Right of Way/Stand On/Give Way...
 

Will folks EVER learn?

I have decidedly given up on oblivious PWC users. However, I had what could have been a close call on a very wide section Potomac River on Saturday with another boater.

I was running due South for 3+ miles, around 55mph, and had not changed course.

I saw a bow rider approaching from my Port side, and they were pulling a tube. They were doing the typical weaving back and forth but still keeping a consistent Western heading.

Instead of turning as he should have to be the Give Way vessel, as he saw my Port side and what would be a Red light (stop!), he decided to gun it and shoot across my path. In the process of gunning it and coming across my bow, he throws both of his passengers off the tube, directly in my path.

I was very aware of my surroundings, and allowed time, speed, and distance for what I figured would be an idiot move, and of course he pulled the idiot move. I turned pretty hard about 45 degrees to Port and passed about 400 yards behind his passengers.

I just can't imagine being out there boating and endangering the lives of your passengers like that. What an IDIOT! :confused: :hothead:

Did you do the right thing and inform him on what an Idiot he is? I'd at least have slowed and told the people in the water that their captan almost killed them, then let them tell captan DipSh*t how they feel.

What a moron...if I was pulling them I would have slowed then rapidly accelerated and whipped them over your wake launching them 20 feet into the air.

There will always be idiots on the water. Rather than rely on the "rules", I look more for a meeting of the minds. I try to make it very clear where I am headed by giving lots of space. I've had people cut in front of me too and they are the ones who aren't looking. If they aren't looking at me I slow way down. Similar rules apply on the road with bikers. I always look them in the eye so they know that I see them.

If you dont expect jet ski's, wake boats and tubers to do the unexpected you will surely have an ugly situation before long.

I also assume that most boaters dont know the rules either. Makes it easy for me to stay calm and enjoy my day.

Yeah idiots around here drive like they are on the GSP or Turnpike. Had a guy in a big cruiser literally cut me off within a couple feet of my bow as we were going through the no-wake zone under the manalokin bridge. Instead of just turning behind me he had to pass on my left and then cut over..what an ass!

Brian

Welcome back to the Potomac!!!!! As you can see its not any better as far as rules of the road.

These situations happen all the time...We had a similar near miss with a sea ray whom didnt know the rules of the water...

In Motocross, idiots are used for traction when they do a bone head move on the track and crash in front of you while cutting from one side of the track to the other in their flailing, tumbling, stumbling attempt to race, such a good feeling to leave knobby tread marks on the side of their bike from the number plate all the way up the gas tank.

Yea, but you can't use jet skis to gain traction. They tend to gum up the water intakes.
:evilb: