Recreational Fishing Boat Run Over

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Although not hit by a boat my dock was damaged by a reckless boater. He has pleaded not guilty for misdemeanor reckless operation of a vessel. he goes to court in March.
 
A friend forwarded this to us. Three were fishing the Buoy10/Columbia River for salmon last August when their boat got run over. Fortunately no one was hurt. Look at the propeller tracks at about 45 seconds into it. :eek:

 
Jesus, Mary & Joseph! Amazing no one was killed much less not even injured.
 
Videos like this make me think of if we need any kind of boater's test to ensure competence on the water.
 
theTopsail said:
Videos like this make me think of if we need any kind of boater's test to ensure competence on the water.
Click to expand...

I don't think any kind of testing would have prevented that. You can't [STRIKE]test for[/STRIKE] fix stupid.
 
I see that it has been posted under title Anchor Watch. Sorry about that. It freaked me out so much I posted before looking thoroughly.
 
Little did they know, a magenta line went right through their favorite fishing spot.
 
I don’t recall seeing that video. Very scary.

Not sure that I think that “psychological trauma” is legit in this case, but I hope they win a reasonable suit for the loss of not only boat and gear but a good day of fishing ruined.
 
I did see the other post with the video, but I'm glad you posted this "the rest of the story", as I was wondering what the hell the other guy was doing!
 
Larry M said:
I like this quote from the article: told investigators he “couldn’t see where he was driving because he was sitting down and the dash of his boat was blocking his view”.
:nonono:
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Yeah, who really need to see where you are going at 20 knots?
 
Larry M said:
I like this quote from the article: told investigators he “couldn’t see where he was driving because he was sitting down and the dash of his boat was blocking his view”.
:nonono:
Click to expand...

I guess what happens next is the guy in the fast boat sues his boat's manufacturer for designing a faulty dashboard ;)

... now if he had been in a sensible trawler doing about 7 kts... the fishing guys would've had time to get out of the way....
 
Larry M said:
I like this quote from the article: told investigators he “couldn’t see where he was driving because he was sitting down and the dash of his boat was blocking his view”.
:nonono:
Click to expand...

What I want to know is, "Does he have a license to operate anything other than a screwdriver?" If you're the state of Oregon, how do you let a person who has made a statement like that, operate anything that can exceed 1 mile per hour.

Ted
 
Portland is starting to look more and more like Florida every day, albeit the people are way less tan, have more tattoos and funny accents. :)

The operator of the Bayliner's son in law really throws him under the bus, that surprised me. Didn't make for a happy Christmas dinner I bet.
 
That helmsman probably has the intelligence to pass a boater's test (he can compose an understandable sentence), but he doesn't have sound judgment and is a danger to society and himself. The state mental hospital should evaluate his competence and have him hospitalized indefinitely if warranted. If in California, he could probably be classified as incompetent to stand trial or legally insane.
 
You are required to have a proper lookout at all times. Even if he could not see (which makes you question what did he do about not being able to see...) he is still required to have a proper lookout who should have seen the boat they hit.
 
Most recreational small boaters, even if they have a boaters card, forget the rules soon after reading them. It seems the faster the boat goes, the less attention is paid. Almost nobody cares about their wake. At my private dock on the lower Columbia, I am constantly making repairs. On the other hand, ship traffic causes the least damage.
 
Here, ships are required to make minimal wake. Some tugboats make bigger wakes.
 
Unfortunately, this seems to happen every year in August near Astoria. Many people who are not qualified descend on the area during a 3-4 week period following what is normally a spectacular fall salmon return. The crowds are unbelivable and decorum is often ignored.
I used to run a charter fishing operation with a smaller boat in the area and had my head on a swivel every day. My biggest fear was being hit by someone like this. I was there the day this accident occurred and while I did not see it happen, I saw the boat that was hit after it was towed in and immediately assumed someone was killed. It shook me up then and seeing the video today still gives me chills. that situation had alot to do with why I gave it up.
I have also met the pilot of the Trophy on several occasions before the incident. While he was technically qualified to run that craft I do not know what occurred outside of what I saw on the video. I have my own opinions as 50 ton USCG master liscence holder but they are just that.
 
Another reason to limit boat speeds to 7 knots. :rolleyes: Nevertheless, one's boat is less likely to drive over and crush another boat. Also, slower speeds give more time to react.
 
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markpierce said:
Another reason to limit boat speeds to 7 knots. :rolleyes: Nevertheless, one's boat is less likely to drive over and crush another boat. Also, slower speeds give more time to react.
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Agreed! The old boat was 35 + knots. Im now enjoying life much more at 8 knots!
 
Had a similar reaction (arm waving) from fishermen anchored in the middle of the narrow Napa River at a sharp turn. Fortunately, I was moving at six knots with a large rudder.

Fishermen don't always show good judgment either.
 
Last edited:
markpierce said:
That helmsman probably has the intelligence to pass a boater's test (he can compose an understandable sentence), but he doesn't have sound judgment and is a danger to society and himself.
Click to expand...

I don't recall if Oregon has a boater education law or not (and I'm too lazy to look it up.) But the point of the course is NOT to teach judgement. To me, the point is to convince the fishermen that they're actually boaters, first. To let them know that there ARE laws on the water, despite the lack of speed limit signs and painted lines. And if they come away realizing that they don't yet know all the rules, so much the better.

Would it have helped here? Who knows. But overall, getting someone into the "boating" mindset instead of just the "fishing" (or "drinking") mindset has value.

My big problem is that no-one quoted in the articles, nor the reporters, seem to comprehend that there are any rules on the water. No talk of proper lookout, safe speed for the conditions, stand-on or give-way, etc.
 
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