Scary Florida boat crash

[rbgarr]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/35604460/35622721

[woodpile]

Supports, can't fix stupid.

[cluttonfred]

Very nearly a self-correcting issue....

[Ian McColgin]

Florida Man enjoying the boating life . . . or death.

[cluttonfred]

Not quite sure why Florida gets such a bad rap, idiocy is pretty much universal. ;-)

[Ian McColgin]

But Florida Man is sui generis.

[Reynard38]

Looks like it hooked on the driver. Somebody needs some lessons.
Also that’s a pretty tight channel to be running any real speed in, especially that close to docks.

[wizbang 13]

25mph speed limit in those canals....
any place else in the USA one can go 25 in front of docks like that ?
Tell the Trumpies to go 5 please

[Reynard38]

Plenty of creeks around here that are not designated no-wake zones, but that close to somebodies dock common courtesy dictates slowing down.

[willin woodworks]

Sadly in my experience, courtesy and "go fast" boats rarely go together.

[Breakaway]

Plenty of creeks around here that are not designated no-wake zones, but that close to somebodies dock common courtesy dictates slowing down.

I generally agree, but in many cases boats were using the river long before people built houses on the shore.

So, why shouldn't it be caveat emptor for the homeowner?
How many citizens run boats versus how may own waterfront?
What accommodates the most citizens best?
How much does boating add to the economy of the area versus the real estate taxes?
Etc.

Besides all that, many people don't know how to go slow. They use too much rpm and thus squat the boat, throwing a bigger wake at 5 kts than at 25.

Kevin

[Todd Bradshaw]

You can watch hours of idiots crashing boats on Youtube, sometimes even huge, multi-million dollar yachts, and an awful lot of them are shot in Florida.

[Ian McColgin]

Regarding waterways speed limits: I've only seen limits to protect floating and alongshore property, not to protect the ecosystem. There are places that to protect drinking water do not allow motorized craft. Not a speed limit.

From the mid '50s on I grew up next to an extensive wetland/marsh complete with meandering creek. Neat ecosystem given that the nine foot tide fall gave it great flushing. Whenever a fast outboard raced through, really enjoying the tight curves, I could observe the damage to the fiddler crab holes in the banks, the sliced jellies, and using my microscope I could study the osterized smaller critters.

Speed limits have no positive effect on damage to marine invertebrates by props but the clear damage to the littoral ecosystems caused by vessel wakes should be regulated by making any channel where a shore is close (I don't know how close) to a channel a no wake, usually five or six knots, zone.

[Bob Adams]

Looks like it hooked on the driver. Somebody needs some lessons.
Also that’s a pretty tight channel to be running any real speed in, especially that close to docks.

Yup, caught a wake just right. You would not believe the idiotic operators I have observed on the ICW.

Edit: Upon second look, there was no wake present. Idiotic operator comment still applies.

[Bob Adams]

25mph speed limit in those canals....
any place else in the USA one can go 25 in front of docks like that ?
Tell the Trumpies to go 5 please

You want to take the politics below please?

[Ian McColgin]

I understand Bob's desire to keep politics out but it's hard when picturing people whose view of personal freedom is navigating with personal irresponsibility. So I'll refrain from posting the pix of boat's sinking in compound wakes in that Texas boat parade.

[David W Pratt]

The speed is one issue, but the out of control steering, or lack thereof, is another, and more acute.

[Bob Adams]

I understand Bob's desire to keep politics out but it's hard when picturing people whose view of personal freedom is navigating with personal irresponsibility. So I'll refrain from posting the pix of boat's sinking in compound wakes in that Texas boat parade.

Had they been flying the flag of a certain ex president then maybe. They were not. I know you will be shocked to hear this, but there are idiot boaters on both sides of the political spectrum. I was thoroughly spanked a few years ago when I dared make a political inference here. I thought the rule still applied.

[Breakaway]

From the mid '50s on I grew up next to an extensive wetland/marsh complete with meandering creek.

And, chances are good the marsh was even more extensive prior to that house being built.

Waterfront homes, launch ramps, marinas, docks, ...we all here use and/or own these destroyers of pristine habitat and the untold generations of flora and fauna those ecosystems would have spawned. Thus, in my view, lest we sell our boats, we must recuse ourselves from throwing stones.

Reminds me of the difference between developers and conservationists:

A developer want to build a house on the shore.
A conservationist already has one.

Idiotic operator comment still applies.

As to irresponsibility, let's see what the investigation comes up with. He may have been drunk, on drugs or experienced equipment failure. He may also have been texting or borrowed a boat for the first time without any experience.We really don't know.

I will say that the speed limit is 25 mph in that area and he did not seem to be going faster than that.

Kevin

[Ian McColgin]

Actually our house was built in the late 19th century at an elevation of about 50 feet. Development pressure led to a project on the Stony Brook side which a group of us 8th grade vandals stalled till our parents stopped it. Still there under better protection than when I was a kid.

ETA: We were about 0.1 mile back from closest point of head of the creek, more like 0.3 miles from access, and 0.5 miles from Long Island Sound. I dragged and launched my dink from the corner of our property in the wake of Hurricane Donna. (Yeah, I'm that old.)

ETA: I agree with Breakaway that "Waterfront homes, launch ramps, marinas, docks, ...we all here use and/or own these destroyers of pristine habitat and the untold generations of flora and fauna those ecosystems would have spawned. [#19] Does not being waterfront mean anything? Given the population pressure on Long Island, probably not. We were just two decades ahead of the curve.

[Art Haberland]

Besides all that, many people don't know how to go slow. They use too much rpm and thus squat the boat, throwing a bigger wake at 5 kts than at 25.

