Idiot in the Channel
 

This video was just posted to youtube. It shows a bass boat with total disregard to the posted speed limit within the weirs channel. I will be closely examining my boat for any dock rash delivered courtesy of this idiot. I have already sent the video and bow numbers to the marine patrol. I would recommend anyone with a boat docked in the Weirs channel examine your boat for any scuff damage.

the youtube is listed under Honey Badger Boat

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gC52mMbUD-A?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC52mMbUD-A

Wow, that's sure something. Hope there wasn't any damage.

Curious how you happened to find that and how you managed to get the bow numbers? Wouldn't surprise me to find out of state numbers on the boat, some of the bass guys don't seem very familiar with NH rules.

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...7f&oe=587F0531

Looks like Mass..

Hmmm first post by Formula-Ss ?? Really went out of their way to make that their very first post. :confused: Join date of 2012??

Saw this on the "I complain about boating on Winnipesaukee" facebook page earlier. Ohh I'm sorry I meant the "I boat on Lake Winnipesaukee" page.

(not disclaiming what he did wasn't wrong) I have to ask though as someone who docks their boat in a rough water spot, guys and gals in the channel are soo worried about dock rash, no one uses fenders? Or any of that other low tech dock gear typically made of rubber that is all over the market these days to prevent such a problem?

Where did you guys get the angle that shows the bow numbers? Video is from way further back in the channel near the Naswa and never close enough for that kind of detail. Did the second one come off facebook / shot by a different person? Just curious more than anything else.

I had three fenders out on a dock on Winnisquam, the dock also had some rubber on the edge. I still ended up with $900 in damage after one storm.
Glass boats don't do well against docks.
Our son-in-law's pontoon got hammered in his slip by another boat, both had fenders out.

Depending on the direction and size of the waves, fenders and rubber do not always save you.

Flagrant disregard for the law and who cares if it's a first post?
The act itself demands this idiot pay for his actions in full.
That is if the video is recent and factual...

I seriously doubt they'll do anything after the fact...

Out in the open I would agree, in the Weirs channel I just don't see it being comparable a bass boat wake vs a storm. Maybe I just don't spend enough time over there when its windy/rough to compare since I skip the weekends and always get the glassy conditions due to being a local. :)

Then again maybe I am just lucky after 5 years my beautiful gel coat still doesn't have a dock scratch. (Knock on wood or dock)

lol Totally disregarded what the post is about. Your only response is hmmmm first post lol Really??? Who cares what their first post is about lol :laugh:

Just to clear up any confusion about speed within the Weirs Channel!

Attachment 12290

Now you have 3 posts...welcome.:):)

As a "lurker" on other non-Lake forums nothing wrong with non-posting.

Hello all!!!
 

Even though I have been a Winni forum reader for many years, I have refrained from posting. After seeing here on this thread, and MANY others, someone being called out IN A NEGATIVE WAY, because they made their first post, I figured I would get it over with. ( Can't have an opinion or comment if it's your first post?)
Have at it folks...

How dare you!
 

How dare you use the internet for it's intended purpose! You should be ashamed of yourself & shamed by others! So...how was that for a first "flame"?
Welcome to the wild wild west...:D

These seem to be private , non state signs , I assume there are official signs with no wake , right ?

Have to wonder how many of the people here that are coming in against this post are Bass boaters?

Sorry guys, but many of you do piss other boaters off.
Your actions on loading ramps on a couple of lakes I've used take the cake.
I won't even bother going into that here.

On Winnisquam I've seen the same type attitude as was seen in that video. Not just by Bass Guys of course, but they are the most that do it. I have seen a number of them going through the mosquito bridge area to the island, a no wake zone, it's very apparent they go through it not at no wake speed and causing wakes.

No official signs needed. The law is the law, and it's pretty apparent it's a no wake zone due to the width of the channel. Plus there are no wake markers at either end of the channel. ⚖

Bassholes?

That really is a problem because you're right I doubt the MP will do anything even with clear evidence intentional or not the NWZ was disregarded. I would like to think otherwise though as this is pretty bad.

Let this be a further illustration to all that laws are completely useless without enforcement.

Not the first time...
 

