Passing To Close (Water Clowns)
 

Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy. And the wakes pushed from some of
these monsters is enough to get me dizzy. Even fellow fishing vessels with
the entire ocean to navigate around me, who should know better, would pass
right on top of me. Correction, speed by me as I'm fishing. I can never have
a calm day fishing!!!

My Conclusion: These Clowns figure, if I'm there, it's safe to pass. No
rocks, obstructions or low depths. UNBELIEVABLE! I realized this the other
day and can't believe it took so long to put it together.

Here's what happened. I recently purchased a GPS and marked all of the
rocks, especially the submerged rocks only visible at low tide in this
particular area I planned to fish. A place where BOATS NEVER VENTURE! On the
first day fishing this new marked spot, here they came.... I could not
believe the amount of Clowns that started heading in my direction. Mind
you..., you never see boat in this area because some of the rocks are
visible even at high tide. I swear to God, within 1 hour, a sailboat slammed
one of the rocks next to me. The bang was so loud, I was ready to call in
the MAYDAY for this person myself. When I turned around, both occupants were
getting back to their feet after I guess the force threw them forward and
down on their faces. The keel appears to have caught the rock and stopped
them DEAD!!! I can also now confirm that submerged rocks don't move or
budge. I couldn't even stay and fish the spot any longer because I was
spending more time waving boats away than fishing. I was in fear of someone
DYING!

What a joke. The first thing I did when I purchased my first boat way back
when was to go out at low tide and check out my local waterways for
dangerous spots. I think I purchased every possible chart for the Long
Island Sound N.Y. and made some of my own custom marks on it. I'm not the
brightest light bulb in the box but checking things out first seems like an
obvious thing to do even for absent-minded me.

Aaahhh, I still love this crazy world anyway and everyone in it including
the Psychos. If everyday was a perfect day, I think I would hang myself due
to boredom.

! 23' ReD MaX !

Big Mike wrote:
Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy. And the wakes pushed from some of
these monsters is enough to get me dizzy. Even fellow fishing vessels with
the entire ocean to navigate around me, who should know better, would pass
right on top of me. Correction, speed by me as I'm fishing. I can never have
a calm day fishing!!!

My Conclusion: These Clowns figure, if I'm there, it's safe to pass. No
rocks, obstructions or low depths. UNBELIEVABLE! I realized this the other
day and can't believe it took so long to put it together.

Here's what happened. I recently purchased a GPS and marked all of the
rocks, especially the submerged rocks only visible at low tide in this
particular area I planned to fish. A place where BOATS NEVER VENTURE! On the
first day fishing this new marked spot, here they came.... I could not
believe the amount of Clowns that started heading in my direction. Mind
you..., you never see boat in this area because some of the rocks are
visible even at high tide. I swear to God, within 1 hour, a sailboat slammed
one of the rocks next to me. The bang was so loud, I was ready to call in
the MAYDAY for this person myself. When I turned around, both occupants were
getting back to their feet after I guess the force threw them forward and
down on their faces. The keel appears to have caught the rock and stopped
them DEAD!!! I can also now confirm that submerged rocks don't move or
budge. I couldn't even stay and fish the spot any longer because I was
spending more time waving boats away than fishing. I was in fear of someone
DYING!

What a joke. The first thing I did when I purchased my first boat way back
when was to go out at low tide and check out my local waterways for
dangerous spots. I think I purchased every possible chart for the Long
Island Sound N.Y. and made some of my own custom marks on it. I'm not the
brightest light bulb in the box but checking things out first seems like an
obvious thing to do even for absent-minded me.

Aaahhh, I still love this crazy world anyway and everyone in it including
the Psychos. If everyday was a perfect day, I think I would hang myself due
to boredom.


! 23' ReD MaX !



A good reason why every new (or old boater) should be made to pass a
Power Squadron 'Boating Course' before venturing out.

Big Mike wrote:
Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy. And the wakes pushed from some of
these monsters is enough to get me dizzy. Even fellow fishing vessels with
the entire ocean to navigate around me, who should know better, would pass
right on top of me. Correction, speed by me as I'm fishing. I can never have
a calm day fishing!!!

My Conclusion: These Clowns figure, if I'm there, it's safe to pass. No
rocks, obstructions or low depths. UNBELIEVABLE! I realized this the other
day and can't believe it took so long to put it together.

Here's what happened. I recently purchased a GPS and marked all of the
rocks, especially the submerged rocks only visible at low tide in this
particular area I planned to fish. A place where BOATS NEVER VENTURE! On the
first day fishing this new marked spot, here they came.... I could not
believe the amount of Clowns that started heading in my direction. Mind
you..., you never see boat in this area because some of the rocks are
visible even at high tide. I swear to God, within 1 hour, a sailboat slammed
one of the rocks next to me. The bang was so loud, I was ready to call in
the MAYDAY for this person myself. When I turned around, both occupants were
getting back to their feet after I guess the force threw them forward and
down on their faces. The keel appears to have caught the rock and stopped
them DEAD!!! I can also now confirm that submerged rocks don't move or
budge. I couldn't even stay and fish the spot any longer because I was
spending more time waving boats away than fishing. I was in fear of someone
DYING!

What a joke. The first thing I did when I purchased my first boat way back
when was to go out at low tide and check out my local waterways for
dangerous spots. I think I purchased every possible chart for the Long
Island Sound N.Y. and made some of my own custom marks on it. I'm not the
brightest light bulb in the box but checking things out first seems like an
obvious thing to do even for absent-minded me.

Aaahhh, I still love this crazy world anyway and everyone in it including
the Psychos. If everyday was a perfect day, I think I would hang myself due
to boredom.

! 23' ReD MaX !


I maintain the opinion that a lot of these guys are so busy fiddling
with their computers and electronics they pay no attention at all to
where they're going.

If their chartplotter interfaced with the autopilot is set to follow a
rhumb line from point A to point B, gawd help anybody unlucky enough to
be 15-yards to one side of the course or the other. Many of these
butt-heavy, under powered, prop tunneled monsters don't leave wakes,
they create small tsunamis.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me, while (as the overtaken
vessel) I maintain course and speed and some idiot blows by close
enough to pass the Grey Poupon, is that after overwhelming your vessel
with a steep wake and passing so close that there is insufficient time
to safely adjust course and minimize the impact......almost every one
of these nincompoops smiles and *waves*! Like, "Hello, how are you? My
thoughtless seamanship just stood you on your starboard beam, but
lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

To reduce my blood pressure, I often think of what it's costing Captain
Clewless
to burn 60 gph gasoline these days. :-)

wrote in message
oups.com...

I maintain the opinion that a lot of these guys are so busy fiddling
with their computers and electronics they pay no attention at all to
where they're going.

If their chartplotter interfaced with the autopilot is set to follow a
rhumb line from point A to point B, gawd help anybody unlucky enough to
be 15-yards to one side of the course or the other. Many of these
butt-heavy, under powered, prop tunneled monsters don't leave wakes,
they create small tsunamis.



I have heard the "looking at the electronics" theory before. It is true.
Heaven forbid these fools have to steer a little off course to avoid running
over some poor ******* in a kayak. It will only get worse as GPS systems
continue dropping in price.

In my latest situation mentioned at the start of this thread, I was anchored
in a body of water far off to the side of the main channel that is rarely
piloted due to the amount of visible rocks. However, the minute I set up, it
immediately became the popular route. All were recreational boaters with
vessels in the 30' and under class. Most without navigation equipment but
fully armed with ignorance. Unbelievable...

One thing that never ceases to amaze me, while (as the overtaken
vessel) I maintain course and speed and some idiot blows by close
enough to pass the Grey Poupon, is that after overwhelming your vessel
with a steep wake and passing so close that there is insufficient time
to safely adjust course and minimize the impact......almost every one
of these nincompoops smiles and *waves*! Like, "Hello, how are you? My
thoughtless seamanship just stood you on your starboard beam, but
lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

To reduce my blood pressure, I often think of what it's costing Captain
Clewless
to burn 60 gph gasoline these days. :-)

Sounds like a good use for those expired flares. :-)

Someone wrote in the newsgroups wondering about people who have boats
that will run 60 mph, think it must be run 60 mph all the time.
regardless of by what or whom.


fools!

"Big Mike" punisher5string@ !REMOVE! yahoo.com wrote in message
...
Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy.

snip


I thought I was the only one who experienced that.


db

"D-unit" wrote in message
...

"Big Mike" punisher5string@ !REMOVE! yahoo.com wrote in message
...
Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators
do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy.

snip


I thought I was the only one who experienced that.


db


So then I imagine the same thing happens to you in an empty parking lot. Do
you come back to find the only other car in the lot is parked right up along
side your driver's door? (You have to squeeze into your car that also just
received a brand new ding-er.)

"Tom" wrote in message
...

One thing that never ceases to amaze me, while (as the overtaken
vessel) I maintain course and speed and some idiot blows by close
enough to pass the Grey Poupon, is that after overwhelming your vessel
with a steep wake and passing so close that there is insufficient time
to safely adjust course and minimize the impact......almost every one
of these nincompoops smiles and *waves*! Like, "Hello, how are you? My
thoughtless seamanship just stood you on your starboard beam, but
lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

To reduce my blood pressure, I often think of what it's costing Captain
Clewless
to burn 60 gph gasoline these days. :-)

Sounds like a good use for those expired flares. :-)



Yikes! ( : Hmmmmmmmmm, you know.......

"D-unit" wrote in message
...

"Big Mike" punisher5string@ !REMOVE! yahoo.com wrote in message
...
Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators
do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy.

snip


I thought I was the only one who experienced that.


db

Nah....same thing here in Lake Ontario and its tributaries. I was out in the
lake two weeks back, anchored with a few other boats on top of some
structure that occupies maybe 3 square acres. So, we were anchored pretty
close, but new arrivals were obviously being very careful while choosing a
spot. We're two miles offshore (on the Rochester side), and however far it
is to Canada on the other side. Absolutely NO reason for passing boats to be
anywhere close. But, of course, almost all of them had to get within 100
feet of the group as they passed.

I don't think the Power Squadron course would do jack **** for people like
that.

So...you managed to lure an incompetent boater onto the rocks. Can you
repeat this over and over again and do us all a big favor? :-)

Don White wrote:
Big Mike wrote:

Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very
Rocky Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat
operators do this. I could never for the life of me understand why no
matter where I would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz
by me only a few short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy. And the
wakes pushed from some of these monsters is enough to get me dizzy.
Even fellow fishing vessels with the entire ocean to navigate around
me, who should know better, would pass right on top of me. Correction,
speed by me as I'm fishing. I can never have a calm day fishing!!!

My Conclusion: These Clowns figure, if I'm there, it's safe to pass.
No rocks, obstructions or low depths. UNBELIEVABLE! I realized this
the other day and can't believe it took so long to put it together.

Here's what happened. I recently purchased a GPS and marked all of the
rocks, especially the submerged rocks only visible at low tide in this
particular area I planned to fish. A place where BOATS NEVER VENTURE!
On the first day fishing this new marked spot, here they came.... I
could not believe the amount of Clowns that started heading in my
direction. Mind you..., you never see boat in this area because some
of the rocks are visible even at high tide. I swear to God, within 1
hour, a sailboat slammed one of the rocks next to me. The bang was so
loud, I was ready to call in the MAYDAY for this person myself. When I
turned around, both occupants were getting back to their feet after I
guess the force threw them forward and down on their faces. The keel
appears to have caught the rock and stopped them DEAD!!! I can also
now confirm that submerged rocks don't move or budge. I couldn't even
stay and fish the spot any longer because I was spending more time
waving boats away than fishing. I was in fear of someone DYING!

What a joke. The first thing I did when I purchased my first boat way
back when was to go out at low tide and check out my local waterways
for dangerous spots. I think I purchased every possible chart for the
Long Island Sound N.Y. and made some of my own custom marks on it. I'm
not the brightest light bulb in the box but checking things out first
seems like an obvious thing to do even for absent-minded me.

Aaahhh, I still love this crazy world anyway and everyone in it
including the Psychos. If everyday was a perfect day, I think I would
hang myself due to boredom.


! 23' ReD MaX !




A good reason why every new (or old boater) should be made to pass a
Power Squadron 'Boating Course' before venturing out.

Would us doing this requiring assuage your moral obligation to do
the best you can to make this world perfect and safe for every idiot?

