Trend
 

A disturbing trend (IMHO):

Boaters having a person standing on the swim platform with rope in hand as they attempt to dock the boat. On more than one occasion, I have seen this person lose their balance as the person piloting the boat shifts from forward to reverse. Scary

I would love to take these people and ask them to stand on the swim platform of a boat out of the water (on a trailer) with the engine running and the stainless-steel prop turning. I am guessing that these very same individuals would take a pass.

Just last week, I saw a person holding a rope to a disabled boat being towed in while they were standing on the swim platform. Just one wake away from holding a wake.

Maybe this is just me being over cautious.

"Maybe this is just me being over cautious."
Nope. The others are being over stupid.

This never ceases to amaze me. Two weekends ago I saw several boats with people on the swim platforms while the boat was circling a downed skier or tuber. How stupid can you be. Not only horrific for the potential victim but the first responder..................

We need to wrap everyone in Kevlar bubble wrap I guess.

Blissful idiots! Yesterday, while gassing up the boat after fishing the morning, some idiot with a couple of those pull toys tied to their pontoon boat, went by within 20’ of the gas dock on “half plane” through the channel. My wife tried motioning them the “slow down” signal but they kept on right through the channel.

I have also seen a lot of people hanging their legs over the bow of their boat while underway.

A friend of mine died in the late 80’s doing this, he fell over and went under the boat... they got him back in the boat and he died before they got to the Wolfeboro docks.

I guess the boater education class isn’t doing any good these days!

It never did, it was just feel good legislation.

I agree. It's gotten much worse.

'Never See This, Right???
 

Directly from the NH Boating Handbook:

https://www.boat-ed.com/newhampshire...g_on_stern.jpg

In my lifetime the boat traffic has increased exponentially, with seemingly more day users who might not be as familiar with laws unique to NH (based on my observations and posts in other forums).

The boater safety certificate law requires operators to have at least the knowledge necessary to pass the test. Without it, all of those operators with limited knowledge would still be driving boats - knowing even less. And, those unable to pass the test would be able to rent, buy, and operate whatever they want. I find this a more troubling scenario.

That said, and has been said many times before, common sense is not common enough.

One thing that I've been wondering (and I'm sure this will drive half of you bonkers) is whether we should start videoing dangerous things such as those listed above and sending them to the MP with the understanding that they would identify the owners via bow number and then phone them to discuss/warn. I don't mean rude boaters, I mean genuinely dangerous boaters; and I don't mean mail them a ticket or other police state type stuff.

I see stuff every weekend that makes me scared for kids, and there's almost no way to reach out to the captain and smack him upside the head (in a neighborly way, haha)

I like the idea but don’t think MP would go for it...being 2nd hand and all.
I have thought about it before and by the time I get my phone into camera/video mode the perp has passed...

I think there should be camera's installed atop every marker buoy on the lake and the MP monitor them like what the police do in New York City to look for scofflaws breaking the law. :rolleye2:

Just what we need, more cameras!


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Wrong approach and the problem they have had from the very beginning.

Understand right from the very start of the boater education program they made this whole thing up not to pull licences if they were called that. A few days ago, I called it (feel good legislation) and that's all it is. When you put some teeth into the law then you will see some results. When's the last time you heard of some one loosing there boating licences. It's all BS.

They get $40 per bull**** license...that’s why they do it!

As far as I'm concerned, unless someone's stupidity is an immediate danger to me, my family, or my property, (or someone else, or their property), I MIND MY OWN BUSINESS. We are FREE to be stupid. What is so hard to understand about that? I will NEVER understand why people "think" that it's THEIR "responsibility" to make sure that everyone else is being safe with their behavior. Just mind your own business, worry about yourselves, try to do your best to raise your own kids to be responsible, and stop worrying about everyone else. It's life. How many times does this need to be discussed...??? Frankly, it's getting old. Probably the most discussed topic on this forum. Everything that can be said about this has been said... Why can't people just mind their own ******* business?? If you want to report infractions that you see, become a cop. If you want to change, or amend laws, run for public office. Otherwise just try to ENJOY life and all the stupid, crazy, chaos that comes with it, cause it's NEVER going away... Live, and let live. JMHO

The wakeboard boats seen to always have someone standing on the swim platform either coaching or pulling in the rope when the rider decides to surf untethered. I suppose the worse that might happen is getting run over by the he boarder since the prop is under the platform.

