Inconsiderate boaters... its definitely getting worse on the ICW

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Egregious said:
Slow pass is pretty common in NC, SC, and GA in my experience. There is always some ignorant nut. It has gotten to the point that no VHF communication is necessary. When the considerate fast boat hits my wake he backs off and I drop to idle speed. Either we both know the drill or we don't, but when we both do it works very well. The way I see it, it is the choice of the passer whether to be considerate or not. But by slowing down, it is also considerate to the passer as well, and makes it easier for them....
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The slow pass came up in a thread here not too long ago and one of the regulars (with a claim of many years boating experience) stated that he would not slow down for a slow pass.

You never know who is thinking what, but I've learned that it's a waste of time and effort to try to control or change other people's behavior when you don't have the authority to do so.
 
THD said:
B&B-I see from your posts that you are up in our glorious PNW now. We may be the last bastion of politeness in the good ole US of A! People will actually stop and let you cross the street up here, and in the middle of the block! You can put on your blinker in a parking lot and others really do let you get into a space without cursing you and the last 16 generations of your family. It can be maddening if 4 cars show up at a 4-way stop intersection, no one will go for wanting to let the other guy go! Of course, we have our a**holes up here, but most of them moved here from California and don't know any better. Unfortunately, way too many of those own boats and boat on weekends on Lakes Washington and Union.

For those real boat jerks, we have that great equalizer, the Chittendon Locks on weekends. Where jerky boat jockeys that can't get their boats to the wall can get laughed at by hundreds of tourists lining the rails!
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Must be something wrong with us as we love the people wherever we go. Enjoyed the Makah Museum this morning. (Got carried away with purchases). Haven't seen many pleasure boats. Of course the fact there have been small craft warnings the entire time might be a partial cause. 2 to 4' wind waves and 4' swells at 10 seconds seemed calm today after the past two days. But we're now to calmer waters further in the strait. As to the Chittendon Locks, leaving them for June but definitely a weekday. We've watched the Army Corps' videos. Remind us of videos we've seen on the Ohio river.

Chattanooga has a 6 way stop. But everyone knows the system and it rotates nicely. I'd hate to see a 4 way some places I've been. Would be quite an accident.
 
BandB said:
Chattanooga has a 6 way stop. But everyone knows the system and it rotates nicely. I'd hate to see a 4 way some places I've been. Would be quite an accident.
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Chattanooga is my hometown. Most of the funky intersections have been replaced by traffic circles. However, you are right. Drivers are much more courteous there.

In Fort Pierce just today, I was going to the hardware store in the traffic circle at Avenue A near the marina. A woman gunned her car in front of me because I wouldn't stop. She was mouthing bad words at me. She had come through a yield sign, and I guess didn't know that the vehicle on the circle has the right of way. This ain't Chattanooga, Toto.
 
Egregious said:
Slow pass is pretty common in NC, SC, and GA in my experience. There is always some ignorant nut. It has gotten to the point that no VHF communication is necessary. When the considerate fast boat hits my wake he backs off and I drop to idle speed. Either we both know the drill or we don't, but when we both do it works very well. The way I see it, it is the choice of the passer whether to be considerate or not. But by slowing down, it is also considerate to the passer as well, and makes it easier for them.

The Slow and Slower pass is another thing altogether, and almost as annoying and dangerous. I'm speaking of sailboats who won't back down... but this is for another thread.
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Thanks. You get it. We do a lot of passing. I will usually call for a slow pass on your port. The ones that know how it works make the pass go quickly. The ones that don't make the pain last longer. You are also right about big sailboats. They can make a pretty good displacement speed.

Here is a link to the thread Ron was referring to. Some pretty good stuff in there.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s4/passing-being-passed-5339.html
 
I wish we had that southern etiquette in these parts. I was coming back from SF Bay Opening Day and the Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday...feeling like I'd been to church in my boat! As I approached the mouth of Mare Island Strait/Napa River, I saw about 75 sailboats exiting the strait and fanning out to all the courses in my general direction. They must have been part of a sail race as there were still another 25-30 in the strait still heading out. I knew I'd have my hands full just dodging these little sailors.

