m preoccupied trying to take evasive action, and many times they don’t respond to my polite radio calls (I’m always polite pre-wake).
So my question is always, why do they do this? I look like a sailboater with my mast, so I wonder if they do it on purpose to watch how I roll, but that doesn’t seem right. Who would do that? I keep marking it down to simple ignorance or oblivion to their surroundings, but I’m just wondering if there is a better explanation why many of these boaters throw the LARGEST POSSIBLE WAKE WHILE PASSING IN A NARROW CHANNEL.
(Rant over)
Latest example. Cruising through a narrow part of the ICW with very shallow 2’ banks, going about 7 knots. Lots of boat traffic going both ways even though not a weekend (Florida). I see the wakemaker with the multiple white nauticles coming, and try to get ready. Wakemaker is actually going at what looks like a fast idle so I pull back to about 4 knots to let him pass thinking that this is a considerate boater.
Ha! At about 20 yards behind my stern he nails it and starts to plow water and throws a massive wake. I don’t have time or the room in the channel to escape, so I roll helplessly while all manner of crap flys from the shelves, wife and kids stumble around, other small boats and kayaks bob around in the massive wake violently.
After the waves subside I get on the radio, using some of my most colorful F word combinations, and explain how I slowed down so he could make a pass at a fast idle and not rock my world like a hurricane. I did get a response from him. He said “roger that”. So maybe I made an impact, but I doubt it. I realize I should use my radio to let them know how to pass me in advance, and I’ve tried that, but sometimes they come up on me too quickly and I’m preoccupied trying to take evasive action, and many times they don’t respond to my polite radio calls (I’m always polite pre-wake).
So my question is always, why do they do this? I look like a sailboater with my mast, so I wonder if they do it on purpose to watch how I roll, but that doesn’t seem right. Who would do that? I keep marking it down to simple ignorance or oblivion to their surroundings, but I’m just wondering if there is a better explanation why many of these boaters throw the LARGEST POSSIBLE WAKE WHILE PASSING IN A NARROW CHANNEL.
(Rant over)
Last edited: