Boat Rant

[Boats]

Went fishing on the Willamette this afternoon.

I was anchored close to shore when I was approached by about a 50+ foot yacht going as fast at it could.

I've been fishing in this small boat for years and am used to chop... but this guy put out the biggest wake I've ever seen on the Willamette. Just about the size of waves at the beach. What's more, he could see that I wasn't in a position to take it. He just cruised right on past me looking down from his perch about 20' up. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

Maybe someone else experienced his wake today. He passed me at about 3-4:00 near George Rogers Park.

Guess it's just more incentive for me to find a bigger boat.

[Crazy Fisherman]

You need to get their boat numbers and turn them into the state police and the state marine board. You are responsable for your boat wake and any damage caused by it. These guys think they are the only thing that matters. We have the same problems down here on the coastal rivers and bays. The charter fleet here is the worst offenders of the bunch. They just plain don`t care. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

[Thumper]

I am always amazed by the size of the wakes put out by these mid-size cruisers. When fishing at the mouth of the Lewis we always watch out for the commercial ships and other wake-producing boats as our fannies are always facing the wakes. The huge commercial ships put out less wake than the 30-50 footers on plane.

What are these people thinking?

[Pitch Pocket]

I don't think these mid length boats actually get on plane, they just plow throught the water. They make the most uncomfortable wake on the river and you have to watch it when anchored shallow. If you have an outdrive down draft of 36", you don't want to be anchored in 6' of water when one of those boats plow by.

Actually, the barge tugs without a barge make the most violent wakes. I always keep an eye out for those and the 35-45' so called 'planing hulls'.

[175]

Thumper, you give these idiots the credibility of actually thinking.... [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

175,
I don't think that "Idiot" is appropriate. Inconsiderate for some captains, but with these big boats you have to stay in the channel and if someone is anchored (this is idiotic behavior) or trolling in the channel they should be aware of this hazard. The captain could have slowed down and REALY made a BIG WAKE!

[JawHooker]

Inconsiderate idiot does fit much better. I have witnessed many of these boats that Do Not use the channel, unless of course the multiple charts, channel markers and gps are all incorrect. I believe that is more the "Look at what I have syndrome". Which is fine as I admire many of the beautiful large craft on the river, however don't need them to travel through hog lines that are a considerable distance out of the channel.