When passing a boat at anchor?

[rheyboer]

I'm a lake guy and love having the room to avoid other boaters by a wide margin. What would be proper when your on a river and you come across an anchored boat? There is NOT a posted no-wake zone involved. Do I need to slow, go no-wake speed, or just keep a safe distance regardless of my speed? The river I'm thinking of is the Illinois. Wide enough for two-way traffic to go 40, but anybodys wake will usually be hitting both shores. No incident or anything, just no river experience on my part. Don't want an incident or a ticket.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

it boils down the the driver of the boat is responsible for the damage his wake does. if it's a 12 foot jon boat, and you are throwing a 2 ft wake. consider what it's going to do to that boat. normally maintain a safe distance, what for his anchor line, and how much scope he has out. htis is covered in the safe boating courses. if you are going to be river boating, you need the course.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

Good summary. Would that folks behaved that way. On the weekends where I fish, a boat at anchor is a target for every wakeboard boat and jetski. I don't boat on weekends any more.

Now, I don't fish in channels, or on skiing areas...just up near shore or over shallow flats. Doesn't matter. Almost as soon as the anchor goes down, someone takes it on himself (it's always a guy) to come over and see if my little 12' boat can be swamped by his wake. That's followed by the jetskiers spinning donuts around my boat.

I'm thinking that I know this spot on one lake where I fish, though. It's a hole, surrounded by shallow, rocky shoals. I haven't anchored in that hole on a weekend. Maybe I'll give it a go this weekend. It's so shallow on one side of the hole that I have to tilt my little 5 hp up and maneuver with the electric troller right up by the boat's bottom.

Hmmm.....

 

[Coors]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

LOL, go for it.

 

[BF]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

the idea of getting buzzed at anchor seems unbelievable to me. I see why there are threads about using slingshots as water flea repellent. I liked the idea of letting 50' or so of light floating rope drift in the current behind your boat... trick would be to make sure you untie it from your boat after the jet ski injests it... otherwise you'll have a jetski tied to your boat.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

And put up a BIG flag that says Gone Fishin' so they'll know you're there, And carry a video or still camera so you can post some of the results of this well-planned safari on water.

 

[tommays]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

The big problem here is boats anchoring in a narrow channel to fish


You dont want to go buy fast but there NOT supposed to be there in the first place



Tommays

 

[rndn]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

I know they are not supposed to anchor in a narrow channel, but it never gives anyone the right to buzz them. Two wrongs do not make a right.

 

[tommays]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

Well we are talking about blocking the Long Island ICW to all traffic above 5 MPH if we slowed down for every idiot illegaly anchored in it

I generaly trailer 40 miles from home just to not deal with the anchor idiots



Tommays

 

[valkyr]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

I usually slow down out of consideration for the fisherfolk. As I like to fish and grew up fishing with my grandfather, he'd nearly have a coronary when people's wakes threw our boat around. I just can't go by a fisherman without slowing down as I keep seeing my grandfather's face when it happened to us.

 

[salty87]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

hard to imagine without pictures but i'd say someone anchored in a river should expect some rollers. i'm not saying to buzz him or ignore him if it looks like he might need help. if its the middle of the week in the afternoon and slowing down is easy (no traffic backing up) then i probably would. if it was the middle of a saturday afternoon with traffic and he just decided he liked that spot, i'd cruise on by and wave...at a legal, safe distance.

 

[qaztwo]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

Your boat's wake will be small compared to the wake a barge going up river. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

a boat on full plane throws less wake than a bow coming off plane, i just pass at a safe distance, knowing i'm throwing the smallest possible wake.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

Apparently if you're in a wakeboat, you are supposed to crank the stereo as loud as it will go, then pass as close as possible as fast as you can.

In any other boat, give him a respectable distance.​

 

[Coors]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

I vote for CAT to anchor there, throw out the line for the jet skies, and have a video camera with sound.

 

[dabalone]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

I would be interested in what the law really is for this situation. I can tell a story which I know is true because I know the guy. Few years ago a sub contractor I have used was picked up and taken to jail in a situation where he thaught a boat was coming too close to his space. He was fishing off the bank one day and apparently a boat with a skier kept coming too close to "his" fishing spot. Shouts and expletives ensued which probably caused the boat operator to get even closer, I guess after some more passes Einstein decided to tie on a bigger sinker and cast it across this guys bow sending him packing. He did just that except he probably misjudged the size sinker needed to get his attention by several ounces, the sinker went right through the guys windshield and hit a passenger. The boater kept on going and disappeared around the bend to a marina. Our fisherman probably was thinking he taught the out of control boater a lesson until less than 30 mins later a couple deputies came walking over the levee and cuffed him.

I never found out exactly what happened to him but was told besides the court appearance he was taken to civil court by the boat owner. Maybe the lesson to be learned from something like this would be, if someone is really bothering you pick up and move, retaliation over small things in life probably will almost never have the desired result.

 

[Coors]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

A loose mooring rope is an accident; nature built the rocks...

 

[jtexas]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

In my state it's a violation to pass within 50 feet of another vessel except at headway speed. It's also a violation to harass fishermen. I guess if a 50ft cast hits your boat, you came by too close. A floating plug and monofilament cast across their path gives ya the chance of wrapping their propshaft.

It's also a violation to anchor in a channel in such a way as to impede boating traffic. Don't do much river boating but when I do, if I'm anchored there, I'm expecting to get waked. I'd rather ya go by on plane - less wake that way.

One more thought: in my state its also a pretty good chance the other guy is armed.

 

[Coors]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

One more thought: in my state its also a pretty good chance the other guy is armed.
Think that applies to Fl also.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: When passing a boat at anchor?

I like to come off plane about three feet before and then just hammer it right back up on plane.