Scary....Safety Lesson 376

[Catt]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

But from my seat at the console, when stowed on deck for running,

my trolling motor gear definitely obscures

some of my field of view over the port bow.

 

Minn Kota Riptides are white, while running at night you get a awesome glare from the q-beam.

 

[Captain Phil]

8 hours ago, gimruis said:

That's unreal!  Wonder how the gator came out of it...

 

I don't know, the alligator didn't hang around to tell about it.  What often happens when you hit something big in the water at speed is the big motor swings abruptly to one side.  This causes the boat to turn sharply without warning throwing the occupants out of the boat.  If the big motor stays running, the prop can cut you to pieces.  This is not something you want to happen.  A kill switch may save you as long as you don't hit anything on the way out of the boat or when you land.  

[cyclops2]

I am lucky I stay out of the BONZI !! speed lanes. I stay on the shallow side of channel ledges. they have about 0 to 10" of water.  I have never been threatened.  

 

[galyonj]

On 1/10/2022 at 1:38 AM, AManWearingAHat said:

Last lake I was operating on had floating debris after a recent storm and other potential hazards. I'm definitely a "take it easy" guy on the water. Fishing is supposed to be relaxing.

 

I love going fast. Doesn't matter whether I'm riding on a hull or a set of tires, but there are vastly fewer situations on the water around here in which I'm comfortable going fast for any number of reasons – but there is a whole lot of debris in the water here that I do not want to test a 36 year old fiberglass hull against.

 

23 hours ago, Catt said:

Today's electronics have drivers distracted, they're constantly staring at a screen. Video fishing is a fairly accurate description & we all know how distracting that is.

 

At the risk of derailing this thread, "hate" isn't too strong a word for how I feel about modern automotive infotainment system design.

[Bankc]

This has happened to me way more than it should have.  I have close calls like this probably about 5-10 times a year in my kayak.  A lot of powerboaters just don't respect how dangerous their boat is.  You'll have guys pulling a skier and it's just them in the boat and they're watching the skier, not where they're going.  You'll have guys who just bought their first boat and will run it at full throttle with the bow pointed at the clouds, not able to see what's in front of them.  You'll have guys who are drunk.  Guys who are watching their electronics.  Guys who are tying on a new lure when driving.  And occasionally, you'll find the guy who sees you, but decides he has the right of way and doesn't care if it hits you.  It's on you to avoid him.  

 

That's why I always keep a whistle with me, tied to my PFD.  I use it as a horn to let them know someone is there.  And if I hear a boat, but can't spot it, I'll start heading towards the bank immediately until I can find it.  You've got to keep your head on a swivel at all times in a kayak.  Even if the boat misses you, the wake can be dangerous, so it helps to have the paddle already out to position your kayak so it doesn't get rolled.    

 

Too many people only care about themselves these days.  

[TOXIC]

I won’t put blame on anyone but in my mind, as a boater, it’s my responsibility to not hit anyone or anything in front of me when I am operating my 21 foot boat.  As for being sun blind, that is no excuse.  I have a pair of quality sunglasses that allow me to see in almost direct sunlight.  If I have to operate going into direct sunlight, I will quarter my boat on plane allowing me to see pretty far ahead for a good amount of time.  If the body of water is too small for that maneuver, then I’m not getting on plane.