I lived on the channel for over 3 years. Our deck had a birds eye view of all the action. This is not the first nor will it be the last time someone has done this. I lost count and no longer cared as to how many people have done this.
Keep in mind that boaters from other states have different laws regarding headway speed in a channel, cove or near shore. Some just don't know the laws.
I would hope this guy didn't do it intentionally! I am in no way defending him or his actions. You would cringe at a 1/4 of the nonsense we've seen through that area!

if you ain't first your last!

I prefer to go through the weirs channel at these speeds :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_VxHdZKvJ4

I don't care what state you're from, If you see a buoy that say's no wake what would you do?

yo no hablo Inglés? :laugh:

Missing the Point
 

You are missing the point and your sarcasm is NOT appreciated.

There are boating rules that need to be followed and this is one of them. This is a NO wake zone with plenty of signs. Aside from boats being docked, there are two gas stations, resorts along the water and heavy traffic in this location and rules need to be followed.

For the record I appreciated the sarcasm. Every person who has commented on this thread who wasn't fully bashing that bass boat has stated they understand the rules, AKA they got the point, and are not saying what he did was not wrong. Lighten up a little.

At least somebody appreciates my twisted sense of humor.

We had that issue at the town beach. Chief asked for multilingual signs. BOS told him the Ordnance gave him the authority to act, not the sign.

The issue never came up again. (IMO) It's right up there with "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." If it's codified and recorded in publicly accessible records then it's expected to be obeyed.

I did exactly the same. Watching the "Restaurant" forum and seeing everyone with less than 15 billion posts getting bashed....

FWIW, should you dare.... post an opposing view and you will be targeted on EVERY post.

I love this forum, but some ppl do not like to read an opinion that is not "theirs", so i tend to read them and move on.

Today I noticed that many boaters are not going headway speed in the no wake zones. Apparently they feel that summer is over so they can go as fast as they want.

Idiot in the Channel
 

Damage to the boats is one thing. I have plenty of fenders out. But that doesn't stop rubbing. My boats painted so it's like someone running along my cars paint finish. The wave will cause the boat to bounce in a way it could throw a fender out of position, etc.

But really it's a safety concern. If my 2 yo is playing in the cockpit and gets knocked over by a wake.....I'm going to be pissed. I'm not bracing myself for wakes in my slip in a NWZ, nor should I have too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow
 

Whatever happened to common courtesy?1

I think there's an awful lot of common courtesy at the Lake. I was raised here, moved away, and now take my wife and kids back every summer. We're still ASTOUNDED by how the boaters all wave to each other, they'll jump up and help you dock your boat, even help with the lines, come over and ask if "everything's okay", stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, open a door for an elderly person. I bring my family here almost as much to rediscover humanity as to see the Lake.

My two bits....

As an exhile from CT I can tell you that this was a motivation for moving here.

This was just this evening. How can we expect the law or rules to be enforced when the enforcers are equally guilty of breaking the rules? REALLY?????

His blue lights are on. Obviously he is on a call that is an emergency. I don't see the problem.

If he was on his way to rescue me, or a family member, I would hope that he would go even faster.

No complaint here!

It looks to me like his blue lights are on?? I would certainly hope that if I needed help on the lake that help would not be delayed by a no wake zone.

Responding to an emergency should not be hindered or delayed by a no wake zone!

Dan

Is that a blue light on the top of the MP boat ..... could be a blue light ..... is not so easy to see it ...... but having a flashing blue light would seem to make the wake speed very okay.

Blue lights. No different than an officer responding to a call on land. I wouldn't want them slowing for a no wake zone if my family was in peril. Hope the outcome for whoever they were helping was a good one.

I agree flashing blue lights he must be on a call

Better inspect your boats for damage and send the bill to NH State Police who run Marine Patrol...

I see more not going headway speed than I do operating properly...to me, it's maddening! I wish we could make citizens arrests!

Not sure if anyone noticed, but his blue lights were on.

No. No one noticed, except the 5 posters before you! :)

idiot
 

Whoever is criticizing this post is just as bad as the idiot driving. If anyone criticizing owned a $100K boat on this NO WAKE area and it gets damaged, then i would like to hear them speak out!! Its a NO WAKE

Thank you George for your FIRST post.

