Jet skis?

[sbu22]

My response is the same as RT's. Dead slow, no wake - they hopefully go away. I KNOW that if I run over one of these clowns as they cut across my bow at 30 knots with 18" of clearance and their engine stalls, the headline will read: CARELESS YACHT OWNER RAMS HELPLESS CHILD AT PLAY. Child being 25 years old or under. If you have a boat > 25', it is definitionally a yacht. Sheesh!

 

[boathealer]

I made this up a number of years ago for fun. It got published a couple of times. Thought I would share....

-------------

It was a great morning. The birds were out. A cool mist had formed along the surface of the mirror-like water. I hardly had needed to anchor last night. Everything was so still. Nature was holding her breath. A hot cup of coffee, and everything was perfect. Until…

I first heard it coming from around the western point of the cove. It was sort of a ringing sound. As it grew louder, it also got deeper in tone. Then, as it came around the treeline, the noise increased by at least 30dB. If the birds were still there singing, I wouldn’t have known it. Compared to just moments earlier, the noise was deafening. It was yet another PWC.

I scrambled down the companionway and rotated the 200amp selector switch 90 degrees to engage the large, dedicated, battery bank I had just finished checking the water level on the night before. I hesitated a second, and then pushed the black button labeled, “POWER”. The cabin lights dimmed for a second as the huge capacitive load of the pre-feeder circuit engaged.

I had just installed the thing. It was a Varstenberg X8TR. The highest capacity fusion cannon made by the the off-shore company’s secret service. The X8TR came standard with a neon green laser sight (better for daylight), an electro-inductive pre-feeding booster circuit (now engaged and severely tapping my house bank), and a digital GPS-locating range finder with heat-seeking optimizer. As I singlehand most of the time, I didn’t opt for the hand-geometry based owner-security system. Besides, it added about $10,000. to the cost!

The installation next to the hawse-pipe in the anchor locker was tricky. I hadn’t counted on the sheer size of the unit. Some precise cuts with my handy Dremel tool made things go a little better. There were many questions I still had – because I still hadn’t fired it. Were the 1in. diameter bolts big enough? What would the recoil impact be? Should I put a longer snubber on the anchor rode? What about the scorch marks bound to be left on the bowsprit? None of that mattered now….

I flipped the switch for the Varsten’s raw water cooling system. The surge at the surface of the water was very evident. There was a mini “water tornado” now present next to the hull, making a gurgling sound. I was glad I had up-sized the thru-hull to a full two inches over the recommended size.

By now the “Craft” was well past the point and was becoming centered in the cove’s opening to the large water. I am not sure if he saw me or not.

The fusion cannon’s display now said, “READY”.

The PWC turned and headed straight for me. I could hear the RPM’s of the two-stroke increase to near red-line. I guess he had seen me and I tried to figure out his plan. Was it the “do donuts around the boat until it is rocking uncontrollably” trick? Or the “idle-to-full-speed-and-back” throttle action to make the most noise possible? Or was it the “head straight at the boat and turn at the last minute hoping not to kill anybody”?

I don’t think so.

The green-laser sight panel was already flipped down from the dodger’s main support bar. The PWC was showing up as a small red blip on the left edge of the display. I pushed the x10 magnifier and voila! There it was. The GPS locator said that the blast would take 0.07mSec to reach the target. I decided not to turn on the heat-sinking optimizer because the rooster tail spraying up from the back of the PWC might distract the software algorithm in the unit.

I think I saw him straighten up a little as he heard the whine of the fusion coupler’s accumulator as it spun up to its final, maximum RPM. The display switched to read “ARMED”.

I mumbled “Homie don’t play ‘dat” as I pushed the “AWAY” button.

I think I spilled some of my coffee.

 

[Nopistn]

Or you could just get a shotgun. We call it jetskeet.

 

[BandB]

Or you could just demonstrate maturity.

 

[Simi 60]

Or you could just demonstrate maturity.

Yep, but it does work both ways.

Jet skis suck but there are on occasion responsible riders out there.
I reckon the same knobs that ride them annoyingly are the same knobs that ride motorbikes illegally through suburbia (noisy, racing, wheelies etc)
Probably sick of getting harassed on land for being a wanker so try water instead as less chance of getting busted by the cops.

I don't have a problem with them when they are waaaaay over there, in that open water not annoying others.
There is a whole ocean out there after all.

 

[Ex Sailor]

Is there anything more annoying?

Glad you commented .. I too can't think of anything worse than sitting in a nice anchorage and a power boat comes in with one / two of those things in tow .... that's when we move .....

FB

 

[Giggitoni]

Or you could just demonstrate maturity.

unbelievable...