If you listen to one of my co-workers, it hurts the engine on a boat to not run it full speed. Yes, he was actually told that. Might have been the case when we all used 2 strokes, but I think today's 4 stroke engines can handle some slow engine speeds.

[Garret]

If you listen to one of my co-workers, it hurts the engine on a boat to not run it full speed. Yes, he was actually told that. Might have been the case when we all used 2 strokes, but I think today's 4 stroke engines can handle some slow engine speeds.

So he runs his car full speed? No diff - 4 stroke vs. 4 stroke.

It's amazing the things some people believe.

[Rich Jones]

Looks like it hooked on the driver. Somebody needs some lessons.
Also that’s a pretty tight channel to be running any real speed in, especially that close to docks.

Can someone please explain 'hooked' to me? Something to do with hitting the wake of the boat in front of him?

[jpatrick]

I will venture a guess that upwards of 90% of power boaters have never had a lesson in driving their boat.

Jeff

[wizbang 13]

You want to take the politics below please?

no Bob , I'm more apt to double down right here.

[Rich Jones]

I will venture a guess that upwards of 90% of power boaters have never had a lesson in driving their boat.

Jeff

That's my thought also every time another boat comes towards me at high speed. Luckily, I usually do my boating during the week when most others are at work.

[rbgarr]

I will venture a guess that upwards of 90% of power boaters have never had a lesson in driving their boat.

Jeff

A few years ago I was gassing up our small (13') outboard at a local fuel dock when a man and his family came in to do the same in their Hunt Harrier, a nice boat. Unfortunately he was throwing a substantial wake setting others boats in the marina rocking badly, so much so that two sailboats in side-by-side slips hooked spreaders. The dockmaster ran down in a fury, pushed the guy's boat off and told him to never come back.

[ahp]

I generally agree, but in many cases boats were using the river long before people built houses on the shore.

So, why shouldn't it be caveat emptor for the homeowner?
How many citizens run boats versus how may own waterfront?
What accommodates the most citizens best?
How much does boating add to the economy of the area versus the real estate taxes?
Etc.

Besides all that, many people don't know how to go slow. They use too much rpm and thus squat the boat, throwing a bigger wake at 5 kts than at 25.

Kevin

Kevin, you are not making sense.

[Art Haberland]

of course if you really want to throw a wrench into the conversation here, we can talk about the real idiots of the boating world: PWCs. Broncos Guru on youtube has his "boneheaded boaters of the week" channel and this week showed one intentionally spraying a paddleboarder at high speeds so the guy was thrown off the board.

[wizbang 13]

of course if you really want to throw a wrench into the conversation here, we can talk about the real idiots of the boating world: PWCs. Broncos Guru on youtube has his "boneheaded boaters of the week" channel and this week showed one intentionally spraying a paddleboarder at high speeds so the guy was thrown off the board.

thats the people ,not the boats
it's the equivilant of a ram truck rolling coal on a prius

[Breakaway]

Kevin, you are not making sense.

OK. Here's an annotated version:




I generally agree, but in many cases boats were using the river long before people built houses on the shore.

So, why shouldn't it be caveat emptor for the homeowner? ( You go look at a house. Boats are legally flying by, waking the seawall and docks. You buy the house and think things will be different.)

How many citizens run boats versus how may own waterfront? ( More people own boats than own waterfront houses. Is is public water? if so, which group should be given precedence? )

What accommodates the most citizens best? ( See above)

How much does boating add to the economy of the area versus the real estate taxes?
Etc.

Besides all that, many people don't know how to go slow. They use too much rpm and thus squat the boat, throwing a bigger wake at 5 kts than at 25.(A planing boat will squat--sink a bit by the stern-- at some pre-planing speeds.) At this engine speed the bow is up, the stern is down, the wake is big...but the speed is slow, so they seem to think its all right. The thing to do is let the boat fall off plane and sit level. Then come up gently to 5 mph. Wake will be small--steering will require concentration to keep from wiggling.)

Adding: The worst wake offenders are displacement powerboats making hull speed.

Kevin

[kbowen]

A lot of this is related to the fact that boats don't have rear-view mirrors and people often have no interest in what happens behind them. I think massive waterfront development suffers the same way: everyone wants their piece and devil take the hindmost. It doesn't help that the US population has doubled in my lifetime. Add the soul-sickness that comes from excessive testosterone and money. But the thing that is uniquely a powerboat problem is that it's really a one-person activity: A powerboat only engages one person and there's nothing else to do but drink heavily and watch the shore go by, so people go close to shore. I sail out of Chicago and sailors will head 20+ miles out in the lake on an afternoon. By contrast, the powerboats blast up and down the lakefront looking at buildings or something. Unfortunately most of the shoreline is concrete and the reflected waves of the powerboat traffic cause chaotic seas for miles out in the lake.

Ken

[skuthorp]

" By contrast, the powerboats blast up and down the lakefront……."
That's about all you can do with a powerboat unless you are going fishing. Blast up and down and hope people are looking at you.

[WX]

I generally agree, but in many cases boats were using the river long before people built houses on the shore.

So, why shouldn't it be caveat emptor for the homeowner?
How many citizens run boats versus how may own waterfront?
What accommodates the most citizens best?
How much does boating add to the economy of the area versus the real estate taxes?
Etc.

Besides all that, many people don't know how to go slow. They use too much rpm and thus squat the boat, throwing a bigger wake at 5 kts than at 25.

Kevin

Colregs rule.
Travel at a safe speed.
maintain a good lookout.

[WX]

6 knts under bridges.
4 knts no wake zone.