Powerboater Mental Health

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

As a power boater on occasion I like to stay out of heavy wake that a sail boat will throw up so I pass on the bow.

This confuses me, I don't have any wake at all below hull speed, and to exceed hull speed requires either a lot of wind or me to run the engine, HARD, which I don't do. Do sailboats where you are really have that much of a wake?

Now maybe people in smaller, faster boats get used to bow crossings to no get waked, but I doubt many sailboats leave much of a wake.

[LakeSuperior]

Don't read anything into the post. Just some bad CF humor.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Delancey

I didn't start the thread to rag on powerboaters in general, only to understand why some will go out of their way to cut in front of sailboats since this is a phenomena I have observed on and off for the better part of more than thirty years spent on the water and yet I still have no logical explanation for.

For example the guy in this photo came from wayyyy over on my starboard side and returned there after passing me. If he hadn't changed course we would have continued to diverge as we had not been on intercept courses despite being headed in roughly opposite directions. I just don't get it.

The behavior is easy to explain - he's merely detouring to come over and get a look at the pretty sailboat (and secretly wishing he were able to sail such a thing)

[Shrew]

I'm curious how many have spent any real helm time in a powerboat. Particularly around a lot of sailboats.

It's interesting how many powerboaters complain about sailboats as well. Consider that when at the helm of a powerboat doing 24 kts, things tend to happen a little quicker. Imagine a field of sailboats tacking back and forth. As they try to wind their way through, one tacks again and your open path has instantly become a collision course, of which you are the one who constantly has to divert course. Now you have to quickly alter course in a way that doesn't introduce a new collision course.

Have you ever looked to see of someone is going to pass on the stern or abeam before tacking into their course? Of course not!!!! You have the right of way.

Fisherman actively fishing don't want their lines cut, however they are either drifting or trolling slowly, so a pass on the bow is not that significant. However at 18 - 25 kts, powerboaters DO NOT appreciate passes on the bow either. That can be a jarring experience and typically requires they drop off of plane or slam the heck out of the vessel.

[Pelagic]

Shrew, if it is as difficult and dangerous as you suggest, then perhaps those powerboat jockeys are incapable of operating at a "safe speed".....

[LakeSuperior]

I put about 100 hrs a year (short season up here) on the engines of a 35 foot Bertram that I use for diving. I always slow to hull speed to overtake and pass by sailboats in close quarters because of the 3 ft steep cruise wake from the full deep vee hull. I also slow for fishing boats not under power or if at trolling speed.

Consider that it is somewhat dangerous to pass at cruise in close quarters for a number of reasons. One prime issue is if an engine suddenly loses power the boat can sharply veer. This was the case as we passed by a buoy. Luck was with us, no contact but close as frogs hair.

I do not slow for other power boaters if the crossing distance is sufficient. They are on their own.

As they say in the business, the best employees are the employees with management experience.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Shrew

It's interesting how many powerboaters complain about sailboats as well. Consider that when at the helm of a powerboat doing 24 kts, things tend to happen a little quicker. Imagine a field of sailboats tacking back and forth. As they try to wind their way through, one tacks again and your open path has instantly become a collision course, of which you are the one who constantly has to divert course. Now you have to quickly alter course in a way that doesn't introduce a new collision course.

See, I am thinking the overtaking boat gives way to the slower vessel but maybe I got that backwards. I did miss a couple days of sailing school. So how does going out of your way to cut in front of a sailboat make things safer?

Wouldn't maintaining your course when that course doesn't have you crossing in front of the sailboat be safest? You seem to be saying otherwise.

Maybe I am missing something? In all my years I have never had a sailboat suddenly go faster in reverse. I mean I have brought a sailboat in into irons and held the boom out to make way in reverse, but um, not real fast.

I will add that most of the situations I have described do not involve racing in a fleet where there are sailboats all over the place.

I try to keep my head on a swivel and the situations I am talking about are ones where there are like two boats on the horizon, my sailboat and a powerboat who comes from way over there behind me, cuts in front of me, and then goes way over there on the others side.

I can't believe I am the only to have had this experience since it basically happens just about every time I have a crossing with a powerboat and in not a single one of those occasions was I the overtaking vessel.

[RKsailsolo]

It boils down to seamanship or a lack thereof. Navigating safely under power or sail demands anyone at the helm to accept personal responsibility to know the basic qualities of wind, waves, and physical impacts to all boats in the immediate vicinity affected by their behavior. We decide, act, and ignorance of the impact of those actions is no excuse. If you don't know basics of operating your vessel safely you should not be at the helm.