 

[BandB]

Yep, but it does work both ways.

.

But two wrongs don't make a right. People are going to do things we don't like. Sometimes we're justified, sometimes not so much. But either way we have to live with it. It only makes it worse when we let it really get to us.

 

[boathealer]

But two wrongs don't make a right. People are going to do things we don't like. Sometimes we're justified, sometimes not so much. But either way we have to live with it. It only makes it worse when we let it really get to us.

.....I made this up a number of years ago for fun.

[snip]

..

 

[Simi 60]

But two wrongs don't make a right.

Agreed, but with jet skis its only them that are wrong.

It is them who go to fast through anchorages, go to close to boats, make excessive noise and generally fek up everyone else's day.

Best we can do on a slow moving or anchored vessel is shake our fist and then ...................shake our fist again.

 

[BruceK]

They are banned on Sydney Harbour. Rightly so.
A ban on the Broken Bay/Hawkesbury would be good.
If used as transport for a purpose they could have merit, but it`s not how they are used. They commonly operate in packs. How operators maintain interest operating one after 5 minutes is a mystery. If law enforcement on the water equalled on the road, we would see far less of them.
An operator in south Sydney was recently filmed creating wake spray to demolish an(ill advised) Osprey nest on a channel marker and drown the chicks.They have been used to harass young kids in sailing dinghies. Just wrong.

 

[smitty477]

Agreed, but with jet skis its only them that are wrong.

It is them who go to fast through anchorages, go to close to boats, make excessive noise and generally fek up everyone else's day.

Best we can do on a slow moving or anchored vessel is shake our fist and then ...................shake our fist again.

Are you saying that all jet skis are 2 strokes? They are all operated incorrectly? Every jet ski operator breaks the law? By default they are defective people?
The problem with lumping everyone together is that others will tend to do the same with you.

 

[Bigsfish]

No not all, only 96.5 %.

 

[BandB]

Agreed, but with jet skis its only them that are wrong.

It is them who go to fast through anchorages, go to close to boats, make excessive noise and generally fek up everyone else's day.

Best we can do on a slow moving or anchored vessel is shake our fist and then ...................shake our fist again.

Well, I hate to tell all you but there are other groups talking just as much about trawlers and how they anchor everywhere and think they own the waterways and how they go so slow down the ICW and then get angry if anyone passes them or jet skis. Oh and sailboaters saying awful things about you...well, until they become trawler owners. Shaking fist is fine, but then relax and chill. If someone does something that really puts you in danger, call the authorities.

I do think every coastal boater should be required to boat on an inland lake for at least three summer weekends, one being a holiday, before buying a trawler. I guess it prepared us. There's no where on the lake you won't get waked on a weekend, fast boats, slow boats, bass boats, jet skis, pontoons, bowriders, ski and board boats. All fighting for a small piece of water.

We're use to jet skiers. They go right by our house all the time.

 

[Bigsfish]

BandB brings up a good point. I should be the only person to boat on the waters, all you others need to leave NOW.

 

[BruceK]

To be fair, I have seen one sensible practical use of a jetski as transport. A couple visited a beach on Broken Bay by jetski, bringing a picnic lunch. It stands out in my memory as the one good use of a jetski I have seen.
.

 

[smitty477]

To be fair, I have seen one sensible practical use of a jetski as transport. A couple visited a beach on Broken Bay by jetski, bringing a picnic lunch. It stands out in my memory as the one good use of a jetski I have seen.
.

-I never recall operating our jet skis in a improper fashion.
-Neither does the fire dept near us that owns and uses one.
-Nor does the surf life guards on the south shore.
-We know plenty of folks that operate all kinds of jet skis and boats well within common sense and have pulled more than one unknowing trawler or sailboat off a sand bar or breakwater.

Many occasions just in the past few years where jet skis and boats were valuable out on the water.

 

[smitty477]

BandB brings up a good point. I should be the only person to boat on the waters, all you others need to leave NOW.

Yes of course - it all makes so much more sense now.

 

[Simi 60]

Are you saying that all jet skis are 2 strokes? They are all operated incorrectly? Every jet ski operator breaks the law? By default they are defective people?
The problem with lumping everyone together is that others will tend to do the same with you.

Perhaps you should have read my earlier post before coming to wrong conclusions.

posted by me.
Jet skis suck but there are on occasion responsible riders out there.
<snip>
I don't have a problem with them when they are waaaaay over there, in that open water not annoying others.
There is a whole ocean out there after all.

 

[smitty477]

Agreed, but with jet skis its only them that are wrong.

It is them who go to fast through anchorages, go to close to boats, make excessive noise and generally fek up everyone else's day.