As we got closer, they just kept flowing out of the river like flies released from a jar! Just then, Meg spots the high speed ferry about a mile astern plowing toward us at about 32 kts. By now, I'm in the thick of the sailboat cluster, dodging port and stbd as they seem oblivious to the presence of anyone beyond their bow.

This ferry blows through at full speed, barely 30 feet from the closest sailboat and probably 125 ft off our port side. At least I had enough room to maneuver for his wake and I didn't see any sailboats capsized, but I imagined the Capt upstairs at the helm smiling and laughing at the disturbance he caused. It was a pretty gutsy maneuver for such a large, fast vessel in such a confined and crowded area.

I wish I had a video of the mayhem. It was a sight to see!
 
FlyWright said:
I wish we had that southern etiquette in these parts. I was coming back from SF Bay Opening Day and the Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday...feeling like I'd been to church in my boat! As I approached the mouth of Mare Island Strait/Napa River, I saw about 75 sailboats exiting the strait and fanning out to all the courses in my general direction. They must have been part of a sail race as there were still another 25-30 in the strait still heading out. I knew I'd have my hands full just dodging these little sailors.

As we got closer, they just kept flowing out of the river like flies released from a jar! Just then, Meg spots the high speed ferry about a mile astern plowing toward us at about 32 kts. By now, I'm in the thick of the sailboat cluster, dodging port and stbd as they seem oblivious to the presence of anyone beyond their bow.

This ferry blows through at full speed, barely 30 feet from the closest sailboat and probably 125 ft off our port side. At least I had enough room to maneuver for his wake and I didn't see any sailboats capsized, but I imagined the Capt upstairs at the helm smiling and laughing at the disturbance he caused. It was a pretty gutsy maneuver for such a large, fast vessel in such a confined and crowded area.

I wish I had a video of the mayhem. It was a sight to see!
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It's as if they thought the water had been roped off for their use I guess and no one else allowed to use it.
 
Moonstruck said:
Thanks. You get it. We do a lot of passing. I will usually call for a slow pass on your port. The ones that know how it works make the pass go quickly. The ones that don't make the pain last longer. You are also right about big sailboats. They can make a pretty good displacement speed.

Here is a link to the thread Ron was referring to. Some pretty good stuff in there.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s4/passing-being-passed-5339.html
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Don,
you likely have passed my trailer trash trawler in the MB ditch. The pass that was made was good, and I thank you for keeping our drinks upright.

Woody
 
Egregious said:
Don,
you likely have passed my trailer trash trawler in the MB ditch. The pass that was made was good, and I thank you for keeping our drinks upright.

Woody
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As I tell Lou, the one you give a bad pass could be your slipmate tonight. The ICW is really a small world.
 
caltexflanc said:
Once you've said that, the rest of the post becomes redundant!
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:iagree::rofl::rofl:

Simple solution is the bigger your boat the less it matters:socool: Seriously when we had smaller boats I was convinced the world was a crueler place. Now that we are big the others are much more likely to yield or if they don't their wake really doesn't matter to us. Size matters:hide:
 
Moonstruck said:
I was leaving a Fedex store in Port St. Lucie just yesterday. As I pushed the door open a woman carrying a package and talking on her cell phone was coming in. I held the door for her, and she blew by me without looking or acknowledging the fact. I just stuck my head in the door, and said, "by the way, you are very welcome". I am from the South, and we believe in social graces. Just a nod would have been nice.
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She wasn't from the south. I'm a Raleigh native and we hold doors.
 
I wish we had that southern etiquette in these parts.
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. I'll trade you some of the "etiquette" from here in eastern NC for that in the Bay Area right now.

