Got "zoomed" yesterday.

[Ron Burgundy]

That's one of the reasons I am not too motivated to take the boat out on holiday weekends. Too many idiots out there feeding off each other. I'm glad your little girl was okay!

Had a guy fly by me when we were out walking in a couple feet of water at one of our islands. He could have easilly given us a wider birth, but he was an idiot. About 5 seconds after he zoomed by us he beached his boat. I love instant karma.

[GregF]

I was pleasantly surprised that it was fairly deserted out there this weekend. Nothing like you expect in February. They are not here yet

[playcat]

Glad to hear your little girl was okay. BMR was right, as always (was there ever a question?) that operators are 100% responsible for their wake. it just happens that its hard to prove in court sometimes that it was a particular boat's wake. still, getting all teh proof you can from witnesses, video, photos, etc will go a long way.
Holiday weekends always seem to bring out the twice-a-year morons who own boats. We saw one up close and personal Monday. Mom, Dad and junior out in ther sterndrive runabout had teh entire river to pull their tube, but they chose to do it about 200 yards from us while we were obviously trying to fish. They even waved at us (showing how clueless they were)! As a tug pushing 4 loaded barges approached, Dad decides to get on the tube - in the middle of the channel! They get moving a couple hundred yards in front of the barges, zoom down the tug's starboard side, race up along its port side, and cut in front of the barges again - only this time, Dad decides to fall off!
They are so close, the tug pilot could not possibly see the boat or Dad. I blew the danger signal using my air horn. The tug is way too close to stop, but tries anyway. Mom is driving the boat, and tries to get Dad to hold onto the tube. Dad struggles but can't get back on. Mom guns the boat, pulling the tube away from Dad, still directly in the barges' path. I fire up the boat, thinking I'll be recovering for a body. Dad manages to grab hold of the tube again, and is pulled out of the path of the barges. I'm sure Dad yelled at Mom all the way home.

[Ron Burgundy]

Glad to hear your little girl was okay. BMR was right, as always (was there ever a question?) that operators are 100% responsible for their wake. it just happens that its hard to prove in court sometimes that it was a particular boat's wake. still, getting all teh proof you can from witnesses, video, photos, etc will go a long way.
Holiday weekends always seem to bring out the twice-a-year morons who own boats. We saw one up close and personal Monday. Mom, Dad and junior out in ther sterndrive runabout had teh entire river to pull their tube, but they chose to do it about 200 yards from us while we were obviously trying to fish. They even waved at us (showing how clueless they were)! As a tug pushing 4 loaded barges approached, Dad decides to get on the tube - in the middle of the channel! They get moving a couple hundred yards in front of the barges, zoom down the tug's starboard side, race up along its port side, and cut in front of the barges again - only this time, Dad decides to fall off!
They are so close, the tug pilot could not possibly see the boat or Dad. I blew the danger signal using my air horn. The tug is way too close to stop, but tries anyway. Mom is driving the boat, and tries to get Dad to hold onto the tube. Dad struggles but can't get back on. Mom guns the boat, pulling the tube away from Dad, still directly in the barges' path. I fire up the boat, thinking I'll be recovering for a body. Dad manages to grab hold of the tube again, and is pulled out of the path of the barges. I'm sure Dad yelled at Mom all the way home.

Holy crap that was stupid!!

[Towdaddy]

Glad to hear that your daughter is fine. I continue to be astounded by the number of people that believe that the rules are for someone else. I also believe that first time boaters should be required to have some sort of training before they can purchase a boat.

This weekend is Hot Boat weekend on Hardy Lake/Muskegon River (aka Hardy Party) and the number of drunks with go fast boats will be amazing. Our rule is to go out early, don't get too close to the beach were everyone congregates ( the year before last we had a woman ram a pontoon into a go fast boat then back into another pontoon. She was arrested and blew a 0.34!), and then head into our slip at the marina by 5 pm. Since we have an outside slip and our marina has the only waterfront store/ gas on the lake, we get a good show in relative safety. A bunch of dock mates join us and we have a great evening.

[waterlab]

The reason we like to go to the lake during the week when there aren't as many crazies

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2011/ma ... r-1074538/

[evinrude2stroke]

It doesn't matter where you do your boating, there is always one (or maybe 10). I get them up here in NY as well as when I used to boat in Rehoboth Bay Delaware. In Rehoboth Bay there is a sandbar where a lot of people like to pull up to and have fun. Normally you would be standing in about a foot water. One day while there was about a dozen boats anchored to it and some guy in a 17-18 ft center console Boston Whaler decides to go through the crowd at what looked like full throttle. Yep you guessed it, His boat came to a complete stop when it hit the sand bar and he went right over the console. Not sure if he got hurt or not but he wasn't showing it. After about 15 minutes of trying push it out a few guys who were playing football finally helped him. Personally I would have left him there.

[margaritaman]

The reason we like to go to the lake during the week when there aren't as many crazies

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2011/ma ... r-1074538/

The rental company is partly responsible for renting their boat out to inexperience boaters. The company will be facing a lawsuit.

[badmoonrising]

BMR was right, as always (was there ever a question?)

No

[lakerunner]

I want to make a Whale War device to throw in front of assholes like that. How to put one together I don't know. Needs to be able to throw it far enough to foul their prop.

[HandymanHerb]

Potato gun net launcher, use nylon net that floats and let them run over it, also work for jet ski's, just aim a little higher

[waterlab]

The reason we like to go to the lake during the week when there aren't as many crazies

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2011/ma ... r-1074538/

The rental company is partly responsible for renting their boat out to inexperience boaters. The company will be facing a lawsuit.

I'm sure there will be a lawsuit, I belive the woman was around 80 and being hit by a boat is going to compound and problems she had many times over, plus the injuries from the accident.

[OlJim]

Word of caution. Check your state's laws before carrying a pistol on your boat. In Oklahoma you have to have a concealed carry permit in order to be legal.

[WaltF]

Better safe than sorry. A gun is not a toy and is a last resort. I would never pull it unless I had no other choice. Just having it locked in the box on the boat gives me a peace of mind.

Nothing wrong with protecting your family.