Tips for pulling boards around other boats

[ezmarc]

No I'm not saying you should power up and move but you should be prepared to.

I'm just saying that a drifting boat doesn't have any more rights than anyone else boating and under way. You suggested they do. It's Lake Erie, lots of people don't know anything about courtesy or are incapable of guessing which way or how fast another boat is moving. It's just a fact of life and a person does what he can to deal with it even if it means giving up true right of way from time to time. Happens all the time!

[ezmarc]

No I'm not saying you should power up and move but you should be prepared to.

I'm just saying that a drifting boat doesn't have any more rights than anyone else boating and under way. You suggested they do. It's Lake Erie, lots of people don't know anything about courtesy or are incapable of guessing which way or how fast another boat is moving. It's just a fact of life and a person does what he can to deal with it even if it means giving up true right of way from time to time. Happens all the time!

[perchjerker]

yea its all about common sense, which unfortunatley is all too uncommon at times.

Last year, we were trolling along. No pack of boats, just a boat here and there. These 3 fellows in a simliar sized boat were trolling toward us, or maybe we were trolling towards them. We were pretty far apart going in the same general direction. As he got closer, I would angle away from him. I did not have a particular path I needed to go so I didnt even think about it. I had 2 inline boards out on each side, he didnt have any boards out.

As I would change my course away from him, he would get closer. We kept doing this, I thought it was my imagination that he was closing me off. Until I looked at my plot trail. I was moving in a circular path away from him, he kept pushing me coming closer. We were the only 2 boats around.

Well finally he was right on top of me. So I say to him, what are you trying to do, read my depth finder? You are pushing me in a circle as I pointed to my plot trail.

He says to me "I havent seen you touch your steering wheel the whole time!!" He didnt realise I was trolling with my kicker but steering with my bowmount and co pilot remote.

I said "so that give you the right to push me in circles? because you didnt see me touch the steering wheel???"

Right then I take the copilot and steer towards him. His eyes got real big and it looked like he was going to soil himself as he turned to avoid me.

He just kept trolling off into the sunset, never said a word.

And I didnt touch my steering wheel the whole time



;)

[perchjerker]

yea its all about common sense, which unfortunatley is all too uncommon at times.

Last year, we were trolling along. No pack of boats, just a boat here and there. These 3 fellows in a simliar sized boat were trolling toward us, or maybe we were trolling towards them. We were pretty far apart going in the same general direction. As he got closer, I would angle away from him. I did not have a particular path I needed to go so I didnt even think about it. I had 2 inline boards out on each side, he didnt have any boards out.

As I would change my course away from him, he would get closer. We kept doing this, I thought it was my imagination that he was closing me off. Until I looked at my plot trail. I was moving in a circular path away from him, he kept pushing me coming closer. We were the only 2 boats around.

Well finally he was right on top of me. So I say to him, what are you trying to do, read my depth finder? You are pushing me in a circle as I pointed to my plot trail.

He says to me "I havent seen you touch your steering wheel the whole time!!" He didnt realise I was trolling with my kicker but steering with my bowmount and co pilot remote.

I said "so that give you the right to push me in circles? because you didnt see me touch the steering wheel???"

Right then I take the copilot and steer towards him. His eyes got real big and it looked like he was going to soil himself as he turned to avoid me.

He just kept trolling off into the sunset, never said a word.

And I didnt touch my steering wheel the whole time



;)

The boat under power has a throttle and a steering wheel. The drifting boat is maybe... like a sailboat. He does not have to move. Give me a break.

The boat under power has a throttle and a steering wheel. The drifting boat is maybe... like a sailboat. He does not have to move. Give me a break.

Ok, I can agree with that last statment. I did not intend to say that a drifting boat had more rights than anyone else. Just to add a reminder to your post that it is prudent to watch for drifting boats, and to do your best to steer clear of them without crossing their lines. I think that some trollers forget how large of an area they are covering, and do not always think about where a drift fishing boats lines may be.

Be realistic here, even with a big spread you have more control of your craft, and are more likely to drive up on a drifting boat than a drifting boat is to drift into your spread. It's got to be dificult to troll in a heavy pack of boats and I realize you don't always have an option of steering clear of a pack.

Most of the near miss situations I've encountered involve the trolling vessels captian not paying attention, or simply not realizing how much water he needs to fish his spread.

Ok, I can agree with that last statment. I did not intend to say that a drifting boat had more rights than anyone else. Just to add a reminder to your post that it is prudent to watch for drifting boats, and to do your best to steer clear of them without crossing their lines. I think that some trollers forget how large of an area they are covering, and do not always think about where a drift fishing boats lines may be.

Be realistic here, even with a big spread you have more control of your craft, and are more likely to drive up on a drifting boat than a drifting boat is to drift into your spread. It's got to be dificult to troll in a heavy pack of boats and I realize you don't always have an option of steering clear of a pack.

Most of the near miss situations I've encountered involve the trolling vessels captian not paying attention, or simply not realizing how much water he needs to fish his spread.

[ETT]

OK, let's talk about sailboats. The thinking that a sailboat always has the right of way is pure BS. The least encumberd vessel is to yeild to the more encumberd vessel and any vessel with trolling gear (planer boards) out is certainly more encumberd that a sail boat.

There was some jerk out of Sandusky Bay several years ago who took great delight in sailing between a trolling boat and his boards, thinking that he always had the right of way. Well the Coast Guard was happy to explain the rules and the div of watercraft issued a sitaution.

So let's nip that one in the bud!

[ETT]

OK, let's talk about sailboats. The thinking that a sailboat always has the right of way is pure BS. The least encumberd vessel is to yeild to the more encumberd vessel and any vessel with trolling gear (planer boards) out is certainly more encumberd that a sail boat.

There was some jerk out of Sandusky Bay several years ago who took great delight in sailing between a trolling boat and his boards, thinking that he always had the right of way. Well the Coast Guard was happy to explain the rules and the div of watercraft issued a sitaution.

So let's nip that one in the bud!