Thanks for the help, good week of fishing

[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: