Another powerboat rant

Yesterday I dropped some crab traps and trolled around with the downrigger for a few hours while the traps soaked. 

The wind forecast was for northerly at 10kts in the morning dying off to near calm in the afternoon.  The morning and afternoon was near calm until about 4pm when the wind came up strenghening.  By the time I decided it was time to go in, drop off the fishing gear, and go back out for the crab traps it was blowing about 10kts.  By the time I got back out rigged for trap retrieval it was blowing about 15 kts. 

I had dropped the crab traps in 80' of water.  The first trap I pulled came up very heavy with 22 crabs.  As I was hauling up the trap a passing 40+ foot classic wood powerboat with high slab sides and a deep 'V' hull, cruised by checking me out from about 50' away and about 7kts.  I was sitting side saddle on the kayak hauling in the line.  I could see crab color as it came up and I stopped watching the boat, got my legs under the trap to support it, dropped the line, and grabbed the top of the trap.  The kids on the boat were shouting encouragement.  I was leaning way back the trap supported by my legs, trying to muscle the 50 lb trap onto the back of the kayak, when the 2' wake from that deep 'V' hull hit me.  All of a sudden, instead of leaning back and looking up, I was looking down at the water and could feel the kayak still tilting me forward as it rose sidewise on the wake.  I dropped the trap and threw myself backwards across the beam of the yak.  Then I started a long string of expletives directed at the driver of the boat.  The kids on back looked a little shocked. 

To any curious powerboaters reading this.  Please understand your boat and the hazard it represents, and give smaller craft a wide berth - or your kids are likely to get an expanded vocabulary.

In an ideal world, it would be nice for him to slow down.

We don't live in that world.

Next time save youself the trouble, blood pressure increase, and possibility of falling in or straining your back, and wait til the wake passes.  Like it or not, those boats aren't going to slow down for you.

Or if you are kayaking in the sound be aware that there is lots of boat traffic and kayaks do not represent a "no wake zone"
If you are out on the water it is your job to watch your own ass ... not the power boaters job to keep the sound flat for you.

50 feet is plenty of berth. If he was five feet away that would be a different story.
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I feel your pain , I was fishing for Steelies the other day anchored up in the big C when I got a take down, I was pretty excited as I have hooked two in the previous weeks but have not landed one.....anyways I'm fighting this thing trying to wear it down I get it about 5 feet from the net when a group of drunkin idiots in a wakeboard boat rip past me only 10 maybe 20 feet away at 35 plus MPH....long story short the massive wake rocked me so hard I lost my fish

In an ideal world, it would be nice for him to slow down.

Not sure I always agree with this.  If a boat is up on a plane, I want them to stay there.  They'll throw a much larger wake when they come off plane.

-Allen

In an ideal world, it would be nice for him to slow down.

Not sure I always agree with this.  If a boat is up on a plane, I want them to stay there.  They'll throw a much larger wake when they come off plane.

-Allen

The boat in question was a 50 footer going 7 knots.   Plane doesn't factor. 

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But did you keep your haul?

True

In an ideal world, it would be nice for him to slow down.

Not sure I always agree with this.  If a boat is up on a plane, I want them to stay there.  They'll throw a much larger wake when they come off plane.

-Allen

The boat in question was a 50 footer going 7 knots.   Plane doesn't factor. 

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That's why I said "not sure I always agree with this".  I have been on large boats that maybe weren't on full plane, but coming down from 7 knots though up a bigger wake.  In the grand scheme of things, I'd rather any boats around me maintain course and speed so I know exactly what they are doing.  I cannot anticipate any turns or change in speed.

-Allen

I'd like the assholes to pay attention and either go WAY around or treat me as a "no wake zone "....it's a little thing called common courtesy, unfortunately you see less and less everyday

All boat operators are responsible for their wake, and any damage/loss that it may cause.

Can't help but agree that its getting more agro on the Puget Sound.  Last week off West Point I had a 30' PB coming directly at me at 20 knots.  I was heading toward the point in about 50 feet of water, so I thought surely they'd go around my stern.  Nope they kept it down and just missed my bow by about 15 - 20 feet, never alter course or speed, just gave me a mean look when they passed.  I didn't even get the wake, I got the bow spray over my deck. If I'd had a camera running I would have turned it over to the USCG for legal action. Watch yourselves out there, PBers are not your friends.

I've had container ships go by me at cape disappointment, and they throw 3-5 foot waves.  I can understand your angst, but if you're out in that environment, I feel it's your responsibility to be able to handle whatever conditions come your way.  Obviously coming 10 feet away from you is wrong  but I don't feel that maintaining speed and course is somehow not being courteous.

Crossed posts, yaktrap, that is totally f'd up.

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Container ships and private boats are two different topics........I think the conversation is clearly about recreation boaters more than capable of such maneuvers

Perhaps I should have clarified that 50' of water depth off West Point is less than 200' from the beach.  So 30' PB, traveling at 20 knots missing you by a kayaks length when your 200' from dry land.  And the captain was staring me down the entire time.  In was no accident. One day I'm afraid it will go bad, and the kayak won't win.

Perhaps I should have clarified that 50' of water depth off West Point is less than 200' from the beach.  So 30' PB, traveling at 20 knots missing you by a kayaks length when your 200' from dry land.  And the captain was staring me down the entire time.  In was no accident. One day I'm afraid it will go bad, and the kayak won't win.

No, we crossed posts, I'm using tapatalk so I don't get the warning that someone else posted while I was typing.  That situation is totally wrong.  I feel that a 40 footer doing 7 knots, ,50 feet away, is not.

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