(Some) people are STUPID in every walk of life, not just boating. "WE" can't possibly "SAVE" them all from themselves no matter how hard "WE" try. Like John J said in the original great Rambo movie: "Let it go, just let it go"... LOL

I am interested in and often looking at other surf and wake boats on the lake and I have NEVER once seen this.


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Maybe my favorite post on this forum ever.


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Missing piece
 

Laws & regulations without enforcement are merely "suggestions". Lake time for many is "fun time freedom for me, NOW!" without either any thought of others & consequences or simply a "screw you, I am having my fun time freedom day" attitude.
At some point a blind drunk in a 34' cruiser or a few kids in a wake boat are going to drive over and murder a family of 6 in a little bowrider while they are recovering a swimmer and then, maybe, the M.P. will be funded & mandated to actually enforce the rules in an effective manner. For a year, maybe two. Until then it's the wild wild west...

Because the drunk driver heading away from you or me may be passing a loved one along the way AND that drunk driver is likely to return from whence they came and put us in their blurry sites again. We recently saw firsthand the needless devastation of the bikers killed by a serial drunk driver where laws were in place but enforcement was not. We should legislate against dangerous public behavior AND enforce those laws. If we did both it would have saved those bikers. In fact, you may have been saved, more than once, from devastating injury or death, precisely because of enforced laws that took dangerous people off the streets. You are simply not aware of it because it didnt happen so you imagine there is and was no use of those laws. Talk about the definition of "shortsighted", you may be the poster child.

I think this "oh well, its not a threat to me, right now, so why worry" is a bit immature. And very dangerous.

I mostly frequent the Varney Islands as a local tour boat captain and there is constantly someone standing on the swim platform of a wake boat that spends time there just about every day. I also have to frequently alter course because the driver clearly doesn't understand right of way rules. Or maybe understands them but believes maintaining his wake for his rider is more important.

Trend
 

I believe that if you see something dangerous and/or stupid, you need to say something. Often people haven’t given any thought to ramifications of what they’re doing, and they might appreciate having it pointed out to them. On the other hand, they might flip you the middle digit, but at least you tried.

I think maybe you should go back and reread my post. A couple times if need be. I'm not saying what you are insinuating me of saying. I cover what you are insinuating me of saying in the FIRST line of the post. The "stupidity" that I could care less about is the stupidity that would only harm the idiot himself, or someone in his party, doing the stupid act. For example, people sitting on the engine cover (sun pad) while under way like in the picture of a previous post. People allowing their kids, and or guests sitting on the bow while under way, people standing on the swim platform while under way. Stuff like that. Not the stuff that has the potential to be harmful to me, or other's, like I said in my original post. Your analogy of the drunk driver, (if I know he's drunk), is precisely what I was NOT talking about. Lousy analogy. Do you comprehend what you read? BTW, I'm pretty sure, (in fact, I KNOW) that there is already (plenty) of legislation on the books to "protect" us from dangerous public behavior. The problem is that Law enforcement can't possibly be everywhere, all the time, to keep you nice and safe and sound. Basically, in other words, if you are going to "depend" on the Govt to keep you safe, prepare yourself to be disappointed most of, if not all of the time. In case you haven't noticed, the Govt sucks at "running" (most) things. And you want to talk about being shortsighted...?

What Cal said above!

Woodsy

I thought that image was meant to illustrate "Maintain proper Male:Female ratios at all times".

Well that image is certainly not “proper” in my book!

I know, right!

Bad male:female ratio
Dudes totally ignoring the ladies
Guy on the left is wearing some kind of long sleeve shirt or light sweater.

To their credit, none have backwards ball caps and at least the girls don't have gaudy thigh tattoos.

Lol read the post above yours...

Been there
 

My first mate did that when I first owned this boat, on our once a year trip to the ocean, over my objections, at a new to us gas dock.

I heard a screams and sure enough she is hanging on for dear life to the aft canopy post. With twin Bravo 3's spinning at her feet, luckily I was able to kill the engines quickly.

Of course, she still does that, unless I tell her not to help what so ever!

https://www.wmur.com/article/9-year-...hland/28879766

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So sad.


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Another life changing event on the water. Devastatingly sad. but totally preventable with genuine boater education and meaningful enforcement.

