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Right of way


elib

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So I can't decide if it's better to follow the right of way laws on my lake and maintain course and speed when I have right of way or if I should just always be super defensive and turn away. Twice last season I got flipped off and yelled at when I was totally in the right. The other boaters had no idea of the laws and just saw me as being aggressive/not backing down (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that they weren't just a******* who wanted to pass 10' in front of my bow at full speed. I was also going below planing speed both times.

What do you guys do?

From the california DMV boating website:

Head-on: When meeting head on, both vessels should alter their course to the right so that each boat will pass to the port side of the other. You should signal your intention with one short horn blast. The other vessel should answer right away.

Crossing: When crossing, the vessel to yourstarboard (right) is considered the stand-on vessel and you should stay out of the way and avoid crossing ahead. The vessel to the left is the give-way vessel, or the vessel directed to keep out of the way so that the vessel to your right can cross

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I'm pretty sure that's what is says in Ny as well.... I'm in upstate ny have a lot of cidiots who just do what they please but very rarely do I back down.... I know I'm in the right.

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I do the same thing I do when driving on the road - assume I am surrounded by idiots!

...something like that, I always assumed it was these guys in the other boats:

Edited by Malibudude
language in video is against the TOU
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ahopkins22LSV

The majority of people boating do not know the laws, and 50% of those that do know don't care. Back down, let them go, go about your day.

This. It sucks, but I have found very true on every lake I have been on. Do your best to follow all laws at all times and do whatever you have to do to keep your rider and your boat safe. I have dropped skiers mid pull multiple times before because someone cut me off or wasn't yielding. Getting mad or gesturing doesn't solve anything so I just go back to my skier apologize for dropping him and pull him back up.

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Sometimes it just turns out that the correct way is not the most sensible and/or safest way and you should defer to common sense.

The correct ways only work out if everybody else is doing them...

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Last year I was driving up the right hand side of the river and came across another boat stationary and pointing toward me with, I think with a rope out and a rider in the water directly behind. His boat was about 90% of the river width on 'my' side of the river. There was no-one else about. On his proper passing side was about 10% of a relatively narrow river and there are fallen trees partially obstructing it.

Before I reached him I mad a clear direction change to signal that I would pass to his 'wrong' side in the wide, open portion. It would have been quite risky to squeeze between he and the RHS bank. Seemed blatantly obvious to me and similar things occur with high frequency.

Anyway, as I passed him with a wave, he gesticulated in a castigating way that I was on the wrong side. If I had been in his boat, I would have wanted the oncoming boat to do what I did...

  • Like 3
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Now days I live & ride in waters that just don't have a ton of boat traffic unless it's 4th of July or Memorial Day weekend. 10 years ago I lived in the Seattle area and skied Lake Sammamish and Washington regularly, which have a LOT more boat traffic. But by far the busiest boating area I've ever seen is the Parker Strip. Besides the birthplace of the SkySki & AirChair, there is a TON of wakeboarding, hotdog skiing, speed skiing, partying and drinking going on there. In over 20 years of boating, that narrow strip of river is the only place I've ever seen a dead person, boats crashing into the rocks & a $75k boat sink.....all separate incidents. But its also the only place I've ever seen boat drivers raise their hand to acknowledge that they see a down skier.....as they go rippin by at 60+ mph. It's not a law, just a common courtesy that everyone does there. And it should be a law everywhere.

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Last year I was driving up the right hand side of the river and came across another boat stationary and pointing toward me with, I think with a rope out and a rider in the water directly behind. His boat was about 90% of the river width on 'my' side of the river. There was no-one else about. On his proper passing side was about 10% of a relatively narrow river and there are fallen trees partially obstructing it.

Before I reached him I mad a clear direction change to signal that I would pass to his 'wrong' side in the wide, open portion. It would have been quite risky to squeeze between he and the RHS bank. Seemed blatantly obvious to me and similar things occur with high frequency.

Anyway, as I passed him with a wave, he gesticulated in a castigating way that I was on the wrong side. If I had been in his boat, I would have wanted the oncoming boat to do what I did...

I'm wondering, does it matter what direction a boat is facing if he is not moving?

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Last year I was driving up the right hand side of the river and came across another boat stationary and pointing toward me with, I think with a rope out and a rider in the water directly behind. His boat was about 90% of the river width on 'my' side of the river. There was no-one else about. On his proper passing side was about 10% of a relatively narrow river and there are fallen trees partially obstructing it.

Before I reached him I mad a clear direction change to signal that I would pass to his 'wrong' side in the wide, open portion. It would have been quite risky to squeeze between he and the RHS bank. Seemed blatantly obvious to me and similar things occur with high frequency.

Anyway, as I passed him with a wave, he gesticulated in a castigating way that I was on the wrong side. If I had been in his boat, I would have wanted the oncoming boat to do what I did...

When out on a river and or in the delta, where there are narrow winding slews, it is difficult to follow all the laws 100%.

In you case, unless I was in a hurry to get uncle Ned to the ambulance cause he had been run over and chopped off his arm or in your case the croc bit it off, I would stop and allow the skier to get up, then resume. Just as a courtesy to the other boat and skier!

One question, did the boat have their flag up and visible? If so, then you are supposed to be no closer that 200 ft. and like I said on some rivers, that is impossible to do.

We must have some of their relatives in our neck of the woods, as they too like to gesticulate in a castigating way! ha ha

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This. It sucks, but I have found very true on every lake I have been on. Do your best to follow all laws at all times and do whatever you have to do to keep your rider and your boat safe. I have dropped skiers mid pull multiple times before because someone cut me off or wasn't yielding. Getting mad or gesturing doesn't solve anything so I just go back to my skier apologize for dropping him and pull him back up.

