A Mid 50yo PERSPECTIVE on "go-fast"
 

I'll probably get toasted, but here goes.....................

I've been boating for over forty years, mostly at LOTO and have watched boats change (mostly for the better) significantly over that time period, been to almost every Shootout and have enjoyed all of them, but now it's time to face facts, we're living and dying to fast.

I love to go fast just like the next guy, but all of us need to recognize our limitations and that there's time and a place for everything, when I was in my mid thirties everything had to be a thousand miles an hour too, now that I'm older I understand what my Father was telling me all those years, slow down, enjoy life, you've only got one, so make it count and live it.

We know some of these boats can go 160-180mph, isn't it enough that we know, do you have to show us and do dangerous flybys, I know some spectators love it, that doesn't make it right or safe, just because someone is misguided enough to anchor close to the middle of the channel should we buzz them, I say no.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

If you want to see what kind of speeds your beautiful boat can get, enter it in the Shootout or any of the other sanctioned closed course events, maybe take it offshore and go-pro your run and post it on youtube where we can all enjoy it where everybody stays safe, I LOVE those videos.

Maybe I'm just getting old, maybe wiser or maybe I just don't want to see anymore memorial stickers on our boats, I hope I didn't offend anyone, just my opinion, so it's only worth something to me, stay safe on the water and have fun, off my soap box.

Jim (aka joey)

Totally agree. I no longer own a go-fast boat but for that thrill I have started racing wheel to wheel at the track. While easily as dangerous, the safety equipment is far superior to what the weekend warrior uses on the water. Quite honestly it's more exhilerating and difficult to master than running the boat.

(sold the boat at 39 when road racing became more fun)

I agree, still like going fast but it seems just like when I am riding, the older I get the more/ better safety gear I use.

You're right Jim............................................... ......you are getting old. LOL!!!!!!!!




But you're one of the youngest at heart old guys I know. Good post

Great post Jim. I'm still mid 30s and love speed but have learned to be responsible with it. Even the spectators that love it, what happens if they are the ones hit. Won't love it anymore.

For sure, the people out there fishing for a fly by or picture will be the same ones(or there families) filing lawsuits and or petitioning for laws against poker runs etc

Good post! Slow down, people don't want to loose you.

I like. :) Ever heard the term, " the faster I go the behinder I get" ?? I still love the adrenaline some things offers. I still have a "go fast 'looking' boat".. Not that fast, but a lot of joy. Not that I couldn't get something faster, but I love what I got for the reasons I got it. Uniquely different, as I lived my life. There is a time when most, (apparently not all of us)realize that there are other ways to enjoy our toys and do the stuff we like. When I could say I'm 30 something, I thought I was indestructible. Later in life healing is a lot longer duration. Back in 2000 I had a street bike, Katana. Lot's of fun, I been riding since I was 16, consider myself a VERY safe rider on the bike. But. Late Saturday PM, 2000. Going to Sarasota on Alligator Alley, no one in site, visibility for ever, I hit it. Got to 146. Fun exhilarating few minutes. Then while slowing down, I admitted to myself that the bike had more balls than I did. The bike was ready and had more ponies to go faster. I knew that I would wanted to hit 150 the next time I had a chance. A few days later I sold the bike, I bought a sport cruiser, (no way this will hit 146. lol ) and I enjoy it just as much, but I know I will live to tell the story about my trip to the Keys or my fun weekend at Bike Week. Hopefully with age there is some common sense that sinks in . I had some sinking in and I hope some of the "ego jockeys" on the PR circuit will get some too. SOON wild be good.
Stay safe, keep others safe as well and enjoy the boating environment, where ever it might take you.
(just my .02)

Thanks for all the positive comments, the older I get I see life as gift and a good analogy would be................when I was my 20s life was a sprint, always rushing to do something..................now that I'm mid 50s I'm hoping life is more like a long distance marathon and I don't want to rush to the finish line prematurely.

If I was ever responsible for hurting someone with or in my boat it would be very difficult to deal with, maybe that's why I always error on the side of safety, sorry if I'm boring you younger guys.

And Griff, I do like to have fun don't I.

Jim, I too am getting old and agree !!!

Gentleman all good points. Lets draw an anology on any given Sunday on any given freeway any given Ferrari, Lamborghini etc can go 150 mph but they don't ( speed limits ) if they did people would die every weekend . Unfortunately they water ways are public venues and open to all . It has to bevup the boat owner to operate his equipment in accordance with the conditions or people will get hurt . We will either figure this out for ourselves or it will be legislated for us . I mean no disrespect to any of the people or to families of those who has passed but no one twisted their arm . Poker runs are not races and that means there is not necessarily the appropriate safety equipment or personal on site andvthe problem some of the boats actually travel faster than most race boats do in a closed course . I don't have the answer but if we stay the course more people will get hurt and big brother will shut it down
RG.

When I was 19 I knew I was too stupid/irresponsible for a sport bike so I bought a Harley. 6 years of beating on that and trying every stupid move you could imagine I thought I got it out of my system and bought a gsxr 1000, 3 months later and witnessing the speedo go to 174 on a weekly basis it had to go before I did.
I'm still that stupid.....