I say let 'em strike dirt, even move right on in to stay. The
idiots deserve it, and it's not our fault, so why should we pay such
a price in tax supported requirements, to straight jacket and spoon
feed every idiot you tyrant, you? Geeze, Louise!

My sailboat is a bilge keeler, draught 2-10", moored in shallow
water near rocks, but you wouldn't know from looking, unless you
were looking at a chart! Now I know what it is what baits all those
idiots from across the river to buzz by close. I was flattered to
think they thought my boat so lovely that they must have pictures.
You have disallusioned me. I am hurt.

Take warning, all you deep draught (3 feet?) power drivers. I will
not move my boat, and you all may come to regret that I do have a
functioning anchor light, though I guess now I have to lie awake at
night wondering if it too attractive, unsportsmanlike bait.

(He-he-he, evil grin {-;

Terry K

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"D-unit" wrote in message
...

"Big Mike" punisher5string@ !REMOVE! yahoo.com wrote in message
...
Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very
Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators
do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a
few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy.

snip


I thought I was the only one who experienced that.


db

Nah....same thing here in Lake Ontario and its tributaries. I was out in
the
lake two weeks back, anchored with a few other boats on top of some
structure that occupies maybe 3 square acres. So, we were anchored pretty
close, but new arrivals were obviously being very careful while choosing a
spot. We're two miles offshore (on the Rochester side), and however far it
is to Canada on the other side. Absolutely NO reason for passing boats to
be
anywhere close. But, of course, almost all of them had to get within 100
feet of the group as they passed.

I don't think the Power Squadron course would do jack **** for people like
that.



I have a favorite fishing spot about 30 yards from the beach off Oak Island,
NC
where the Sea Mullet like to school on occasion. This is in 10ft of water
mind you.
For some reason, the passing yachts go between me and the beach at 30 knots.
Last time I checked, theres an whole ocean on the *other* side of me.

???

These same people must own jet-skis too.


db

Doug Kanter wrote:
"D-unit" wrote in message
...

"Big Mike" punisher5string@ !REMOVE! yahoo.com wrote in message
...

Hi to all.... I'm Mike (Long Island Sound N.Y. - North Side - Very Rocky
Area)

Finally, finally, I figured out a really good reason why boat operators
do
this. I could never for the life of me understand why no matter where I
would anchor or drift, a good number of boats will buzz by me only a few
short yards away as if I'm a marker buoy.

snip


I thought I was the only one who experienced that.


db


Nah....same thing here in Lake Ontario and its tributaries. I was out in the
lake two weeks back, anchored with a few other boats on top of some
structure that occupies maybe 3 square acres. So, we were anchored pretty
close, but new arrivals were obviously being very careful while choosing a
spot. We're two miles offshore (on the Rochester side), and however far it
is to Canada on the other side. Absolutely NO reason for passing boats to be
anywhere close. But, of course, almost all of them had to get within 100
feet of the group as they passed.

I don't think the Power Squadron course would do jack **** for people like
that.


I was thinking it might encourage them to carry and refer to charts as
they boated.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
So...you managed to lure an incompetent boater onto the rocks. Can you
repeat this over and over again and do us all a big favor? :-)

I'm telling you it was unbelievable. I wrote the following in the start of
the thread. "I couldn't even stay and fish the spot any longer because I
was spending more time waving boats away than fishing. I was in fear of
someone DYING!"

That was truthful. They just kept coming.... Crazy..

"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
...
Don White wrote:
Would us doing this requiring assuage your moral obligation to do the best
you can to make this world perfect and safe for every idiot?

I say let 'em strike dirt, even move right on in to stay. The idiots
deserve it, and it's not our fault, so why should we pay such a price in
tax supported requirements, to straight jacket and spoon feed every idiot
you tyrant, you? Geeze, Louise!

My sailboat is a bilge keeler, draught 2-10", moored in shallow water near
rocks, but you wouldn't know from looking, unless you were looking at a
chart! Now I know what it is what baits all those idiots from across the
river to buzz by close. I was flattered to think they thought my boat so
lovely that they must have pictures. You have disallusioned me. I am
hurt.

