Reasonable request regarding silent choice use?
 

What is a reasonable request regarding when to use silent choice? I had a neighbor complain to the pres. of the HOA that my boat wakes them up too early...and Ive only had it there 3 wks. There hasnt been one weekend day I got the boat out before noon. WTF?

You will never satisfy him. We had a person complain that his kids would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. They were like 8 or 9 years old. night was like 11:00. Go to the newspaper with that and he gets sympathy even when it's not true.

I can make a point to come by early if you want the monkey off your back. :evilb:

Are you the only one with a performacne boat on the dock / neighborhood? Probably just using you. Your place is a lot closer to the water than mine, and I can hear the bass tournaments head out at 7 or before. Probably what they hear, they just assume you are a trouble maker.

So is your question should you use silent choice when you start up in the dock?

Hi Bill, please do come by.

One other guy has a loud boat and he was the one tinkering w/ it in the morning I suspect....they are looking at the new people as the push arounds. I basically told the pres. that I dont care about somebody that sleeps in till 11...I will use my common sense as to silent choice application. Like 9am. Its not like I sit there and rev it. I start it, back out, and depart the cove quickly :evilb:

If they want me to use it all the time just ask me...i might. What they did say is that I wake people up.....at noon. Some people are pre disposed douche bags and look for a fight whenever they can. I want to know what you fellow loud boaters consider etiquette w/o giving up your rights?

If you sleep all day....WTF Why do you live by the water!!!

I like it loud as much as anyone, but I do use my silent choice at the marina when others are around and as I idle out. It's not worth the fight. You never know how big an A-hole this guy might be, it would suck to have your boat vandalized. Unfortunately, noise laws are becoming more and more enforced and I hate to give anyone any ammunition. I always activate my silent choice when by the police or Coast Guard. Good Luck!

I would just use the silent choice if you have that option.

Take a look at your HOA bylaws. Most all of them have a noise provision in there. Most leave you subject to a small fine, but they are designed for parties and such, not afternoon boat rides. An HOA has absolutely no power or control over what goes on in the lake, but if your starting up with a water hose in your driveway - thats a different story. Helll a loud boat close to the lakehouse is no louder than my neighbor's lawn mower buzzing by my window. Sounds like the guy has some animosity towards fast boats, cause when one wakes me up in the morning (and it happens all the time) I wake up with the biggest chit eating grin I can muster. I'd throw one back at the guy - like complaining about your neighbors eithere being a bunch of alcoholics or on drugs to sleep in that late.

Sometimes I wish I could sleep until 11:00.
Sleeping in late for me is 8:30-9:00 - and that is late!!
Usually up by 7:00 on the weekend. And I thought that was sleeping in.

If you're firing up at 9:00-10-00 I think you should be fine.
You're being very considerate by even asking the silent choice question.

Thank you, Bouy. That is why a lot of boats have it IMO. I dont sleep in late either....especially at the lake, but I also dont get out on the water until 11 or noon. I wont be tip toeing around on saturday at 11-12 in the afternoon b/c one person sleeps that late.

Just got an email from the pres. He said: "I dont know when you have been out on the water, so maybe the timeframe was mixed up. Yes, your boat is loud. If you could keep it silent while in the cove I would appreciate it."

Thats all he had to say.

But the middle of the afternoon....come on!

If Im concerned I might offend people with the noise....... start up/si choice on.......warmup/on......idle out/on......holeshot/on ......bow comes over on plane/open

Returning......driving around/open.......as soon as I drop off plane.....choice on

Very Welcome.
I was running a 454 with straight exhaust - loudest boat in a small conservative marina. I was on the boat 6 nights a week, and actually took it out 3-4 nights. I still started it and revved it every night - making sure the batteries were charged:D
Everyone knew it was me, and they came to accept it. I wasn't obnoxious about it, just making sure my boat was good.
I was also friendly with my dock neighbors no matter what they were running - they love the water too. I think that made the biggest difference. I had a couple docked two slips away that only bought a boat because she had Cancer, and always wanted a boat. They bought a 21' Bayliner, and we always talked around the docks - great couple. They knew that I was just "doing my thing".

My only thought is:
Try to be considerate, but if they are unreasonable F-em.

Sometimes no matter what you do the guys still going to complain. Alot of times its jealousy. I have a neighbor who lives up the creek from me and i've never been past his house in my boat come over and ask if i could go in and out of the creek on one engine. This was 3 years ago. I always drop my boat in from the lift and idle down the creek for the engines to warm up and come home drop off plane a few houses down and go right in the lift and kill it. I told him before i ran on one engine he needed to wear one earplug in his down creek ear or move to a mill pond somewhere. His kayak floated off his pier during a storm last year and i caught it as it went by and took it back to him. Now he waves all the time. Go figure!!!

You're always going to have the jackasses that complain, no matter how polite you are with silent choice. My advise is to take the higher ground. Run silent when around the cove/docks, and open it up once you are out and running in open water. As much satisfaction as you get from spinning the stern toward the "complainer" and blasting him with straight pipes, you're only going to screw yourself by pissing off the other neighbors that had no issue with you. Don't give him any ammunition or support from other neighbors, and everyone will look at him as the beligerant ****, not you.

:eek: Sleeping in to 11am, ( What the hell, is he a guy or a CAT ?) :evilb:

Loud boats?? Sounds like he is envious.. Does he own a Bayliner by chance??

Solution, Install headers with Drypipes & berth your boat with the transom facing his bedroom window. Then start it up @ 5am for an early morning ride everyday for a week before you go to work.. Then next time you go for a spin @ 11 am he will leave you alone..


I got tired of the same type of BS up here on one of our local lakes.. I said the hell with it.. I now try to go to the Chesapeake Bay as much as possible.. It is too bad some people are kill joys..

Jamie / Lakeside

Amen to that. I am a nice guy, and will try to avoid confrontation. But I dont appreciate stupid demands. Unfortunately I will cave into this request. The one other guy with a performance boat has exhaust running through a couple of angles and it dumps just at water line when sitting or idle.....there is nobody there with anything near as loud as my fountain. I guess some grouchy neighbors just need a ride.

Bill, please come by the back of the cove early some day and let both motors do their job. Thx

take it to the rev limiters one day and go , WE CAN BE LOUDER IF YOU LIKE. :evilb:
SMILE AND WAVE BOYS, JUST SMILE AND WAVE

I think it was the pres of the HOA himself...just didnt want to seem like that "guy."

I told him the time mix up, and he said "well...your boat is loud, and some people that arent down here yet but will be wont like it and will be in your azz about it." It was just his way of asking me indirectly.

I've said it before, and it's usually not popular, but the "Screw him...start it at 6 am and rev it to the limiters" type of comments are perfect examples of the attitude that will lead only to more noise laws...and even more hatred of performance boats.

You've got to keep in mind that for every one of us that loves the sound of dry pipes, there are 100 others out there who find it annoying.

I'd use the silent choice around the docks, regardless of whether it's 12 noon or 3 am. You already have it, what's the harm in using it?

What a chicken****.

Ask the pres if you could talk to the person directly to try and smooth things over. Explain you are a nice guy and just want to be at the lake relaxing and doing your own thing - and not worrying about what your neighbors are doing. You are not intentionally trying to bother anyone. Also inform them that they are lucky it is you and your boat because it could be worse.

It was the pres all along. After I told him it wasnt me in the morning he said "well there are some people who arent down here yet, but will be and they will certainly be in yo azz about the noise." Oh well, I can be kinda quite in the cove to avoid this ***** in the future. But you, Bill, can come by and drop anchor with motors going and sit for a while just across the cove. It really is a nice place to do that anyway.

Because there is nothing better than starting those engines with the exhaust all drained back and for a few seconds sounding like dry pipes. :evilb:

I have a few uptight neighbors. I heard of one asking another if the noise from the dock late at night (midnight or so) bothered them. The response he gave was, " if it was during the week and all the time, it would bother me, but these people are just here relaxing and having fun......" Work hard - play hard!:drink:

What happened to "common courtesy" when it comes to powerboating?

Since not everyone enjoys the rumble of "big blocks" in the morning,
what's wrong with turning off the "pipes" around residential areas, regardless of the time of day?

I say we all come to Table Rock and have a regatta in your cove. Let him know what loud really is.:evilb:

We all need to keep it quiet in the harbors and marinas. CMI make a great muffler that opens at 3000 rpm.

I will gladly provide :drink: to non drivers, and BBQ for everbody involved..........if we can all start up the motors when I know the guy is there. :evilb:

Well, if it was the "morning" I would certainly close things off. But the morning soon turned to all the time. I suppose we are the minority since we like the music....what ever happened to minority rights?

We lost 'em when the Harbor Patrol showed up :evilb:

You are quite correct however, that when you give someone an inch, they then want a mile!
But sometimes it's better to loose the battles in the harbor, and to win the war in the open sea!

Where are you on the lake. I'm out early most every weekend and i don't have silent choice.:D

spring branch. I have always run open, but a neighbor says I am now disturbing them too much when I come and go.

Where is spring branch? My house is by indian point

5 minutes away from you. Heading towards cow creek/kimberling city it is the first large cove thats off to the left, cow creek is second, and little cow is third. Just cadi-corner from the point 5 marker. You be down this weekend? What do you boat in?

The 1 person complaining now will just be the start of it if you continue to insist on your right to annoy the other 100 any time of day. And typically those other 100 have a lot more money and friends in important places to start chit with.
It's a battle only you will lose.
The real question should be why would you have the exhuast open in a Marina? Sorry but by your post it sounds like your looking to create issues with the neighbors. As powerboaters we need to learn we are not the only ones with rights..

I see your point, but 1. it isnt a marina...its only a handful of private docks 2. I certainly dont try and "defy" the requests of others. Just ask me. 3. I only start up and leave. Takes me 4 or 5 minutes. If the guy would have just asked me to try and quite it durring the afternoon I would (and i am) but he said I was up early making noise and somebody else got woken up...BS. He just came off as a powerboat hater. My intial question and reason for this thread was what are options when dealing with people who go overboard about "loud boats?" Thats it. Oh, and trust me...I dont want to find out what other neighbors opinions about my boat are as we all have to share the cove etc.

I have two drag cars and a circle track car in my storage warehouse. A guy illegally has an apartment in this commercial zoned area and had the nerve to complain that on Saturday afternoons can I "cool it" running the engines. As nicely as I could I mentioned that I pay big rent to do what I want, especially on the weekends. I usually tell unreasonable complainers all about the Mistletoe on my shirttail.

Mistletoe on the shirttail....thats funny. I wish it were all that easy in my situation. I am certainly not the "just to prove a point type." I only mind my business and expect others to do the same. If my boat disturbs others no matter what than i will amend the situation....but i certainly dont cave into bogus demands from some grouch that makes up 1/23 of our neighborhood. For all i know the "neighbors" that arent there yet he says hate loud boats really dont. I get enjoyment out of idling out with loud exhaust bellowing...they get quite 99% of the time, so whats wrong with my 1% of kinda loud?

What the hell is "silent choice"? :D :D :D

You are getting singled out by a guy who needs to feel important. A guy who needs to be the big time president of the HOA to exert his power. A guy who can tell you what the HOA thinks before any of them have met you or heard your boat! If you push him just right he will pee his pants and run away to find his mama. Be tactfull not to start a real issue with the neighbors (who you will probably get along with fine) but don't give this guy an inch.

On weekends I always did what I wanted at LOTO but Im in one of the busiest sections there (18.5MM). I had a niebor at the condo complain to me and the HOA. They said they wanted piece and quiet when they are down there. I told them come down on weekdays or buy a house somewhere else if thats what you want. Most others in the HOA agreed. A lot of us bought the condos to party on the weekends and dont want anyone telling us we can't. They did move after a year. Moral of the story is there are probably others in you HOA that will back you up. At least they did at my meetings.

By the way, I was still used my silent choice before 10:00am and after 11:00 pm. I just thought that was the right thing to do.