Thanks for the help, good week of fishing

[fishhead315]

Trolling with an electric shouldn't matter at all. You do have a gas motor as well you can easily start to change course. It's by choice you use one motor over another.

[Eyezcrazy]

Were you crossing in front of him from his port side by chance? If not, he was being a jerk. If so, you were in the wrong. He would have been the stand on vessel, and you were supposed to give way. (Rules of the road).

I'm not sure if you are asking me or the OP but I will answer in my situation the charter was coming in at an angle on my port side and I still gave way and the more I gave the more he pushed toward us. I should add that I've been boating for over 30 years and do know the rules of the road. It amazes me how many out there do not or are just rude or arrogant.

[Capt Juls]

I'm not sure if you are asking me or the OP but I will answer in my situation the charter was coming in at an angle on my port side and I still gave way and the more I gave the more he pushed toward us. I should add that I've been boating for over 30 years and do know the rules of the road. It amazes me how many out there do not or are just rude or arrogant.

I was asking the OP.

Oh, I know what it's like out there, craziness... and, I also give way more than I don't, when it comes to me being the stand on vessel. That's why I usually prefer to go find areas where the majority of the traffic....isn't.

Headed back out again this morning. Supposed to be stormy this afternoon. Good luck everyone!

"Can't we all just get along"? lol

[Just One More]

(a) A power-driven vessel underway shall keep out of the way of:

(i) a vessel not under command;
(ii) a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver;
(iii) a vessel engaged in fishing;
(iv) a sailing vessel.

So would you consider drifting and casting a fishing vessel?

[Capt Juls]

So would you consider drifting and casting a fishing vessel?

Nope. "a vessel engaged in fishing" refers to commercial fishing vessels only. Our regular fishing boats are the bottom of the totem pole. lol

A drifter would be considered "not under command" as the motor is off and the captain is probably fishing and not at the wheel.

[onestout]

6 days on the water and very few incidents. I personally don't care what side you are on when everyone is at trolling speed (under 2 mph) and we all at the time were around 1.3 and he could see over 1/2 mile away that he was heading for the trolling line of a few other boats he shouldn't have crowded everyone else. Someone like that wouldn't last very long in the crowds on lake Michigan. The large charter guys at least put an effort in to avoid other boats, all the charter guys were fine in my book, I don't mind when they pull in behind me, it's when people cut you off that really sucks. Using the excuse that you are on my port side and I don't have to move for nothing excuse is just being a jerk and will cause you problems if you ever fish crowded waters. But some people are jerks no matter what and it is what they like to do, I just let them be and go on with my day, I have bigger things to think about than to let rude people ruin my day, like I said, it was a good fun trip. Good luck to everyone else that is going out.

[wakina]

6 days on the water and very few incidents. I personally don't care what side you are on when everyone is at trolling speed (under 2 mph) and we all at the time were around 1.3 and he could see over 1/2 mile away that he was heading for the trolling line of a few other boats he shouldn't have crowded everyone else. Someone like that wouldn't last very long in the crowds on lake Michigan. The large charter guys at least put an effort in to avoid other boats, all the charter guys were fine in my book, I don't mind when they pull in behind me, it's when people cut you off that really sucks. Using the excuse that you are on my port side and I don't have to move for nothing excuse is just being a jerk and will cause you problems if you ever fish crowded waters. But some people are jerks no matter what and it is what they like to do, I just let them be and go on with my day, I have bigger things to think about than to let rude people ruin my day, like I said, it was a good fun trip. Good luck to everyone else that is going out.

The rules of the road were put in place to determine which vessel has the right of way and which vessel must alter their course, this is regardless of speed or compass heading. Being on the water is not like being in the old west where the biggest or fastest gun won the day. The rules were put in place for a reason.

By your own words you also knew that the boat in question was headed in a direction that would most likely intersect your's at the wrong time, but you still insist that the other fellow had to alter his course for what has to be 1 of 2 reasons, the first reason would be that the vessel in question was approaching you from your port side and in following the rules of the road that would be the correct reason for making your argument, the 2nd reason would be as you stated that he knew there would be a conflict in the courses of his and your vessels and by your post you obviously knew it also, and that he should have to altered course no matter which side you were approching him from simply because you said so and that reason is incorrect.

The other rule that would apply would be that both of you are required to take any and all course changes necessary to avoid a collision on the water.

After reading and re reading your post and you having made this statement " I personally don't care what side you are on when everyone is at trolling speed" I find it hard to believe that you follow the nautical rules of the road at all. " I personally don't care", is a powerful statement on what you believe in. We as boaters are all bound by the same rules while on the water while under power. The rules are simple and are designed that way so almost everyone can read and comprehend what they mean.

You became defensive about the post Capt Juls made so it leads me to believe that you were on his right coming from his port side.

Your attitude about the Nautical Rules of the road in this situation leads me and probably others on this forum to believe you are as big of a jerk as the person you are talking about.

penalty box Has the best solution for almost all situations on the water, if possible alter course and grin and bear it. It is not worth wrecking your day over.
Tight Lines:

[penalty box]

We if I have or don't have the right away I move out of the way you won't believe how many times I've changed course only to have my rods start popping. if everyone one would just make little adjustments everything would be fine but some people just have to paint that trail.

[onestout]

It didn't ruin my day. I fail to understand how he has the right of way running at a 45 degree angle to waves while the rest of us were trolling a drift line with the wind not under power....please explain? Or are you just like that jerk and like to cut off those of us that are drifting? Either way I would do like I did and pick a different line to drift when I came to the end of it. Hope you feel better now, have a nice weekend.

[wakina]

Just want to point out that your post says you were trolling and not drifting, you don't know the difference or what. So lets make it clear I don't usually fish in crowds, and I always follow the rules of the road that is what they are for, those 2 things usually keep me away from the senario that you described. You said the things that you said they were your words not mine so take responsibility for them. You still have not said who was approaching from the port side. i really do believe that you need to take a safe boaters class. Most often they are free or is it that you personally don't care. I am history from this thread so have a nice day.