Nothing wrong with going fast, just don't be doing 100mph splitting spectator boats 50' apart.

Not to change the subject, but the GSXR is an awesome bike. ( I looked at it). :) Then I test drove a BMW and it was all over. THe need for speed doesn't die with age, we just control our need better. Next summer i'm planning a trip to Europe with my kids. Nurburgring is on the hit list. Now here I can be a total goof ball in a controlled, closed track. There is a place and time for being a goof ball. On the PR isn't it. PERIOD.

How you doing Richie, I know you know this "live life" thing............I hope it's Richie.

You know, something there area lot of sensible people, thank goodness.

When I was in my 20's I thought I was invincible! Street racing till all hours of the night all through the week and on the weekend there was a "switch" on the boat, full throttle or idle... I have had many close calls, some very close. Could've been killed three times. And because of some incidents in boats I have permanent spinal damage. I lived life and wouldn't do it any other way. I don't regret my past but now at 37 I view things different. I got out of cars and street racing. I don't do bikes. And even though I have a fast boat I try to be as safe as possible. Every time out every one in boat has a vest and I have tether. While doing pokerruns I take the very outside line and run what I want to run depending on the conditions. I don't race. If other boats come up on me I wave them by and pull a wider line to get away from them. I still like to have fun though and use the boat for what it was meant for. The deal is I limit it to one or two passengers, make sure I call a few friends and family and give them my "float plan" and have another boat out with me incase I stuff it hard or roll it. Not the perfect scenario but I feel I put safety measures in place so it limits the risk. Life is precious. I want to see my daughter grow and marry, I want to have grandchildren, I want to grow old with the woman I love. But most importantly I want to be able to look back at my time on Earth and smile.

I totally agree. As much as I still get a kick out of wringing my Progression 22 out (upper 70's), I'm much more aware of what could go wrong these days and keep that stuff for the right time and place. I actually get a much bigger kick out of being able to handle my boat (or any boat) in just about any situation. Yesterday for instance I took a local television reporter and camera man out on the marina service boat so they could get some footage of a police investigation on the lake - from a safe distance. I brought them back in and spun the 23' boat around 180 degrees and backed it into the dock - perfectly. The reporter commented "I couldn't park my car that well - and you had a breeze working against you!" Yea, I'll take that. Oh, and I'm 57.

All I know is that at 50, the more fun I have , the more sore I am the next day......

Yeah. The partying with strippers till six then being at work at eight stopped three years ago. Just can't keep going and going and going anymore...:angry-smiley-055:

Yea, me too, but I appreciate it more now than.

Sooooooooooooooo, you left LOTO and moved to FL to retire and boat. How and when did you get in the Pimping business at 50+? lol

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I was told the other day by a guy in his seventies, that the solution is testosterone and HGH shots, not sure that I am ready for that yet

In my 33 years of taking pictures of boats I find that most people move up to larger boats over the course of their boating life and they usually go from speedboat to a bigger boat with reliable diesel power. I bought a Top Gun in 1994 and shortly thereafter had Cobra Power detune some Merc 1000's that I bought from a racer (couldn't buy them directly from Mercury). After the inevitable failures and maintenance headaches and expenses I moved to something with diesels. As my boat is behind my house I can simply go out and have a cocktail or listen to some music and "go boating".

The "keeping it up" thing was never a problem. The keeping my eyes open and head off the desk became an issue. No shots will fix that. Aderall maybe but I quit doing drugs when I was 25.

How do you think I was able to retire before I was 50....................................pimpin ain't easy, you digging on that goblet.

Griff said I party with the best of them, I guess this pic shows I can still hang with the young bucks, check out the blonde spiked hair

This sums it up...... http://youtu.be/JZHNSrl9KsU

Clean out you PM box. Its full

Yeah, my wife won't let me do that anymore either.

Mine neither....... especially since she gave up stripping ;)

Jim didn't know you were a pimp!! Lmao.

That's my crazy Vegas partying days a couple of years ago, I guess we never grow up, at least I didn't....................or haven't.

I second that

I haven't and don't plan on it. Lol. Parents are your age and we go out drinking all the time together.

Share the upcoming PM, Gino. I could guess it's content. :evilb:

iam 46.. Dont even think to slow down the speed, i "hate" sail boats ;)

Next move is find bigger props... 130mph is what i try to reach one day.

Einsteins theory of relativity suggests the Faster one travels the Younger one stays !! Speed and time are relative !! :cartman:

I think there is a part in all of us that want to go fast all the time to the limit but as you get older you start respecting the consequences of those actions....I'm 35 now and 10 -12 years ago I thought '' nah it wont happen to me" ...... my thoughts have changed since lol and my next boat will for sure have diesels a big sunpad and a place to crash with AC....

When I was racing ATV's and turned 30 (VET CLASS), I learned a bit of wisdom. It takes LESS time to slow down for the ditch, then to pick yourself up off the ground on the other side..

I'm getting sleepy.

Pesky Varmint (age: 62)

Most of you guys are puppies. Best advice I can give is stay active. Turn that TV/ computer/ video game off and get outdoors.