What Can Be Done?

[roger.waite]

I have heard of a lettter to their club (if flying a flag or written on their stern) working. Such skippers may not give a rats a*s* about you and I, but they often hate to loose status in the eyes of their peers ... question is whether to bother.

Expect pure bull back, if you hear back, but skipper will take a hit on their reputation.

? Best raised as a soft invitation to the club to take initiative on a matter of safety, reputation and courtesy to fellow water users. Hint at legal stuff (avoid unsafe wake, speed restrictions, whatever), but avoid threat of legal action. Just note how unfortunate it would be to involve authorities on matters 'we' can deal with together, focus on danger to your vessel & crew, and how their club will be seen ... Then request they raise this matter of safe operation of the vessel with the skipper.

[Ex-Calif]

I am confused. Is this a wake restricted area?

No one likes to get waked but I am wondering other than perhaps a lack of courtesy what is wrong.

We have lots and lots of heavy wake ferries around here and no one expects them to slow down although we wish they would.

[sneuman]

It is not wake restricted. It is common courtesy, and this guy had none. I disagree about taking a side span. Firstly, I was under the span when it happened, and I could as easily have been caught inside a smaller span with the powerboat approaching through that span. I do not like the small spans because they are more likely to generate strange and potentially dangerous currents and to give you less room to maneuver.

Anyway, the bottom line is speed restricted or not, you are responsible for your wake. Period.

[Badsanta]

The wake is bad enough, but it seems like some of these captains will turn away from you too close which only makes the wake bigger. They really have know idea what there wake does or they do and do this on purpose.

[Hud3]

You've never been truly "waked" until you experience a fast ferry in the USVI. Some of those guys seem to go out of their way to find you in the worst possible circumstances, like Current Cut. Or when you're launching your dinghy from the davits in Caneel Bay.

[S/V_Surya]

Found this web site. I think it could be adapted to marine use. I hate those Donzi super thunder power boats. I can hear them 5 miles away. You cannot even talk.
So enjoy Welcome to Anger Central

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

We have lots and lots of heavy wake ferries around here

Is that similar to a tooth ferry? I always liked the tooth ferry...

[roger.waite]

Nice reminders here that the best approach to above average wash is good humour, and to just get on with enjoying our time on the water. I have probably lost a little humour and tolerance, as my beloved currently has a metre of rubbing strake missing because a hoon sped past a raft of yachts. Fortunately, damage was light.

The best approach is nearly always to 'live and let live', but when safety is put at serious risk the ColRegs apply whether you are in a "wake free zone" or not. This extract e.g. from a Canadian training site: "One of the rules governing the operation of a vessel is that “every vessel is responsible for the effects of its wake.” Boat operators must therefore ensure that the wake of their vessel does not endanger nearby pleasure boaters or cause property damage to their vessels." In many countries, I think official action is taken under the "negligence" provisions of the ColRegs ...

That said, re-reading sneuman's post it seems he was further from the bridge supports than I understood. So please excuse an overly strong reaction in a previous post ...

[Ocean Girl]

Make them read posts like this, next time they want to throw a wake they will wonder if a CF member is nearby

[YOGAO]

Originally Posted by sneuman

It is not wake restricted. It is common courtesy, and this guy had none. I disagree about taking a side span. Firstly, I was under the span when it happened, and I could as easily have been caught inside a smaller span with the powerboat approaching through that span. I do not like the small spans because they are more likely to generate strange and potentially dangerous currents and to give you less room to maneuver.

Anyway, the bottom line is speed restricted or not, you are responsible for your wake. Period.

It always amazes me that cruising power boats over about 30' insist on taking the center span when traveling N or S thru the parallel Ches. Bay bridges and for that matter they stay in the Craighill Channel (Bay Bridge to Patapsco River leading into Baltimore) - they might as well just stay in their cars and take the interstate.

