@castoff said:
@Rookie said:
“Maybe my idea of flying helium balloon attached to the stern isn’t so crazy after all on some busy lakes and rivers.”Heck if they even saw it they would then be looking up instead of where they were going! I had heard an early report that he was on a cell phone.
Wouldn’t want it 15-20 feet or more in the air. Maybe six feet would suffice? But only in water heavily populated with powerboats.
I had at least one occasion when a power boater spotted me in my kayak and altered course in what sure looked like an attempt to run over me. I turned and took off toward shore and the power boat finally turned back to his original course. This was about a 30’ cabin cruiser and not somebody in a high speed runabout. Sometimes it might be better not to be seen where predator power boat operators are about.
Comes with a little strap to attach to deck or PFD
Good reminder paddledog. Whistles and air horns make great gifts too.
I remember a 60 Minutes tv show where some guy over 90 years old was getting his driver’s license renewed…I think he just had to be breathing. I also remember being told that the motorcycle license test in Japan has a very high failure rate since they make you demonstrate real skills…like riding on 2x4’s.
Maybe the requirements for driving a powerboat should be a littl more strict!
" I live in Florida. I can’t half see or hear but I can still drive".
That isn’t a joke. We tried to get my Dad’s licence pulled when it was obvious he was no longer a safe driver and they wouldn’t do it.
My Dad at 93 was still a good driver and drove up from FL for Christmas that year. He also hunted 16 days during the turkey season this last spring. However, due to a freak accident where he went to open the tailgate of his son-in-law’s rented SUV on a sloped driveway, well, it popped open and pushed him over as it was self opening. He broke his hip and had a hip replacement. His Driving Days may be over now. He is still a sharp driver as he kept me from running into a guy in my blind spot when I went to change lanes a couple of weeks ago. However he is much weaker as being partially immobilized for a while he wasn’t able to be active enough to maintain his strength. He jokes that he could drive better than he can walk right now.
I do agree it would be good to require a boating test. So folks actually know the rules.
I have stated above that the boat that was hit should have used their air horn. That they didn’t may have some impact on any legal suit. Still it is obvious who should bear the majority of fault in this case.
@castoff said:
My Dad at 93 was still a good driver and drove up from FL for Christmas that year. He also hunted 16 days during the turkey season this last spring. However, due to a freak accident where he went to open the tailgate of his son-in-law’s rented SUV on a sloped driveway, well, it popped open and pushed him over as it was self opening. He broke his hip and had a hip replacement. His Driving Days may be over now. He is still a sharp driver as he kept me from running into a guy in my blind spot when I went to change lanes a couple of weeks ago. However he is much weaker as being partially immobilized for a while he wasn’t able to be active enough to maintain his strength. He jokes that he could drive better than he can walk right now.I do agree it would be good to require a boating test. So folks actually know the rules.
I have stated above that the boat that was hit should have used their air horn. That they didn’t may have some impact on any legal suit. Still it is obvious who should bear the majority of fault in this case.
My 93 MIL still drives but is very aware of her limitations. That is not typically a male trait.
@castoff said:
I have stated above that the boat that was hit should have used their air horn. That they didn’t may have some impact on any legal suit. Still it is obvious who should bear the majority of fault in this case.
Oregon boating law requires a whistle or an air horn. The video clearly shows they didn’t have much time as that 31-footer was coming at them at high speed. It’s debatable whether Larsen would have heard an air horn or whistle above the roar of his own engines (or pay any attention to it). The video also shows the fishermen frantically trying to get Larsen’s attention before they had to leap off their boat to avoid the hit. They attempted to mitigate the potential damages.
Majority of fault? Mr. Larsen was charged with multiple counts of fourth-degree assault, recklessly endangering the three fishermen and recklessly operating a boat. Those are criminal charges. No charges were filed against the fishermen. He is 100% at fault and if his defense attorney tries to claim fault by the fishermen for not using a whistle or air horn, I think the jury will laugh at him should any of the lawsuits get that far. Which they won’t.
I agree Rookie. Still a lawyer might point out that the fisherman should have had time to try a horn. Not that I think it would have helped. The fact that the fisherman stood on there boat seat and shouted and waved means a balloon at 6 feet would not have been seen either.
A defense attorney might try that option, but hopefully he/she will watch the video with a stopwatch in hand. Once the folks in the fishing boat noticed the cruiser aimed for them, they had around nine seconds before the collision.
I don’t think the guy in the big boat would have seen the Queen Mary had it been in front of him. He admitted he couldn’t see over the boat’s instrument panel.
Boat underway will bare ALL responsibility.
I agree of course the boat that hit them is responsible. However on my sailboat I keep my air horn handy. Even if I have right away I am not very interested in being dead right. It is best to be alert and defensive, but we all can have lapses at times.
At that speed, even when he saw them waving, it is probably too late to avoid the crash.
Lucky he stayed dead center on the boat. If he changed course at last minute he would have run someone over.
This could have been a case of where wearing a life vest may have proved to be a hazard. It would have kept you on the surface instead of going deep if he had of swerved to one side of the boat after they jumped. Still I wear mine all the time, but I have thought some from of quick release that would allow you to go under as you hit the water might be nice.
At anchor, in the ICW, I have started the engine and turned to face the threat to avoid swamping. Then gone back to fishing afterward. This takes skill to avoid entanglement.
