Quote:
Originally Posted by ITD
You've twisted my words. I don't worry about about a paddle boarder near my boat because if I am close enough and in a position to run a boarder over I am fully stopped until they move on.
If I'm in a spot where I can't see what is around the corner, I'm barely moving until I can see and I can stop if a paddle boarder pops out from behind some mythical object he was hiding behind.
Paddle boarders do not appear out of nowhere. They are easy to see. They move slowly. I pay attention while my boat is moving, it's that simple. But beyond that, I understand that the boat does not need to be moving a certain speed to be under control. I can hold the boat in one place if I need to. Even if.... gasp... it is breezy or there is a current. If it is real windy I'm very careful in tight spots and near people. If it is so windy I can't hold the boat in one spot, I stay home, which is very rare.
You want to ban people from enjoying themselves because you are afraid of your boat. The last thing this lady wanted to do was run someone over and run her boat up on a dock. But she did, she didn't know what she was doing. She was afraid of her boat, she thought she needed to be moving a certain speed to control it, and she reacted badly by adding so much power to avoid the boarder that she ran her over AND ran her boat up on a dock.
I never move near things any faster than I would want to hit that thing. This means very slowly, and near people (swimmers, boarders, canoes, paddle boats, kayaks), either very slowly, or not at all until the person moves far enough away and it is safe to move again.
Your problem is that you think you need to attain some magic speed before your boat is controllable. That is not true, if you can't "nudge" your boat in a direction, or hold your boat stationary in a breeze, then you need to find someone to show you how to do so. You are the problem, not me.
The danger is not a random paddle boarder near a dock for a few minutes, the danger is boaters who do not know how to drive their boats. If you are in fear, or worried about driving your boat or operating your boat in close quarters, find someone to help you learn, read a book on how to handle a boat and get out and practice.
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We will simply have to agree to disagree on too many aspects rather than to keep burning electrons and getting no where. I proposed a specific scenario and its either one you don not believe exists, or you believe is easily overcome and not a risk. So be it.
I will live with my respect for the power and mass of my boat and my fear of the shockingly dangerous actions I see others doing, and you will have to live with your confidence that you will never find yourself in a situation that is not 100% within you ability to control.
I hope you are right and you never find yourself in such a predicament where you need to apply constant power (not just bumping in and out of gear) to exit a dock with a strong cross wind or waves from someone on the bay in a wake boat sending waves your way or both at the same time AND a paddle boarder with the wind to their back passing at the very end of the dock blocked from view by another boat tied up at the end of the other side of the dock. Does this happen often, nope. Can it happen, yes, I have seen it more than once a season and I am not there every day, so it is a reality.
Best of luck practicing safe boating.