However, you asked what can be done. I would repeat that there is a rather large amount of room under the side spans; more than double your length and mast height. Yes, it can get a bit squirrely if their is a lot of wake and current running, but if you are under either span for more than two minutes, you need to either turn around and try later or you need to work on your propulsion system. None of this helps you with the specific incident that prompted your original post, it may help you with subsequent trips.

There is effectively no wake/speed limit going thru the center span. If you continue to use it, you will encounter this situation again - GUARANTEED. Remember, the guy (idiot!?) who waked you is lying in wait for you and other unsuspecting sailors.

Seriously though, you should try the side spans out on one of those calm, windless days common this time of year.

[Mule]

We have a lake here in, DFW called Joe Poole. Across from the nicest marina, Lynn Creek where my boat is slipped, there is a protected anchorage commonly refered to as "The Cove". Often in the summer on weekends there may be 75 boats there.

By far most folks are respectful of others, though the hip hop music of the younger set can be nerve racking with the speakers more suitable for a Steppenwolf (showing my age) concert. That is something you can compensate for by moving. Powerboats plowing through throwing a big wake, however, you cannot compensate for. I often have 3 or 4+ ski and pleasure boats rafted up next to me. Even though we fendered up well it is still a chore of all hands on deck holding the boats off each other when the ass of the day does his trick.

Damage is one thing, but with a dozen kids bobbing around in life jackets, disignated drunks floating and dogs swimming it can be and is often dangerous. I have found the asses that do this are, more often than not proud parents that want the anchored folks to admire their offspring as they plow by dragging a tube with their snot nosed little darlings behind them, it is not the teenage skiers but the parents with young kids. I have seen things thrown at them, screams and shouts. My son in law yelled and some guy sez, you don't own the lake. Scotts answer was, I do not want to own the lake just for you to show some common courtesy. I was cooking stur-fry at the time in a wok on an open flame burner. B4 the wake hit, I shut it down and held the Wok high.


This brings me to my mental invention I mentioned earlier. Gill net, for you that do not know is a mono netting with large (there are different sizes for different sized fish) weave that fish swim into and it stops them and they are caught in the netting cause they cannot swim backwards to get out. The stuff is tough, light and comes in 3 foot+ width. This stuff cut into 30 to 50 foot lengths, one foot wide and tied to a propulsion device such as a potato shot out of a potato gun to unfurl and strech it out in front of an oncoming outboard or IO will bring the boat to a dead stop with a fouled prop + the mono will get into the lower unit and damage the seals allowing water into the lower unit. I would guess repair to be $500 to $1000 if professionally done. That pocketbook hit is greater than the aggravation of cutting the gill net off the lower unit.


All my family prohibited me from acting on my mental invention but if you had a full sized motar and tough nylon steel reenforced net would, I suspect, bring an 80 foot booze cruiser to a stop also. Trouble is, where can you get a motar legally?

My fantasy has some legal and tort limitations or risk I suspect, but you cannot not stop a guy from thinking and dreaming.

BTW, if you do not know what a potato gun is google same.

[bstreep]

2 other thoughts:

1) get on channel 16 and broadcast a warning to other mariners, giving the boat's name and description.

2) we have a loud hailer on our radar mount. I HAVE found it to be effective with smaller boats that can't read "no wake" signs. I usually say: "...please be aware that you are legally responsible for any damage done by that wake you are towing...". That usually prompts a quick throttle drop and a head snapping around to look at their wake.

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Slingshots with ball bearings work really well. Anyone who swamps another boater in confined waters is a pure idiot.

I have actually hit a wake crazy power boat inside the marina with an open can of varnish..... they just idled away....

Just read this thread. That is fabulous, I'd pay money to see that. The mental picture I get is just priceless, I can see the can of varnish hit the stink boat and the varnish spraying all over it! Excellent punishment and well deserved!

[scook1]

When I sailed in Sandusky there was a particular powerboat who will remain nameless,that had the habit of flying by and swamping sailboats with his wake. On his bow, he had sailboat decals with red x's through them to let everyone know how many sailboats he had swamped. Similar to what ace pilots would do to signify how many planes they had shot down. As you can imagine, he was not very popular with the sailors.