A rant - better here than on 16.

I know it's not all Bayliner owners. I use to work there and know many good operators but
What is it about Bayliner owners?
Last weekend 5/31 we were headed in after a great (sunny) trip into the San Juans. We were headed south on the Snohomish slough / channel, north of LaConner.* My wife was in the shower after having waited until after crossing Rosario straights and the Anacortes traffic. I was within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the twin bridges - admittedly outside of the No Wake zone - when here comes three boats from the opposite direction. The lead was a ~45' Bayliner and her bow was up by at least 10-15 degrees. The stern wave was close to 5'. Mind you it's about 13:00 on Sunday - why the rush?

Anyone familiar with this area knows that the lane here is narrow making for very limited maneuvering room. Normally when a boat kicks up a big wake I can adjust my course so as to minimize the bounce but with the shallows to my starboard and two boats following the Bayliner I could make no course correction. We passed each other within maybe 50'. My only choice was to take the wave.

My wife ended up with a couple nasty bruises. If you are reading this post and are the skipper of the other boat I can only HOPE and PRAY that you find a REALLY - REALLY BIG dead head 3" below the waterline one of these days while you are running at 20 knots. I also hope that it's somewhere desolate where no one is there to offer assistance. PS, If I happen to be in the area I will NOT offer assistance and will be pleased to watch her go down. One less A _ _ hole.

I know my statements are drastic but I'm angry. EVERYONE should know that If you are in a restricted waterway (boats following you and mud flats to your Port) YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN!


-- Edited by carvendive on Tuesday 2nd of June 2009 12:50:52 PM

That area is known for jerks in Bayliners. Jerks in Bayliners do not realize or care that they are throwing a nasty wake. I was passed at the north end of Dodd narrows last year by a jerk in a 45 foot Bayliner. He was as close as I can recall to getting a flare in his open pilothouse door. I called him on VHF as he kept getting closer behind me that his wake would cause damage. I called as he started to pass, I swore as he turned my boat on it's side throwing virtually everything off the shelves.

Typically two types of boaters are jerks, Bayliners and Seattle Yacht Club. Bayliners are, I believe ignorant, SYC is arrogant. I celebrated my 30th year boating in the PNW last month. I've seen my share of both groups.

Ken

Maybe you don't have as many there, but substitute "Sea Ray Owners" and you have the problem folks here on the Gulf Coast.

I'll trade you 3 for 2. I'll send you 3 Bayliners and you send me 2 Sea Rays.

Roger that on the Sea Ray owners in Louisiana, you should see 'em on the Tickfaw River on a typical Saturday in the summer. Problem is, I'm slow and the Sea Rays are fast, so I can't follow them and find their slip and put a big wake on them.
Another issue is the 1000 hp fast boats, but at least the fast boats that fly by 10 feet away don't put up a huge wake. Upside is that they get stopped a lot by the numerous river police in this area, lots of DWI's handed out.
Mike
Baton Rouge

2bucks wrote:

I'll trade you 3 for 2. I'll send you 3 Bayliners and you send me 2 Sea Rays.

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I'd take you up on that. I think the Bayliners only last 1/2 as long as the Sea Rays!

*

carvendive wrote:What is it about Bayliner owners?

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Bayliner* made a success story out of creating boats that "average" people could afford.* How they did this is a fun topic for discussion, but the bottom line is that they created a line of "big" boats that didn't cost near as much as most "big" boats.* Which meant that Joe Ego who otherwise could not afford a 32 or 38 or 45 foot boat, now could.

It's my theory that a number of these "Joe Egos" who wanted to get into boating did so for reasons other than becoming as proficient a boater as possible.* They wanted to prove they'd made it in their careers, they wanted bragging rights over their neighbors and friends, they wanted to be able to participate in the "beer bash" cruises some of their boat-owning friends were always talking about, whatever.* Things like boater safety, accurate navigation, and proficient boat handling were not important or relevant to what they wanted from their boating experience, and if you have this attitude the chances are consideration goes out the window, too.

i doubt many of them have a clue as to the effect of their wake on other boats.* Judging by how I often see them operating their boats, I suspect they equate it with driving a car.* Hence the constant use of the bow thruster if the boat has one.* Everyone knows you steer the front, not the back right?* And if I zoom by another car, nothing happens to the other car so why should anything happen to a boat I go zooming by.* Were you to come across them later and complain about the effect of their wake I bet they would look genuinely confused and say, "Well, why didn't you just hang on?"

