A gripe - The most unseamanlike vessels on the planet?

[Lancer28]

I've seem some really dumb things on the water. When I was a kid learning on my dad's ship, he used to tell me, "Wanna learn something today?" "Then go watch the boat ramp, that is exactly what you don't want to do."

Since then, I've learned that if I want to learn exactly what not to do in sailing, go watch the movie Captain Ron and sit by the boat ramp and quietly observe on weekends, or holidays.

The thing that bugs me is that my areas have posted rules about distance from other vessles (150 feet, or 200 from fishing boats) and a second post about no amplified sound systems. They didn't mention amplified jerks, which yell at thier wives when loading a trailer, or get drunk and you can hear that tosser from a mile away tell us about his latest sexual conquest in graphic detail while my children watch with huge eyes.

Regardless, we still have the world's most unprofessional vessels in WHORDES in my area. The ski-boat. The huge tower. The huge speakers. The huge penile deficiency that led to purchasing that type of boat. The whooping 15 year olds cutting wakes in front of the marina listening to the latest top 40 or the mid-life crisis guy who's listening to rock balads at 95db while towing a skier in the no-wake zone, just act like they have no sense.

The Marines would say, "Common sense was not a common virtue," while watching these boats flop about on the water like a retard in a candy store.

This week, there were two accidents in one day, both nearly fatal.

Couple "A" was flat drunk, 21 years old, towing teenagers, 20+ something foot Tige' with monster sound system blaring. they thought it would be fun to tow the skier in and out of the no-wake zone buoys in an "S" curve fashion. the skier fell, nobody was spotting, and they drug the skier into the buoy at 25 something MPH and broke her entire left side ribcage. Result - Flight for life, and BUI charge. Captain of the good ship lollypop went to jail on a $1047.00 bail.

Couple B, flat drunk, 50+ years old (and let me tell you, they were looking like PROFESSIONAL drunks or druggies - no teeth, reeked of stale booze, and so forth) towed a young girl of about 12 to over 30mph, when she fell. they made a figure 8 back to her, and ran her over, breaking her neck vertabre and nearly separating her spinal cord. Free helicopter ride for injured, free police car ride for Captain Meth, and $1047.00 bail.

To close the story, both wives went to the county jail, posted the bonds, and they went RIGHT BACK to the water within 4 hours, and right back to drinking and skiing.

Lots of remorse there.

We should require a license for boating. I need a license for a car... I need a motorcycle endorsement. I need a pilot's license for my plane. Why can't we make a boat license with endorsements for things like PWC (the water version of a motorcycle), and have an endorsement for the boat type or purpose?

If you racked up enough points, you can have your boat impounded, or license suspended. I think that there would be more professional boaters out there if there were actual consequences for behaving improperly that impacted the future of your boating hobby. Yes, we have a-hole drivers on the road, but nothing like the water! Even a slight reduction would be such a relief.

It's too bad - people that can't operate a car or plane because of drug or alcohol convictions, but they can take the bus to get to the local marina and be total a-holes to people who enjoy the water and are respectful to others.

Just my out-loud gripe!

Robert

[AlpineSailor]

Where are you located? Sounds FUBAR.

People are NOT SMART when you drift below the average on the bell curve. And these are the people reproducing at the fastest rate. Are we screwed or what?

[Poorwhitetrash]

Alabama has a boat license requirement, and I really don't see any improvements here on the coast versus other states. It only test boaters who live in this state and not visitors. Also the information in the test is pretty basic " rules of the road" and such. Nothing about courtesy and manners toward other boaters.

Remember: YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!

[Lancer28]

What's that movie called? Idiocracy or something where stupid people run the world in the future? That is how I feel in Colorado, and sometimes in San Diego when we go out there.

[BlueWaterMD]

Here in NJ we have a boating license... and not too long ago I remember a lengthy discussion on whether or not boating should be licensed. Adding more rules, takes away freedoms that drew people to boating in the first place. I am not going to go into the pros and cons af a boating license.

I have been boating and sailing most of my life. Everything from ski boats and PWC's to fishing boats to sail boats. I think it is unfair to say that one type of boat is "useless." Boating is about being on the water, doing what you love, regardless of what type of boat you are in. Sure sailors get annoyed by loud motors and big wakes of motor boats. But as someone who began on power boats, I can tell you that poewrboaters get annoyed at always having to give way to sailors, especially in tight channels where a sailboat going upwind might really disrupt the "flow of traffic" in the channel.

The thing here is that people need to be more responsible, regardless of what type of vessel they are opperating. Some might view waterskiing as dangerous, while others would say a gulf stream crossing is dangerous. Both parties would however argue that thay can be relatively safe if done responsibly with proper preparations.

I don't think we need more laws, just better inforcement of the ones we already have. You can get DWI's while boating, just not many people do. It often seems as though no one is even watching for them. Fines need to be more severe and actually carried out. And if you are in an accident because you are drunk your boat should be taken away from you, because there is just no excuse for that.

[Lancer28]

I completely agree with your last paragraph.

I didn't intend to say anyone on the water is useless; rather meant that we all need to be responsible and "police ourselves", as in making sure we are doing the appropriate thing even if nobody is watching. I too came from a powerboating family - I grew up on a 50+ foot Nordhavn that frequently made passage to Hawaii, Cabo, Panama and South America from Point Loma, California. I had a big idea to go buy a sailboat, now everyone in my family is converting hahaha!

It would be nice to see more enforcement on the water. Colorado State Park Rangers couldn't be bothered to answer up on Channel 9 or any other even under the most dire emergency. the only way we know of how to get a hold of them is by calling the park office on a cell!

[Boasun]

Even Captain Ron would know better.
But as I always said: When someone gets on a PWC they leave their common sense ashore and lose about 50~80 IQ points. Then you add drinking/drugs to the mix and they score below a chimpanzee in intelligence.

[deniseO30]

I think the perception is that sailors are experts in seamanship and eventhough a vessel under sail is a beauty to behold.... the onlookers don't really see the chaos the sailing crew may be under. I wasssss an expert the first time I launched my hunter 23! Noooooo one looked at me and thought I was like the "others" lol While it's amusing.. (refering to my other thread "docking paranoia") let us not forget that many of us have been young, inexperianced, drunk, rude, angry, ignorant and a host of other human conditons. I know first hand that many sailors partake of the "evil rum" too! I'm sure no one knows about "beer can racing regattas" lol.

Just my 2 cents

[Boasun]

Originally Posted by deniseO30

I think the perception is that sailors are experts in seamanship and eventhough a vessel under sail is a beauty to behold.... the onlookers don't really see the chaos the sailing crew may be under. I wasssss an expert the first time I launched my hunter 23! Noooooo one looked at me and thought I was like the "others" lol While it's amusing.. (refering to my other thread "docking paranoia") let us not forget that many of us have been young, inexperianced, drunk, rude, angry, ignorant and a host of other human conditons. I know first hand that many sailors partake of the "evil rum" too! I'm sure no one knows about "beer can racing regattas" lol.

Just my 2 cents

Every Wednesday night in San Diego Harbor.

[sailingdog]

Boasun-

I think you've insulted the chimpanzee.. drunk PWC drivers often have the IQ of an Amoeba.