biggest problem with skis is they are looking at the water right in front of them, worrying about the waves. instead of worrying about what'll really hurt them. my closest call. driving down middle of delaware river in philly. 9-10 at night raining. have front of bimini popped and looking out the slit between it and the windshield. alla sudden a huge tugboat crosses straight in front of me. cut wheel hard right and missed his side by maybe 3 feet. if i would have been 5 seconds sooner he woulda PT109'ed me. and probably never felt it...

Lake Washington between Mercer Island and Bellevue. We were cruising about 40 in my 16' Donzi. Out of the corner of my eye I see a Golden Retriever's head sticking up just feet from the bow in the water. I do a serious evasive maneuver and stop to see about rescuing the dog. I hear a voice. It is the dog's owner who was swimming across the lake in front of the dog. Said human has no way to be seen while swimming in the water. I suggested loudly that I didn't care about him as much as the danger he had put his dog in! Some folks just don't use their thinking skills near water.

When KC's river stop was still open.....about 3 or 4 yrs ago actually, I pulled up in the doral intrigue to fill two 150 gallon tanks. The cc at the dock was busy filling and the dock master handed the second hose to me.

I started fueling the port tank away from the dock, and about 75 gallons in it started to really wreak. Then, I saw a sheen drift by next to the swim platform.

The cc bilge was running and was the source just off my bow.

I threw the fuel line to the dock......untied and pushed off into the current.

After I drifted across the channel and determined my bilge was free and clear of raw fuel of vapor, I saw hazmat, CCPD and CCFD up the channel at the fuel dock.

I left.

Next day I went back to KC's....to pay and inquire about the day before.

Drunk jackwagon handed the fuel line to his drunk jack wagette and she proceeded to pump nearly 600 gallons of fuel into a rod holder on the stbd. side gunnel while he went upstairs to the bar.

undoing the strap on a roller trailer and backing down the ramp! doh! lucky I slammed the gas pedal and got deep enough to hit water

Closest one yet. Threw me onto the deck.
We still won that day though

Back in the late 80's, I was riding with a buddy in his 20' jet boat pulling his girlfriend on skis. Another boat pulling a skier came up beside us and we were also behind and to the left of another boat pulling a skier. The boat beside us started crowding us closer and closer to shore (on a river) and forcing us to be directly behind the the boat in front of us. We start slowing down to gain some separation. Abt that time, the skier in front of us falls. We can't go right or left and whatever we do, we have to have power on so the boat will turn.

We have always heard a jet boat will stop real quick if you nail it in rev. So he puts it in rev and nails it. Unfortunately the clamshell liberates itself and we go damn near full throttle right over the skier. Fearing the worst he shuts off the eng and prepares to jump in to rescue the fallen skier. He comes up cussing and calling my buddy every name in the book. We just had to stand there and take it. To make things worst, turns out he's a lawyer..After he cools down a bit and we explain what happened and he was OK with it. Lucky bastard didn't even get a scratch. I hate to think of what would have happened if we weren't in a jet boat.

yea thats what i said too just before i almost craped myself

I know if you put a jet ski in reverse and nail it, it drives the ski deep underwater. We used to do it for fun until my friend injested water in his engine. I would be scared reversing a jet boat at speed would sink it

Traveling up Lake Washington not wishing to be late for the kickoff at Husky Stadium in a 16 foot Donzi with girl friend and two guests. Liz was in the back holding two bags of goodies for the tailgate party. We hit a rogue wave from a large boat and go seriously airborne. I look over my shoulder and see Liz about 3 - 4 feet in the air with really big eyes still holding on to the food. I pull back the throttle just enough where she lands right back where she launched from bags and all. All was well! The Huskies won the game, too.

Quick one for ya… (how many do you think I have?) Cliff note version:
Probably 10years ago...

Poker run, in the pack after a start. Big confused boat chop.
5 people in the boat. I was standing in the back seat (not driving this time)
Big V, big power
Probably at about 85 mph
Boat gets into a bad chine walk..bad..most violent chine walk I have experienced.
Then I hear the driver chop the throttles…and I knew what was coming.
Next thing I new it looked like most of us were on the floor, and I looked up to see the drivers wife flying out of the boat… somehow I grabbed the bottom of the bolster base and a strap on her life jacket…
The driver caught the boat and away we went… Everyone in the boat was amazed.

She would have been run over by the 50 boats behind us in that rough water if she had gotten out at that speed…

Todays lesson:
If your big v starts chine walking…don't shut off the throttles...