Brings back to memory when living on Cape Cod, Cindi Lauper and her friends on her boat standing on the bow, legs dangling overboard and standing room only in the cockpit. Interesting site when the boat ran into the spit coming into New Seabury. Going slow and no one was injured that I recall. I often wondered how many people the boat was rated for. Think there was a PFD for everyone.

_____________________________________

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

The accident referenced above was on a pontoon boat... begs the question regarding what "sitting on the bow" means?

Does a pontoon boat have a bow as we typically think of a bow. I always thought they had a front and a back not a bow.

There is a lot that is not in this story. To me, all we really know is that a 9 year old boy was injured. My thoughts go out to his family

A pontoon boat has a bow/stern/port/starboard just like any other boat. It’s just a flat bow. There is usually a gate in the middle of the bow for access/egress and a person could certainly sit on the bow with the gate open or if the boat has a lot of deck space outside the gate. Mine only has about a foot of deck but some have much more so it would be very easy to sit out there. I’m thinking the operator of this particular boat was inexperienced or unaware of this dangerous practice.

How long?
 

Many years ago (40?) the legislature made it illegal to ride on the bow or sit on the gunwales. For some reason, pontoon captains seem to think this doesn't apply to them or their passengers. When it occurs, in most instances, I think MP gives a warning. I'm not usually for more rules, but somehow, we're not getting the word out to 'tooners, especially those with little previous experience in other types of boats. In only a few weeks we have this one and the teen-ager who fell off the bow of a 'toon near LSP.
Would a $500-$1000 fine for the captain who allows this open some eyes? Fine, no warning! I am reluctant to do the heavy hand of the law on this, but two major accidents this summer (are there others?) mean we are not taking the right approach.

I would be willing to bet that these two "Captains" that had people fall off their bows, will not allow anyone to sit there in the future, if they're still boating at all. Unfortunately, sometimes, it takes a tragedy to "reach" people. Having to live with the guilt of being responsible for these injuries is punishment enough for these "Captains" I would think. If other's continue to take those risks, let them... We are FREE to be stupid. I don't understand the mindset of someone that thinks it's their "duty" to keep everyone safe. Don't misunderstand, I don't wish harm on anyone, I just don't worry, or concern myself with what "other" people are doing to endanger themselves. Not my problem... I tend to mind my own business, and expect other's to do the same.

How about this guy Saturday off 5 mile island. I guessing she's the beneficiary on his life policy.

'tooners and boaters
 

As this thread has pointed out and I see my share of them, they think boating laws do not apply to them. And that is a major pain in my butt! The laws applies to all vessels on water! Hopefully this will sink in before, god forbid, a casualty happens!

This is one of those cases where, regardless of the law, common sense should prevail. Doesn't matter which state issued your safe boater certificate. I can't tell from the picture, but some people likely think it's safe as long as you're wearing a ski vest or PFD. If they get a ticket, a remedial safe boater safety course for everybody in the boat should be an available penalty. Who gets the ticket? Driver or bow rider? Both are equally guilty, aren't they?

Operator is guilty. As for the “bow rider” blissful ignorance reads it’s ugly head.

MP Choice?
 

I have a friend who got a ticket for going too fast, too close to land. He was water skiing, starting up from shallow water. The skier got the ticket, not the driver. The law has been changed in favor of safe skiing practices. Nevertheless, I think both should get the ticket, if both are adults. If one is under age, the adult should get a double whammy. BTW, MP does great job deciding when to ticket and when to make it a teaching moment.

I agree but my point was anyone that is “in charge” of passengers, be it boat or
other conveyance, should be held responsible for putting his charges in danger.

Sorry but in my lifetime I have found fines to be WORTHLESS.

Driver or passenger or anyone, I have never seen anyone change their ways based on a fine, unless its just an insignificant matter of concern like a parking ticket.

Its been my observation fines only annoy the recipient and reinforces their notion that the laws are stupid. Fines dont seem to change really bad behavior.

Not sure anything changes really bad behavior, just look at how many times a drunk driver can be arrested again and again,,,

People only change really bad behavior when they are ready to change, and in too many cases its because of a serious near-miss or something horrible that actually happened, but but rarely because they got yelled at, got fined or even lost some privilege for any period of time.

Your opinion may vary.

Not this one... No one over the rail until the motor is OFF. Don't even lean over. Why? Because some days I suck and judging how long my front deck is and if I go bonk on a piling you go splash.

Please keep all arms and legs inside the ride until it has come to a complete and full stop. :)