Don't Be A Headline, Don't Make Your Co Boater One

[fishinwrench]

not everyone may know the proper navigational rules of conduct.

Anyone considering themselves competent to compete in a sanctioned tournament should know proper navigational rules. If they met head on and both corrected in the same direction then one of the drivers apparently didn't know what he was doing.

Just for an easy to remember refresher: Consider your bow light (one side red-left / one side green-right)

Never turn your green side to an approaching craft, and always give the right of way to a craft that has its red side towards you.

Red-left-port

Green-right-starboard

Two boat meeting head on each veer RIGHT/starboard (just like on the highway), which puts thier red-left-port side towards the approaching vessel.

May be they should make all drivers take a OUPV Captain's test before driving. They cover these issues specifically in their manuals. That way everyone plays, or boats, by the same rules.

I agree, and that incldes PWC's jetboats, and even canoes on rivers.

So...just to make sure everyone is paying attention....When you are passing (overtaking) a slower craft, which side do you pass on ? (remember the bow lights)

[Flysmallie]

May be they should make all drivers take a OUPV Captain's test before driving. They cover these issues specifically in their manuals. That way everyone plays, or boats, by the same rules.

I know... more gov't/regulations are bad, but . . .

Hold up there Phil. We have rules about turning topics political on OAF. It's going to suck if we have to ban you from posting.

[denjac]

So...just to make sure everyone is paying attention....When you are passing (overtaking) a slower craft, which side do you pass on ? (remember the bow lights)

When passing another boat, sound a short horn blast to signal your presence and then give a wide clearance and pass the boat on the right (starboard) if possible. If navigation won't allow passing on the right, then again sound the horn with two short bursts and pass with a wide margin on the left (port). Use caution as boats coming head on may be masked by the forward boat. Don't put yourself in a situation of passing and having to yield to oncoming vessels.

I dont know anybody that does the horn thing though.

[eric1978]

I know... more gov't/regulations are bad, but . . .

Hold up there Phil. We have rules about turning topics political on OAF. It's going to suck if we have to ban you from posting.

Yeah, I was tempted to respond to that until Ronnie pulled it out of the fire. Well done, Mr. Peacekeeper.

So...just to make sure everyone is paying attention....When you are passing (overtaking) a slower craft, which side do you pass on ? (remember the bow lights)

Jello?

[Sam]

This may not be an issue with bigger boats, but on my boat I always take the front fishing seat down before running from one place to another with the main motor. When that seat's up, it blocks a lot of my view from the driver's seat - I have to peek around it, and it can block my view of other boats, stumps, and swimmers. On some boats, including mine, running with that seat up is dangerous.

[denjac]

This may not be an issue with bigger boats, but on my boat I always take the front fishing seat down before running from one place to another with the main motor. When that seat's up, it blocks a lot of my view from the driver's seat - I have to peek around it, and it can block my view of other boats, stumps, and swimmers. On some boats, including mine, running with that seat up is dangerous.

I have to raise mine up to see.

[fullmoon]

It still scares me to remember how close i came a few years ago fishing the Aunt's creek fall tournment. I was the 5th or 6th boat out. The ones ahead of me went up the james I was going down to the main lake. I see a boat coming up the Jame's on the same course, there was a tournment out of Kimberling, we're about a mile apart. I have a 2000 21dc Triton w/225 yama and I wasn't pushing it maybe running 50 or 55 also it was still dark. I moved right and it seemed he did too I went bact to straight then tried it again and same thing happened so i started shutting down. I'm coming down off plane and he's still coming full tilt and i'm thinking he's going to hit me but at the very last second he swerves to my right (wrong again). My boat misses the back of his by maybe 2 feet and we coast thru the spray. If it happens again i'll keep going right until i reach the shore.