If Bayliners cost as much as Grand Banks, Nordhavns, Ocean Alexanders, Selenes, Krogens, etc., I suspect you wouldn't see any more "Bayliner wakes boat, causes damage and injury" complaints than you see about the owners of those makes.

*

Guys,

Every time you bash Bayliners you make a lot of really nice people feel bad as a lot of nice folks own Bayliners. Ive been waked by the same boat in the same channel and I think it all comes from cars and a lack of marine experience. In our world people almost never go 4 knots and they just can't stand it. The nice people just buck up and bear it but the AHs mash the throttle and plow ahead w no concern for others. I agree** ..* the wakers should be put in blocks in the Safeway parking lot and peppered w rotten things or worse. One of the nicest boaters and people I know were Bayliner owners** ..* 1st a 32 and later a 37' Explorer. The people that own those boats now could very well be nice folks too and it's possible they could even be on this site. I can't believe the boats some people think are trawlers. Several years ago there was an article in PMM about someones boat trip. They owned a Bayliner or equivelent and refered to it as a trawler and another boat that was along (a Nordic Tug) as a cruiser. Oh well ?

Eric Henning

You are right Eric, there are good Bayliner owners. I have two friends with Bayliners. And I know I'm generalizing when I bash them. But in my defense, my friends also rant about being waked by Bayliners while at anchor. It's a combination problem of boat design and ignorant people who just don't look back.

Ken

You'll notice that I started my post off with a disclamer with regard to Bayliner owners.

Actually, the whole "Bayliner" thing is NOT specifically meant for Bayliner owners but rather, the hull design, the center of gravity, the power of the engines, and then couple that with my personal suspicion that faster boats draw more of the type "A" personality and you end up with a steriotype.

As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that the second boat in the set was a Fast Nordic Tug - it was just that the tug didn't put out as large a wake. Because he owned a tug do you think he slowed down - NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

The third boat was (I believe) a ~45' Carver. Another boat I usually try to stay clear of. In this case the captain saw me hit the waves and immediately cut throttle. So much so that I saw his bow drop noticably (If you are reading this THANK YOU!!!).

Big stern waves are OK when I'm several hundred feet away from the boat producing the wave. By then the wavelength has had time to grow a bit - you get to kind of glide over them. But when you only have 50' of seperation,*it's like brick walls hitting you.

Dave Greenway
Nova 40 - Lady M

-- Edited by carvendive on Wednesday 3rd of June 2009 12:26:47 PM

Check out the pics on "Voyagers and other boaters on the go" in the Blue Angels thread.* See that boat parking lot?* The pic doesn't come near to showing the congestion nor how close together the boats are.*

Now, add to this some goobers in a 30-something foot cruiser, of a design I couldn't recoginze, weaving in and out of the crowd, with an anchor that couldn't have weighed 10 pounds.* Those boys must have tried to set the anchor 10 times without success.* And each time they drifted back onto another boat or at least fouled their rodes.* Minimal danger as everyone was out on deck partying and waiting for the airshow, so there were no surprises.*

And, it was darned funny to watch.* At least until they got upwind of me and tried again.* That wasn't so funny.*

I don't think it was a Bayliner.

I've had several close calls in the Swinomish channel. Most recently headed North, past the bridges, but still in the channel. 39' Ocean Alexander climbs up my ass and blows by me at 18knts. The wave caused all our stuff to go flying (we were still in the process of stowing our gear) and almost forced us into the mud. Beadtiful day and this guy was down below, in the pilot house not taking advantage of his huge flybridge (also with cover) where he could at leat see the scenery and enjoy the air, not to mention would see my universal one fingered greeting.
I understand tha "trawlering" is subject to being overtaken by fasted boats. In this case it was just downright ignorant and unsafe. I have the name of the boat and will run across him evetually.
It seems that percentage wise, I would say the older Bayliner 38 footers have given us more wakes over the years.

That seemed to be the one and only good thing about $4.50/gal diesel - slowed a lotta people down.

Of course, the real goober-brains just slowed their planing boats down to the point that the bow was pointing at the moon and they're kicking up a double wake.

AGREE 100%...unfortunately there is no licencing to buy a big boat or to skipper one...and there are many idiots all over ...including europe and the caymans...next time just cut to port ..aim for the boat and honk your horn