Take warning, all you deep draught (3 feet?) power drivers. I will not
move my boat, and you all may come to regret that I do have a functioning
anchor light, though I guess now I have to lie awake at night wondering if
it too attractive, unsportsmanlike bait.




( ;

Big Mike wrote:
"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
...

Don White wrote:
Would us doing this requiring assuage your moral obligation to do the best
you can to make this world perfect and safe for every idiot?

I say let 'em strike dirt, even move right on in to stay. The idiots
deserve it, and it's not our fault, so why should we pay such a price in
tax supported requirements, to straight jacket and spoon feed every idiot
you tyrant, you? Geeze, Louise!

My sailboat is a bilge keeler, draught 2-10", moored in shallow water near
rocks, but you wouldn't know from looking, unless you were looking at a
chart! Now I know what it is what baits all those idiots from across the
river to buzz by close. I was flattered to think they thought my boat so
lovely that they must have pictures. You have disallusioned me. I am
hurt.

Take warning, all you deep draught (3 feet?) power drivers. I will not
move my boat, and you all may come to regret that I do have a functioning
anchor light, though I guess now I have to lie awake at night wondering if
it too attractive, unsportsmanlike bait.



Say what?
I didn't write any of the above. That's the truth...and the whole truth!

"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
...

Don White wrote:
Would us doing this requiring assuage your moral obligation to do the
best you can to make this world perfect and safe for every idiot?

I say let 'em strike dirt, even move right on in to stay. The idiots
deserve it, and it's not our fault, so why should we pay such a price in
tax supported requirements, to straight jacket and spoon feed every idiot
you tyrant, you? Geeze, Louise!

My sailboat is a bilge keeler, draught 2-10", moored in shallow water
near rocks, but you wouldn't know from looking, unless you were looking
at a chart! Now I know what it is what baits all those idiots from
across the river to buzz by close. I was flattered to think they thought
my boat so lovely that they must have pictures. You have disallusioned
me. I am hurt.

Take warning, all you deep draught (3 feet?) power drivers. I will not
move my boat, and you all may come to regret that I do have a functioning
anchor light, though I guess now I have to lie awake at night wondering
if it too attractive, unsportsmanlike bait.



"Don White" wrote in message :
Say what?
I didn't write any of the above. That's the truth...and the whole truth!


Ooops sorry about that... When removing the extras, your name seems to have
been left in there from another post. it's confirmed, Don White is telling
the truth. Terry Spragg wrote the above. ( :

Big Mike wrote:


Ooops sorry about that... When removing the extras, your name seems to have
been left in there from another post. it's confirmed, Don White is telling
the truth. Terry Spragg wrote the above. ( :


Thank you...thank you very much!

wrote
I maintain the opinion that a lot of these guys are so busy fiddling
with their computers and electronics they pay no attention at all to
where they're going.


That's part of the problem. I've even had a sailboat come within four
feet of ramming us, with a man in the cockpit staring angrily at us,
until he finally stood up and shouted (from about 6 feet away) "Can't
you see I'm on autopilot?"

However, I've also had a lot of boats that were being steered by humans
come very close to us when we're anchored. It may be a herd instinct,
the same as people speed up when you pass on the highway. In fact I've
had a professional captain delivering a 65-footer come within ten feet
of our anchored boat in an unmarked river 1/2 mile wide (unmarked
because it's 9' deep all the way across). When I called him on the radio
with a barely restrained 'What the F&&& are you doing?' he apologized
and said he hadn't meant to pass that close.


If their chartplotter interfaced with the autopilot is set to follow a
rhumb line from point A to point B, gawd help anybody unlucky enough to
be 15-yards to one side of the course or the other. Many of these
butt-heavy, under powered, prop tunneled monsters don't leave wakes,
they create small tsunamis.


And God forbid that they ever look back to see that they're pulling a
wake higher than their own transom.


Big Mike wrote:
I have heard the "looking at the electronics" theory before. It is true.
Heaven forbid these fools have to steer a little off course to avoid running
over some poor ******* in a kayak. It will only get worse as GPS systems
continue dropping in price.


It's happened. Off the coast of New Jersey a 60-footer ran over a
fishing boat and killed one of the men on board, while the owner of the
60-footer was said to not even be above decks (he claimed he was, but
was looking down "momentarily").