Thats when you bust our your air soft pistol and show them who the lead dog is! ha ha

Your right though, life is too short, let it go and doesn't let it ruin the day. Enjoy the limited time you are out on the water!

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When out on a river and or in the delta, where there are narrow winding slews, it is difficult to follow all the laws 100%.

In you case, unless I was in a hurry to get uncle Ned to the ambulance cause he had been run over and chopped off his arm or in your case the croc bit it off, I would stop and allow the skier to get up, then resume. Just as a courtesy to the other boat and skier!

One question, did the boat have their flag up and visible? If so, then you are supposed to be no closer that 200 ft. and like I said on some rivers, that is impossible to do.

We must have some of their relatives in our neck of the woods, as they too like to gesticulate in a castigating way! ha ha

That's a good point and I'm presuming I had a rider on the back because otherwise I frequently stop to allow others to get up...

We don't have the flag system over here.

The other boater just seemed to expect me to take a course that, while by-the-book, was significantly more dangerous to everyone than the obviously safer (to me) decision that I took.

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I always assume the other drivers have no clue of the rules of the water, and that they are always going to cut me off.

My riders all know i may stop at any time if i feel their safety is compromised.

My Dad told me the same thing when i was young and crossing the street in a crosswalk - you can be right, but if you're dead, you're dead.

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If I don't have a rider I just go ahead and assume everyone else has the right of way. It saves me headaches from getting made that nearly everyone doesn't know how to navigate correctly. And besides, I'm out having fun and don't mind making my travel a few minutes longer because I have to go out of my way. It's tough to upset me when I'm out on the water.

If I do have a rider, I still assume everyone else has the right of way. That generally keeps my rider safer. The only difference is that I mutter to myself that the other boaters are idiots since I have to sacrifice a good run due to them being inept.

Regardless if I have a rider or not, if another boater puts anyone in danger, I stop to protect everyone. Then I catch them and politely explain why they were wrong. This works about 70% of the time ever since I started with the politeness. If politeness doesn't help, then I will try to embarrass them if their girl is on board.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just make sure they can hear my thoughts.....

k2-_e1070d7f-4b1b-44f4-9958-697da1d0c85f

Somehow I get the feeling your thoughts you express, are a little different than my thoughts that I would express.

Nevertheless... excellent idea.

Anyway - I have had a couple encounters with morons, and one actual close call. Best thing is like Ahopkins mentioned, just slow down and let them do their idiot thing. My scare came last year when I did what Greenman did, I made a move very direct and obvious since the other guy was "out of place" on the water (he was on the "wrong" side of the channel, coming into an intersection.) No biggie, but I wanted to give him plenty of room. The other guy had been on a poker run all day and was probably drunk. He always made his move about 3-4 seconds after I made mine, and we ended up in that awkward "come around the corner face to face with someone at the grocery store and we're both in each others way" dance, basically driving straight at each other. Every time I moved, he turned right afterwards and ended up still aiming right for me. It was almost like it was on purpose, except he was waving his hands drunkenly when he passed me like somehow *I* was the one trying to kill us all. *shrug*

AL state law says there are traditional "lanes" of traffic that are suggested, but not laws, and they also have "right of ways" that are laws that you must follow when encountering other traffic, but avoiding a collision supersedes everything, regardless of "who is right or wrong" and if you have the ability to do so, then you must.

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Somehow I get the feeling your thoughts you express, are a little different than my thoughts that I would express.

Nevertheless... excellent idea.

Anyway - I have had a couple encounters with morons, and one actual close call. Best thing is like Ahopkins mentioned, just slow down and let them do their idiot thing. My scare came last year when I did what Greenman did, I made a move very direct and obvious since the other guy was "out of place" on the water (he was on the "wrong" side of the channel, coming into an intersection.) No biggie, but I wanted to give him plenty of room. The other guy had been on a poker run all day and was probably drunk. He always made his move about 3-4 seconds after I made mine, and we ended up in that awkward "come around the corner face to face with someone at the grocery store and we're both in each others way" dance, basically driving straight at each other. Every time I moved, he turned right afterwards and ended up still aiming right for me. It was almost like it was on purpose, except he was waving his hands drunkenly when he passed me like somehow *I* was the one trying to kill us all. *shrug*

AL state law says there are traditional "lanes" of traffic that are suggested, but not laws, and they also have "right of ways" that are laws that you must follow when encountering other traffic, but avoiding a collision supersedes everything, regardless of "who is right or wrong" and if you have the ability to do so, then you must.

It wasn't used in any sinister way, I have little ones and wouldn't want to hear it. Encouragement and gentle persuasion yes. :) When the crazies are out and there appears to be an apocalypse going to happen I just power down. Nothing but bad things will happen and my blood pressure goes up.

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If you got flipped off and yelled at.....I'm going to say you were probably already too close to be right.

You should always be on alert and should be able to foresee other retarded boat drivers on the water, and simply avoid them. Also there are a lot of people out there that really don't understand how large their wakes are, and how they very easily can swamp other boats.

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It wasn't used in any sinister way, I have little ones and wouldn't want to hear it. Encouragement and gentle persuasion yes. :) When the crazies are out and there appears to be an apocalypse going to happen I just power down. Nothing but bad things will happen and my blood pressure goes up.

I have the luxury of not having kids on my boat.

You're also a better human being than I am. lol

Although I really can only count on one hand how many times I would have used it. And those were only when I had a rider in the water and someone was doing something that would have endangered, or was endangering, them.

Usually I don't even bother with something as simple as hand gestures because these idiots don't even know what they're doing wrong, so it would be lost on them.

Edited by ibelonginprison
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