We'll be sure to tell Marine Patrol that if it is you, your family or loved ones in desperate need of assistance that their responding Patrol boat can go at "no wake" speed through the Weirs channel, delaying their response time by an additional 5-10 minutes .....

For me, if it is safe to do so -- and by this picture it is CLEARLY safe--- get to the incident as fast as you can safely do so!!! ...... Very simple to me

$100k+ boats can be fixed, lives can't !


.

misunderstood
 

Sorry if you misunderstood me. The last one i would ever talk about is the marine patrol, In my eyes they have the green light, i was talking about the Bass boat going through.

I am not condoning what the bass boater did, but if you have a $100k boat in a slip, you really should spend a little on some stuff to protect the boat from wave damage. Being in a no wake zone does not automatically prevent waves. I have experienced white caps in no wake zones.

This was exactly my initial point. As one of those boat owners who does not keep his boat in a no wake zone but rather in the water at a dock, my boat is secured appropriately so instead of whining about someone boating by my dock in a 16 foot bass boat I am not worried about it all when a 30' cabin cruiser or one of those damn oh so hated wakeboard boats cruises by with full ballast.

Instead of blaming others for not following the rules, I took action into my own hands and adequately prepared for people to be idiots.

Everyone. I am not saying owners of $100K boats or $5K boats do not have responsibility to take care of their own boats but whoever is on the lake should respect the laws of the water and respect other peoples property.
Thanks everyone

It looks like the MP RIB has his blues on, meaning he may have been responding to an emergency call, possibly where life was in jeopardy. Under those circumstances certain of the 'rules of the road' do not apply.

Going through the channel at above headway speed
 

I do have to confess that I once went through the Weirs Channel on plane...but my ground speed was around 6MPH!

It was one sometime around 2008(?) when we had a cool and wet summer and early fall. The current through the channel was around 17 knots with plenty of turbulance and I was headed from Paugus Bay out on to the lake on my way to Glendale to pull my boat out for the season.

At slightly above idle and an indicated speed of just below 10MPH, I stopped moving forward as I approached the channel. After about 10 minutes of trying different approaches I realized I wasn't going to make it through at headway speed. It was just around then that an MP boat came through the channel from the lake and into Paugus Bay. He saw my dilemma and swung his boat around and got on his loudhailer, telling me to use whatever speed I needed to get through the channel. He then turned away and headed south towards the bay.

I throttled up and by the time I made it too the Channel Cottages I was on plane and making my way up the channel and out on to the lake.

That was the only time I ever broke that law in the channel....that I am aware of.

The fastest I've seen the current on the Weirs channel is 24 knots.

You didn't break the law. The law allows you to go as fast as needed to maintain control.

As for this MP boat going through the channel, I saw a video of it posted, and its lights were clearly on and the siren was sounding.

While I have never seen it going that fast (never measured it either) even if you were sitting still with no forward momentum you would still cause quite a wake! You would need your engine RPM's to be what would normally move your boat 26-30 knots (28-34 MPH) to even be moving forward. Im not sure why so many people in the channel can't grasp this?...

24 knots! Wow! And I thaught going UP the Annisquam from the Harbor was fun!!

Years ago, my Dad and I were taking our boat back to the marina for the winter. It must have been the first week of November. It was a crappy, rainy and windy day. NO boats on the water anywhere. We had to go through the channel with a good size wake just to get up it! Good times

That sounds impossible to me. Boats tied to docks and facing upstream would be on plane. Boats tied any other way would be swamped.

You're right, I think I exaggerated, sorry. The fastest I've seen it is probably about 3 mph, and that felt fast.

From now on, watch your speed near the Weirs Channel...

New sign...

You have to remember that it was the speed of the current through the narrowest part of channel. Once you get past the Channel Cottages the current drops off rapidly as it broadens. You've got to remember the Venturi Effect. The channel acts like the throat of a carburetor, accelerating the current as the throat - in this case the channel - narrows. Once it broadens out the speed of the current drops off.

During my particular trip I couldn't even make it up to Thurston's because the current was easily 10 knots. Once in the channel proper it was 17 knots+.

Of course at that time of year most of the boats were already gone from their slips.