In my latest situation mentioned at the start of this thread, I was anchored
in a body of water far off to the side of the main channel that is rarely
piloted due to the amount of visible rocks. However, the minute I set up, it
immediately became the popular route. All were recreational boaters with
vessels in the 30' and under class. Most without navigation equipment but
fully armed with ignorance. Unbelievable...


I wish we had an anchorage surrounded by rocks. As it is, we can only
look for shallower water than most of the boneheads can run in.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote in message
. ..

It's happened. Off the coast of New Jersey a 60-footer ran over a fishing
boat and killed one of the men on board, while the owner of the 60-footer
was said to not even be above decks (he claimed he was, but was looking
down "momentarily").

Now THAT is ridiculous. I guess I'm paranoid, but I can't imagine EVER
leaving the helm of a moving boat unless another competent person (or my
insane son) took my place while I was away.

I hear this happens quite often on fishing vessels. That many Captains and
Mates, especially Mates on watch as the Cap catches some zzzz's, fall asleep
themselves while steaming ahead on Auto-pilot. I'm ashamed to say that I
have been drowsy many times behind the wheel of the car. Sometimes I pull
over and sometimes I putt ahead. Many times wondering how I made it to my
destination. I can only imagine how often this happens out in the deep sea
where traffic is next to nothing. No excuse though to take falling asleep
behind the helm for granted or acceptable..... There is always that 1
iceberg that seems to always find the right ship at the right time.



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"DSK" wrote in message
. ..

It's happened. Off the coast of New Jersey a 60-footer ran over a fishing
boat and killed one of the men on board, while the owner of the 60-footer
was said to not even be above decks (he claimed he was, but was looking
down "momentarily").

Now THAT is ridiculous. I guess I'm paranoid, but I can't imagine EVER
leaving the helm of a moving boat unless another competent person (or my
insane son) took my place while I was away.

Just like water heaters only melt down 3 hours after you've left on
vacation.... :-)

"Big Mike" punisher5string@ !REMOVE! yahoo.com wrote in message
...
I hear this happens quite often on fishing vessels. That many Captains and
Mates, especially Mates on watch as the Cap catches some zzzz's, fall
asleep themselves while steaming ahead on Auto-pilot. I'm ashamed to say
that I have been drowsy many times behind the wheel of the car. Sometimes I
pull over and sometimes I putt ahead. Many times wondering how I made it to
my destination. I can only imagine how often this happens out in the deep
sea where traffic is next to nothing. No excuse though to take falling
asleep behind the helm for granted or acceptable..... There is always that
1 iceberg that seems to always find the right ship at the right time.



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"DSK" wrote in message
. ..

It's happened. Off the coast of New Jersey a 60-footer ran over a
fishing boat and killed one of the men on board, while the owner of the
60-footer was said to not even be above decks (he claimed he was, but
was looking down "momentarily").

Now THAT is ridiculous. I guess I'm paranoid, but I can't imagine EVER
leaving the helm of a moving boat unless another competent person (or my
insane son) took my place while I was away.

Around 8/25/2005 1:08 PM, Doug Kanter wrote:

Just like water heaters only melt down 3 hours after you've left on
vacation.... :-)

Yeah, any idea why do they do that? :)



Funny story time:
Because a pipe had cracked and the basement had flooded, my uncle (same
one that had his gas stolen) had new carpeting installed in his basement
courtesy of his homeowners insurance while almost the entire family was
on their annual two-week boat vacation.

Since the house was empty (and having just dried out the flooded
basement) the water heater was very prudently turned off.

So.

My cousin comes home from college for the weekend to take a shower and
wash clothes, and he turns on the water heater. He forgets to turn it
off, and heads over to his girlfriend's for the night. Comes back the
next morning, and the basement (including *two-day-old* carpeting that
his parents haven't even SEEN yet) is covered in about 5 inches of
water, thanks to a failed water heater tank. Being the only relative
nearby with a wet/dry shop vac and some spare time, I was enlisted by my
somewhat frantic cousin to go and help with the mopping up. Uncle made
it home from Friday Harbor in record time, and much swearing (and other
such hilarity) ensued. :)



--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows