pullmytrigger

your absolutely right......!!!

Airpacker

I would say I have seen it all in behaviour of fellow performance boaters but ya never know. I have dined and drank with people who could buy everything I have with their pocket change and been amazed at how polite and down to Earth they were. I have been snuffed off by some whom I could buy and been astounded at their arrogance and ignorance. I have been shocked at the public antics of many a poker runner and wondered just what in life made these people act like spoiled little school children. I have witnessed owners of nice boats publically belittle owners of not so nice boats and have seen six figure offshores towing four figure Bayliners in from the lake.

Its not the boat or the bank account, its the individual personality. Some I really like and am proud to call my friends and some I'd just as soon chit on for being azzholes who reflect poorly on the rest of us.

C_Spray

iTrader: (2)

If I were a non-powerboater reading this thread, I'd say we were doing a pretty good job of living down to some people's expectations. Most responses have gotten the point, but just enough of us have missed that it's about tolerance as well as attitudes and behavior. If a fellow boater acts badly towards you - let it go as long as it's not assault. When we get hostile back, it only serves to confirm their expectations. It's really pretty simple: No one can shoot at you if you don't give them any ammunition to work with.

Von Bongo

In defense of us Cig owners at LOTO, the lake is so damn crowded most of the time I am always looking for that jet ski, tuber or rental bow rider that I rarely wave at people unless it's just to 2 of us within a hundred yards or if we are at idle speed then I do. I'm not stuck up, but my job is to drive the boat and If I already think your not an hazard to navagation I probably am not even looking at your boat, be it an envision or Dave Scott.

I do however tell all my passengers it is their job to wave at every boat. With so many boats my wife gets tired of waiving if we run from the Niangua to the Dam. Thinking about getting one of those hands on a spring and bolting it to the fairing.

sommerfliesby

What fairing?

I will always wave and always offer assistance for precisely the reason stated earlier...it's like preventive maintenence. Plus, I'm one of the only red boats in the neighborhood...and if I'm a d-ck, I'll be forever known as the d-ck in the red boat. I have towed a BEATEN down cuddy-cabin into a marina that was 3 feet deep and didn't have another boat in it that was over 25 feet...it was so small I couldn't even spin my boat to get it out! My wife was chewing my ear off, but I said, hey, it has to be done, can't leave anyone stranded.

Knot 4 Me

I'm around powerboats and power boaters a lot. Whenever I'm in a conversation with someone with a high dollar ride and they ask me what boat I have the conversation inevitably goes one of two ways. When I say a 26' runabout, they either start asking questions and refer back to their old rides that they started out in that were similar or the conversation ends and they act as if I'm not worthy of their attention since I don't have a big ride. But this type of behavior is not unique to boating and really doesn't bother me a bit as I know with VERY few exceptions that everyone starts small and works their way up. Some just forget what it used to be like along the way.

copiercat

i think airpacker summed it up for me.i try to answer everyones questions and put up with gas comments and even listen to their "friend "stories.
but im not wavving at the damn crab guys that place their minefield buoy's in the middle of the channels

Von Bongo

Will Be????

As for helping people, it's only the right thing to do, I've towed people home and even rewired a starter switch while floating down the muddy MO for a disabled boat and been towed home once. If the hatch is up and anyone is looking at us I will stop, 9 times out of 10 I get the we're fine or we've called a friend but that 10th person is very glad we stopped especially when it's rough.

I've never accepted payment and I've only been towed once and they only took a beer each and that was after insisting that they must take something for their trouble.

I figure the more I help the more likely one of them sees me broke down and helps me home!

Perlmudder

I will always stop and help out if I can. I figure in boating I need all the good karma I can get. Being that me and my brother are out almost everyday in the summer as long as its not raining, it pays to know people and be respectful, because when I break down im going to hope someone stops and gives me a hand. I dont notice the sailors or fishermen being that bad around Crystal Beach / Lake Erie (most i've either crewed on their sailboats or had a drink with them at the bar, dont hate on me for that!). A lot of times just showing interest in what they are doing, and understanding what they are all about goes a long way in friendly communications. Although I would not consider my boat to be an offshore powerboat, I assume things sort of similar.

Josh out!

DonziChick

I try to wave at everyone. It's the way I was brought up when I was boating as a kid. I remember when we switched from Lake Cumberland to Lake Erie, I noticed a big difference. On Cumberland, at least in the 80's and early 90's, many more people waved than at Erie. I've noticed now that the same types of boats wave. It's like historic cars changed - at first everyone waved at each other, then just the Mogan's waved at Morgans, Sprites at Sprites, etc.

I also try to stop when someone is broken down. I've been towed in by a pontoon boat before, I don't have any pride left I at least always have my toolbox with me or can tow.

I've noticed that a lot of people in this thread have gotten very defensive - they haven't posted about what they do to promote a positive image, but reasons why other boaters aren't nice or aren't deserving of them being nice to them. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I think it's true. If we don't promote a positive image, to jetskiers, bass boaters, non-boaters, even the dreaded sailboaters, etc we'll be facing more and more legislation regarding speed and noise.