"Garland Gray II" wrote in
:


"jeff" wrote in message
. ..
snip
. However, I firmly believe
that powerboaters tend to subconsciously alter course to pass in
front of other boats rather than pass behind them. In fact, this
will happpen to me several times a day: a powerboat that is on course
to pass well behind me alters course and passes close ahead of me.

I don't think it's done subconsciously. They do it to other powerboats
because "they" don't want to be subjected to the other's wake.
Certainly they understand wake. With sailboats, either they forget
that the sailboat won't leave much wake, or it has become an ego
thing. I once crossed paths with a powerboat that was running the
buoyed ship channel down a broad river. Tacking up river, and using
the whole river, I had well crossed the channel when this AH left the
channel to cross my bow rather than pass my stern. He then returned to
the channel.

I hesitate to use a broad brush, because I know some good guys that
are power boaters, and some jerks that sail, but the AH quotient seems
to be proportional to horsepower.




BG I think the AH quotient seems to be centered around "recreational",
power or sail....... i.e. you're perspective will vary.....look at each
type and consider the possibilities based on what they are doing or
trying to do