I have been on crutches with only the use of one leg (no weight allowed on the other) for two months now. I had to go out to NorCal a month ago to spend some time with my Dad and take care of some pressing business issues. The people at SFO, the Airport Express bus, and then throughout Sonoma County were just wonderful the whole two weeks. Here, many times , watching the cripple struggle to open and get through a door seems to be a sport for most. Ditto getting in and out of the car, low chairs, whatever. My current affliction aside, I have not noticed, in our many decades living in Richmond, Dallas, now North Carolina, and working throughout the south. that people are any more courteous down here than any other part of the country. Especially the drivers. I do not consider south Florida as being part of the South, by the way. I have had the privilege of living and/or working in every single state, and boating almost all the US salt water coast, so I consider my opinion to be an informed one.
 
I agree with most of these posts. Was taught by my dad how to behave like a gentleman. I taught my boys and continue to do so. Speak up and teach your kids and grandkids. Also teach your girls to expect things like car doors opened and such. Call me old fashioned but I think the girls don't expect it and the boys don't care much. Common courtesy should be called out. My wife and I do. I have properly hailed people on the VHF and other situations and asked/informed them of how their actions effect other people or boaters. Many times people are simply unaware and apologize.
Jeff
 
Greetings,
It takes no time or effort to hold a door, say thank you, step aside or offer a kind word. Having done so and continuing to do so has generated a plethora of reactions ranging from polite responses to strange condemning looks. I don't give a sh*t what the outcome is. If you're behind me, male or female, I'll hold the door open for you. So there!
 
I hear people on the VHF (channel 16) all the time saying things like "Thanks for the wake, *******!" Well, they probably aren't listening to the VHF and if they are, they probably don't know this person is talking to them and even if they did, whatever happened already happened and they can't take it back.

Boating is the "last frontier", the "wild west", where you can do just about anything you want to and get away with it. Some boaters can handle this, many cannot.

Someone suggested that you should assume that you are the only one who knows the rules. That's a good suggestion.
 
I live abroad on the ICW. In hollywood about ab1/4 inside the no wake zone. you would not believe the amount of boats to come all the way up to my vote and pass before they pull off the throttle. Plus there are some idoits mostly in all center consoles that go by on plane. the biggest problem is there is no enforcement
 
There are far more polite people than rude ones though, courteous than discourteous. We try to just think of them. We try not to let those others get to us. Occasionally when it's in public, the challenge is to say something they won't figure out until later, or something they might initially not realize was an insult. Something like, "May the bird of paradise fly over you today...." followed by...."And be moved to leave special droppings of joy in your hair."

Or look at them very politely and ask, "Were you born stupid or did you work to get that way?" smiling all the time as you ask.

How about, "People like you are the treadmark on the underwear of life."

Or, "Out of 50 million sperm, I can't believe you were the fastest."

"Dove into the shallow end of the gene pool, did you?"

Or simply, "It sucks to be you."

Or "Your parents must be very proud."

Always a good one is, "Feel better now?"

Last, "I'd engage you in a battle of wits but I don't fight with unarmed men."
 
Courtesy extends to anchorages and marinas. Getting waked is a delight when compared to loud neighbors, or old boats that reek of sewage whether their tanks have been pumped or not.
 
FlyWright said:
I wish we had that southern etiquette in these parts. I was coming back from SF Bay Opening Day and the Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday...feeling like I'd been to church in my boat! As I approached the mouth of Mare Island Strait/Napa River, I saw about 75 sailboats exiting the strait and fanning out to all the courses in my general direction. They must have been part of a sail race as there were still another 25-30 in the strait still heading out. I knew I'd have my hands full just dodging these little sailors.

As we got closer, they just kept flowing out of the river like flies released from a jar! Just then, Meg spots the high speed ferry about a mile astern plowing toward us at about 32 kts. By now, I'm in the thick of the sailboat cluster, dodging port and stbd as they seem oblivious to the presence of anyone beyond their bow.