Best we can do on a slow moving or anchored vessel is shake our fist and then ...................shake our fist again.

Yes - very clear.
"Agreed, but with jet skis its only them that are wrong."

 

[roguewave]

bought my first jet ski in 1986, have owned a dozen or so since then. I’m not sure if you can have any more fun on the water than riding the dickens out of a jet ski...but that’s just me.

But....
...those dang Harley’s with loud pipes really get to me
...that weed eater the next door neighbor uses is a loud son of a gun
...the garbage truck at 7:00 am makes “some kind of racket”
...that trawler with his big ol’ wake really is a hazard
...those wake boarders really like their music loud
...etc etc

 

[BandB]

bought my first jet ski in 1986, have owned a dozen or so since then. I’m not sure if you can have any more fun on the water than riding the dickens out of a jet ski...but that’s just me.

But....
...those dang Harley’s with loud pipes really get to me
...that weed eater the next door neighbor uses is a loud son of a gun
...the garbage truck at 7:00 am makes “some kind of racket”
...that trawler with his big ol’ wake really is a hazard
...those wake boarders really like their music loud
...etc etc

Love your post. I hope those here are seeing that many have started with jet skis and as we enter the next generation of trawler owners, it will be even more so. Jet skis have put so many people on the water who otherwise never would have had that experience and many have moved up as time went on. The FBOA (Future boaters of the world) must start somewhere and sailing classes and row boats and canoes and kayaks and jet skis and then small older runabouts are all great entries into the sport of boating.

Orin Edson is one of my boating heroes. He founded Bayliner. He targeted entry level boaters and changed the industry. Suddenly people could get into boating with small Bayliner Runabouts who otherwise could not have. As it brought the prices of their competitors down, it made entry possible for many more. Those became larger boat owners and then they got their children interested.

I don't like reckless use of a jet ski but I don't like drunken operation of trawlers either or megayacht owners with disregard for others. However, I see those on jet ski's as boaters and I believe the more boaters the better ultimately for all of us in current and future generations. I know some want less and the water to themselves, but by turning this more into an elitist activity than one for the masses, we'll harm it for all of us. I've been in conversations recently about the shoaling of the ICW and the issues of traveling it versus 20 years ago. Well, there are arguments over whether to fund maintenance of the ICW just as there are for the Erie canal. The more active boaters we have who understand the need and want it, the better chance of maintaining them for us all to use.

I like boats. Any type. And that includes PWC's even though personally I don't own one and never have. Next time you see one think "That's a future trawler owner." The responses by some here that it may just be so.

 

[CDreamer]

Snow skiers don't like snowboarders for similar reasons to the jet ski haters. (Too fast, too daring, tear up the moguls, long haired hippy types, etc.) At Deer Valley it's ski-only. Or used to be. I do both so sometimes I'm "acceptable" to the ski folks...sometimes not so much.

People like "their" thing, but many can't abide what other people like.

BTW, I'm not a big fan of jet skis myself...they remind me of mosquitos when I'm trying to relax. Why can't those people be more like ME?!

 

[Group9]

Is there anything more annoying?

It scares me that I fantasize about shooting people off of them, like water skeet!

 

[Bigsfish]

Depending on where you are sharks may eat the evidence!

 

[rwidman]

We were passing a marina (an fancy, expensive one) on the ICW in Myrtle Beach, SC a couple weeks ago and as we passed, we could see a guy on a PWC towing and old, decrepit trawler out of the marina. The turned south behind us and of course it wasn't long before we could no longer see him.

My guess is, he was towing it to a run down marina or a private dock somewhere.

A PWC, like a motorcycle, can be used for good purposes. Unfortunately, like motorcycles, many folks choose to use them in an irresponsible fashion and in ways that annoy and even endanger other people. They get their bad reputation from those users.

 

[Russell Clifton]

Please send info where I can get one of these. Once the word got out, I'm sure every one would slow down outside the harbor and not 100 feet from the dock or a anchored boat. I'll start with the commercial crab fisherman boats then go to the guys that just graduated from a 19 foot run about to a 45 foot cruiser. We could start a club!

 

[Simi 60]

Yes - very clear.
"Agreed, but with jet skis its only them that are wrong."

Care to explain to us how it could possibly be anyone else's fault in the examples given?

Waiting..........

 

[Group9]

Here's a fun one!

Darwin tried.

 

[smitty477]

Care to explain to us how it could possibly be anyone else's fault in the examples given?

Waiting..........

Seen and heard about plenty of drunks and careless folks in trawlers racking up the tickets and the damage. Most LEO's around here have seen a whole bunch of drunken boat operators attempting to make passage in one way or another - just the stats the past half cozen years.