Saw that article and was horrified. Choppy water does not affect a power boater’s vision.
Alcohol, cell phones, and inattention do.
The kayakers were yelling and waving their paddles at the rentalmental, so choppy water flunks as an excuse.
Aside from getting the hull out of the way, any concrete actions to take in this situation that could save your life or minimize injury?
Stay close to shore on busy days. Close enough that the power boat could lose the prop or motor.
@string said:
Stay close to shore on busy days. Close enough that the power boat could lose the prop or motor.
That does not work… Drunks don’t know when they are too close to shore… I was hit ten feet off the shore by a distracted boater. Some motorboats have shallow draft and our shores have pretty deep water. Step off a shoreline and you are in waist high water.
^^So true on a few lakes I paddle. Mystified why power boats hug the shore when there’s miles of open water. I see this in the morning, so I don’t think they’re drunk.
Our lakes are usually shallow near shore .
If you’re close enough to shore that they can’t be, you’ll also be experiencing “bottom suck”.
I’ve had a sailboat (under sail) hit by a powerboat. So wave all the paddles you want … you still may be a sitting duck.
STAO…
(Sue Their A$$ Off)
The only preventative measure that would be worth a dmn is to prohibit alcohol consumption or bringing in any alcohol., AND for rental concessions to refuse renting to anyone who is already under the influence.
Motors are not the problem; drinking is.
@Sparky961 said:
If you’re close enough to shore that they can’t be, you’ll also be experiencing “bottom suck”.
I’ve seen them go 30+ feet into the mangroves. A little “bottom suck” isn’t going to stop them.
Woods take a while to stop an 850 horsepower ski boat. It ran over two canoeists and continued 150 feet into the woods. Bottom suck? Not much in Maine
There was a cigarette boat sitting dead center on an oyster bar in Bull’s Bay. That one stopped.
Our state parks in PA ban alcohol (and they check for it and exact fines and eject people for violation) and many lakes have a 20hp motor limit or “electric only”. Coast Guard and local river police do a pretty good job of patrolling the big rivers (which have commercial shipping lanes).
Along our big rivers (the Mississippi system feeders) at drought levels we have impressive shallow sand shoals along many of the inside meanders. It is quite satisfying to see jet skis and power boats ground out on them when they seem to be deliberately trying to harass paddlers with close calls and intentional wakes.
@grayhawk said:
@Sparky961 said:
If you’re close enough to shore that they can’t be, you’ll also be experiencing “bottom suck”.I’ve seen them go 30+ feet into the mangroves. A little “bottom suck” isn’t going to stop them.
I meant that it’s more of a deterrent for kayakers that are interested in getting somewhere to be in the shallows.
@grayhawk said:
I’ve seen them go 30+ feet into the mangroves. A little “bottom suck” isn’t going to stop them.
you’ve seen this before, but it just fits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0L_dqFcgBI
Hey, at least he swerved to avoid hitting the fishing kayak.
I hope they had fun walking home from that–and paying for the damage out of their own pocket.
I grew up in FL, and we canoed the Everglades City area and parts of the Wilderness Waterway every couple of years. I was always worried about just this thing happening. We had one fairly close call once, and it scared everybody involved. I’m amazed more accidents don’t happen, as much as the powerboats like to fly around the blind corners.