This ferry blows through at full speed, barely 30 feet from the closest sailboat and probably 125 ft off our port side. At least I had enough room to maneuver for his wake and I didn't see any sailboats capsized, but I imagined the Capt upstairs at the helm smiling and laughing at the disturbance he caused. It was a pretty gutsy maneuver for such a large, fast vessel in such a confined and crowded area.

I wish I had a video of the mayhem. It was a sight to see!
Click to expand...

All those sailboats were part of what is the biggest race in the US. At least it was in the past. I understand that there are now so many boats that they have had to split the race into 2 parts. Half go to Vallejo and the other half go to Redwood City or someplace like that. When I was a kid, all the boats used to anchor in the Mare Island channel. I would take my 16' skiff and use as a shore boat. Unbelievable how much money I could make from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. Could not wait till April and the next race. The Vallejo Yacht Club, which my family were members, was quite a place in those days.
 
Part of the demise of common courtesy whether car/boat/store are peoples lives are filled with junk, whether it’s a mom/dad now rushing off to 3 sporting events for little Johnny, searching their “smart” phone for what someone is doing on face book etc. Things are moving a lot fast, not sure we are getting there any sooner, go to places were the pace is slower and magically courtesy is back.
 
Marlinmike said:
Part of the demise of common courtesy whether car/boat/store are peoples lives are filled with junk, whether it’s a mom/dad now rushing off to 3 sporting events for little Johnny, searching their “smart” phone for what someone is doing on face book etc. Things are moving a lot fast, not sure we are getting there any sooner, go to places were the pace is slower and magically courtesy is back.
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Good point. People live stressful lives with more to do than they have time for. It impacts all aspects of their behavior. It doesn't excuse it, but explains a lot.
 
Dude... MARYLAND is below the M-D line. Do you consider them a southern state too ;-)
 
Alaskan Sea-Duction said:
Well there are those that would call NC a "mid-Atlantic" state and not really south........:hide:
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Them there fighting words. Mayberry, cotton, tobacco, hogs, spanish moss, alligators, NASCAR, hollering contests. We may not be Alabama south but we're still south no matter how many northerners move here. Oh I almost forgot the great determiner for the east coast YOU DON'T NEED TO WINTERIZE IN NC:dance:
 
Daddyo said:
YOU DON'T NEED TO WINTERIZE IN NC:dance:
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Inland NC sometimes you do or keep a little heat on things, but not much. Charlotte is as far north as either of us have ever lived. Seeing the PNW for the first time is really an amazing experience. And it is in the 60's now. Were hoping for 70, but it's not going to happen. And beginning to think "Small Craft Warning" is just a permanent thing here, although today seems quite tame to us by comparison.

Have never winterized a boat. Hope never to have to.
 
caltexflanc said:
Have to admit I have seen just as bad behavior on the Connecticut River the first nice weekends of boating season. And Jersey is just a satellite of FL, boater-wise.
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Well said George Jersey is an extension of Florida, only our ICW is skinny.
Bill
 
B & Wifey B (pardon the familiarity)-today we have one of those beautiful days that lets you know why we love the PNW so much. Hope you are getting the chance to enjoy it! Of course, Saturday we will be back to our normal, rainy chilly weather! This one was just for you guys!
 
THD said:
B & Wifey B (pardon the familiarity)-today we have one of those beautiful days that lets you know why we love the PNW so much. Hope you are getting the chance to enjoy it! Of course, Saturday we will be back to our normal, rainy chilly weather! This one was just for you guys!
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We'll enjoy regardless. We've had great days before when weather held us up. We'll endure the rain and still get around. Not like rain is a surprise. There are still many things here to visit and experience. We intend to get out in our tenders tomorrow and explore. Rains ok Saturday as we'll be moving a hundred miles or so during the day.

Wifey B: Familiarity is fine...
 
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