Would you race up to a kayaker with your sail or powerboat and not expect to intimidate them? Why would you do that with your 38' Searay when passing a sailboat under sail, passing close enough to force that sailboat to alter course? Better to give that vessel a wide safe berth, demonstrating to anyone watching that you possess good knowledge and are capable of handling your boat.

There is no escape from a public display of ignorance or ego produced from poor seamanship. To me, it's just irresponsible recklessness.

[Mika F]

A lot can happen quickly at 24 knots, maybe the 24 knots is where the problem lies. If they slow down, just relax... It's boating, not blasting to work down the Hwy 401 or anything.

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by Mika F

A lot can happen quickly at 24 knots, maybe the 24 knots is where the problem lies. If they slow down, just relax... It's boating, not blasting to work down the Hwy 401 or anything.

No, they just wanna go fast and I don't begrudge them that joy. Just stay the heck away from me with all that power and maneuverability. And I do like to acknowledge power boaters who demonstrate good seamanship. Wherever you go, there are the village idiots.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by RKsailsolo

No, they just wanna go fast and I don't begrudge them that joy. Just stay the heck away from me with all that power and maneuverability. And I do like to acknowledge power boaters who demonstrate good seamanship. Wherever you go, there are the village idiots.

That is the bottom line. I remember a few years back a really big Cigarette type of boat would blast by running probably 40+ kts, was a big bright yellow and orange boat, probably 45' or so, held I think four people standing beside of each other. He wasn't causing anyone any problems or anything except maybe the thing was LOUD.
After about the third run by in as many hours, I turned to the wife and told her I had just realized something, that big, expensive boat could only do one thing, run back and forth at high speed making lots of noise so everyone would look at them, but you couldn't ski behind it, fish out of it or even just cruise around really, nor could it carry anything. About the silliest waste of money that I could imagine.
But I don't begrudge them for it, if they are having fun, have at it.

[Mika F]

It's unfortunate that trying to explain your perspective to a village idiot type is a waste of breath.

Fortunately they are not in the majority.

When the Mrs. spills her coffee because she wasn't aware of the huge wake approaching us in the quiet anchorage...

That has been our experience.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

That is the bottom line. I remember a few years back a really big Cigarette type of boat would blast by running probably 40+ kts, was a big bright yellow and orange boat, probably 45' or so, held I think four people standing beside of each other. He wasn't causing anyone any problems or anything except maybe the thing was LOUD.
After about the third run by in as many hours, I turned to the wife and told her I had just realized something, that big, expensive boat could only do one thing, run back and forth at high speed making lots of noise so everyone would look at them, but you couldn't ski behind it, fish out of it or even just cruise around really, nor could it carry anything. About the silliest waste of money that I could imagine.
But I don't begrudge them for it, if they are having fun, have at it.

But you are saying that "it is the silliest waste of money"

Obviously not for them.

Regarding cars not different than the ones that buy a race or almost race car, kind of a KTM or Ariel just to enjoy some track days and to enjoy driving a very fast car. The purpose of that machine is not to be useful but to be fast and to give to the ones that enjoy it that kind of pleasure....and there is a market big enough for them to be produced so it is not such a rare thing having ones that think that buying such a machine is a good use for money.

That's the same with a very fast boat almost without accommodations. I was invited once to make a small passage on one of them, but the owner was inexperienced and the thing could go to 160Km/H and that was not on protected waters but on the Atlantic so I said no....but I would have loved to make that if I trusted the skipper's experience.

[a64pilot]

This wasn't really a race boat or even a very high performance boat, it wasn't on any kind of course. It was just loud and flashy.
It did have big block dry stacked motors with a lot of chrome, but I think stock motors, it was intended to be a "look at me" boat, and in my opinion, that is a silly waste of money, apparently not for them though.

As I said, I don't begrudge them for it, if they were having fun, fine, they weren't hurting anyone, seemed to be operating it responsibly etc.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

This wasn't really a race boat or even a very high performance boat, it wasn't on any kind of course. It was just loud and flashy.
It did have big block dry stacked motors with a lot of chrome, but I think stock motors, it was intended to be a "look at me" boat, and in my opinion, that is a silly waste of money, apparently not for them though.

As I said, I don't begrudge them for it, if they were having fun, fine, they weren't hurting anyone, seemed to be operating it responsibly etc.

Regarding loud, I guess that from my motorcycle racing days, I have a big awareness regarding any different and not normal noise the boat engine is making and lots of time I am just checking it to see if it is alright and that different noise is just some added noise made by a motorboat that is so far away that it is hardly visible