Powerboater Mental Health

[Delancey]

Can somebody explain to me why powerboaters will often alter their course and go out of their way to travel in a half circle across your bow before returning to their original course when they could instead just continue in a straight line and pass safely behind you?

I am not talking about remotely questionable crossings or near misses.

I am talking situations where the course deviation is significant, increases the risk of a collision, and where simply not altering course would be the safest action. This does not seem like very healthy behavior. Do these people have mental health problems?

[a64pilot]

Funny, but some do.
There are a bunch of rental pontoon boats in PC, and Jim Bob and his wife come down all the time from Alabama and rent one to ride around in.
Last I guess it was Memorial day weekend, I had one cut across my bows at I swear less than 10 feet, I was under sail at 7 kts. Jim Bobs wife smiles and waves at us, had no idea at all the danger they were in or possible consequences if the little Honda pushing them quit, they could have just as easily passed astern but didn't think of it I guess. They aren't necessarily drunk, just don't know any better.
The big boat guys are just Jim Bob with more money, they are just out riding around, they really have little thought as to what they are doing, their wake or anything else, they just came by to have a look at you, had nothing else to do, besides turning a big power boat is fun.

Have to remember you don't need any kind of training or pass any kind of test to pilot a boat, all you have to have is a check that will clear the bank.

[FSMike]

Maybe they think sailboats are so slow we all go backwards?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Can somebody explain to me why powerboaters will often alter their course and go out of their way to travel in a half circle across your bow before returning to their original course when they could instead just continue in a straight line and pass safely behind you?

Because they can...

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Because they can...

I was just going to say exactly that!!

[Stu Jackson]

It's not only powerboaters. I was at anchor Friday night and a C&C32 hit me on our starboard side right amidships!!!

"I saw you when I was coming in, but thought you'd left, I was busy getting ready to sail!"

A$$hole.

[casablanca]

Research has shown that power boat operator intelligence can be derived from the inverse square law. That is the intelligence of power boaters is proportional to the inverse of the square of the boat power. This is given by the formula:

I = IQ/(P)^2 where I is seamanship , IQ Is the average population Intelligence Quotient and P is the motive power (hp).

Simply put, for those of us who are algebraically challenged, the greater the power the less the observed intelligence. In fact it's actually worse, as for example, twice the power equates to 1/4 the intelligence and so on.

This research is based on data gathered by thousands of competent skippers of sailing craft over many years worldwide.






Bob
CASABLANCA L420 #86

[seandepagnier]

I am trying to figure out if they don't understand efficiency or just don't care when they drive a few knots above hull speed and leave the maximum possible wake through the anchorage. I have observed this in many countries.

[Siberianhusky]

I see just as many stupid sailors, my biggest pet peeve is the morons who insist on trying to sail the channel out of the bay with the wind wrong, nothing like an idiot tacking his way down a 30-40 foot wide channel expecting everybody to stay out of his way because he's under sail. Rocks on one side sandbar on the other.....
It is a fun sail if the wind is on the beam, straight shot out into the lake.
Like they say - If common sense was actually common everybody would have it.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

I am trying to figure out if they don't understand efficiency or just don't care when they drive a few knots above hull speed and leave the maximum possible wake through the anchorage. I have observed this in many countries.

You are not alone.

And why do they need a 55' sport fisherman when they are 100 miles from the ocean?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

I am trying to figure out if they don't understand efficiency or just don't care when they drive a few knots above hull speed and leave the maximum possible wake through the anchorage. I have observed this in many countries.

I think it has to do with the bow riding high, making the boat look big, and I think many like the big wake, again makes them look and feel like a BIG boat.
Some People the boat is an extension of their Ego, this is not just a powerboat thing, but maybe more predominant there.

I ran a sportfish for years, but I was either on plane above 15 kts, or off plane completely at hull speed, anything else just burned too much fuel, at high planing speeds, I rolled a surprisingly small wake, not much more than a ski boat.

[zeehag]

testosterne plus attitude and ignorance equals powerboat insanity

[Polux]

I guess what this forum really needs is a separated forum for powerboat cruisers instead separating sailing crafts (monohulls and multihulls)

I remember that a guy named Dashew traded cruising sailboats to power boat cruisers and another guy that used to cruise in a Gunboat cruise now on a motor yacht. Some others on the forum, talk about trading their sailboats for motorboats.

Maybe power boaters are just different on the other side of the pond but here and specially in what regards to bigger yachts, they have a very civil behavior, maintaining more times a safe distance on anchorages than most sailboats and making detours not to passing near when they overtake at speed causing wash.

There are always exceptions but they are what they are, exceptions. Do really American mororboaters have a different behavior? What is the opinion about that from the ones that have experience cruising on the two sides of the pond?

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Polux

I guess what this forum really needs is a separated forum for powerboat cruisers instead separating sailing crafts (monohulls and multihulls)

I remember that a guy named Dashew traded cruising sailboats to power boat cruisers and another guy that used to cruise in a Gunboat cruise now on a motor yacht. Some others on the forum, talk about trading their sailboats for motorboats.

Maybe power boaters are just different on the other side of the pond but here and specially in what regards to bigger yachts, they have a very civil behavior, maintaining more times a safe distance on anchorages than most sailboats and making detours not to passing near when they overtake at speed causing wash.

There are always exceptions but they are what they are, exceptions. Do really American mororboaters have a different behavior? What is the opinion about that from the ones that have experience cruising on the two sides of the pond?

Not as many powerboats in Europe. The price of fuel is to high.

The reason for many of the anti-powerboat posts in this thread is genetic. The tribal mentality is built into our DNA. Intellectually, some of our tribe do not recognize it and therefore lack the ability to deal with it. Recognize there are dumbshits in every tribe.

[a64pilot]

I think your difference is over there especially in larger vessels, they are Captained by professionals, often with a license they can lose etc. and I would think reputations are very important when looking for that next job?
Here unless your talking really big yachts, it's usually the owner, who has surprisingly little knowledge, and may or may not be trying to impress guests he has on board.


You run into this with aircraft, insurance requirements being what they are, very few private jets are flown by actual owners, but smaller airplanes usually are, as such you see a stream of stupidity in the smaller airplanes, but the jets usually not.

I'd just guess the insurance for a Super Yacht may require more training and experience than the average owner has?


I see no reason to separate power and sail, I think separation breeds discontent myself, I wish there were more power boaters here personally. I was once one, and may well become one again, but this time a single screw trawler most likely.