Inlet Accidents?

[Billfish715]

To the boat operators out there........what kinds of near misses have you had with the new breed of water sportsmen while you were trying to operate your vessel? This recent incident in the M.I. while almost a tragedy, could have been avoided.

The amount of people competing for space on our waterways is becoming more and more dangerous. We almost ran over a kyaker in the fog near the mouth of the inlet. He had no flag and the waves were 4 footers. To say he was invisible is an understatement. The wave runners get right up your propwash or the boat in front of you in the inlet. We almost hit a backseat passenger from a wave runner who fell off in the mouth of the inlet right in front of us on the bottom of the outgoing tide with tightly stacked waves. If you've ever negotiated that inlet on the bottom of the tide with a strong SE wind you can appreciate how dangerous that situation was.

Once you're inside the inlet, and think you're safe, you then come up on the stand up paddle boarders and 'yak renters and even more wave runners. I'm surprised there haven't been more accidents and I'm even more surprised at the absence of the Marine State Police.

Have any of you had any close calls with some of the new recreational morons?

[bunker dunker]

it not just there its everywhere on the water.its like mixing bikes and cars on the road,sooner or later there is going to be big trouble.to say that we all have the right is ok but ask a 100ft party boat to stop on a dime because you lost a peep on a jet ski,not so much.

[RATS]

Had a yak dart out in front of me as I was docking, then he stopped in my path when he realized what he did and just stared at me in fear and every time I made a counter move he did the same exact thing. I had to throw it in reverse and rub another boat to avoid the yak.

[Fishin Dude]

Manasquan River by Treasure Island I had two kids on a tube being towed by their moron parents bounch off of the bow of my boat. I did everything to avoid it but pow, and they went flying. Lucky they were okay.

Then there are the boats drifting the channel that think they have the right of way no matter what your draft is.There are the boaters who need to cut you off or push through from the opposite direction to beat you through the Railroad Bridge, the people who don't care about no wake zones, the list goes on.

[Pauls1976]

Railroad bridge in Manasquan has too many close calls to list!

With that said, not all boats handle the same. The people that never look behind drives me nuts. It's great that you are running ok but not all boats idle or handle the same at a designated speed. Following sea, you can't just cut it back in the inlet.

[CCMPmonmouth]

Sounds like you all should learn how to operate boats safely, I see the way boaters come in the inlet way to fast. you all need to just slow down. And as for the train bridge, inbound traffic doesnt always have right of way. The boats with the tide behind them do. Just because it is not a no wake zone ( Clarks Channel)doesnt mean put the throttle to the pin. Im out on the water in my boat about as much as anybody, never really had a problem with personal watercraft, except be noisy. Most times it is the 30 foot power boats who dont operate safely. BTW all boats are constrained by draft inside the line of demarcation, so your bigger boat doesnt have right of way.

[Billfish715]

Sounds like you all should learn how to operate boats safely, I see the way boaters come in the inlet way to fast. you all need to just slow down. And as for the train bridge, inbound traffic doesnt always have right of way. The boats with the tide behind them do. Just because it is not a no wake zone ( Clarks Channel)doesnt mean put the throttle to the pin. Im out on the water in my boat about as much as anybody, never really had a problem with personal watercraft, except be noisy. Most times it is the 30 foot power boats who dont operate safely. BTW all boats are constrained by draft inside the line of demarcation, so your bigger boat doesnt have right of way.

Boats that are measured by the ton do not stop on a dime and handle differently than their smaller cousins. I take it that your boat is not measured by the ton. None of these replies mention anything about dangers posed by other boaters, even though there are boaters who drive their boats like they're on the Parkway.
To say that you ALL should learn how to operate boats safely is grossly exaggerated and disparaging to those of us who fortunately operate our vessels safely. Given the burgeoning numbers of stand up paddlers and newbie 'yakers and thrill seeking personal water crafters, boat operators have to be extra cautious to avoid accidents instigated by others who are on the water.

[Fishin Dude]

Sounds like you all should learn how to operate boats safely, I see the way boaters come in the inlet way to fast. you all need to just slow down. And as for the train bridge, inbound traffic doesnt always have right of way. The boats with the tide behind them do. Just because it is not a no wake zone ( Clarks Channel)doesnt mean put the throttle to the pin. Im out on the water in my boat about as much as anybody, never really had a problem with personal watercraft, except be noisy. Most times it is the 30 foot power boats who dont operate safely. BTW all boats are constrained by draft inside the line of demarcation, so your bigger boat doesnt have right of way.

I know how to operate my boat, maybe you should learn how to comprehend what you read. Start with the COLREGS Chapter 9, Narrow Channels, and go from there.

[Capt. Debbie]

Realistically. MOST People follow the rules when it's convenient or they are being watched.

The same clowns complaining at Manasquan RR Bridge congestion are throwing a 3 foot wake in the Canal.

The tidal flow for right of way is not a legal right of way and has no legal effect. It's merely a rule of thumb based on logic. But not binding on anyone- especially the guys who MUST run right down the middle.

That RR Bridge there freaks people out and everyone want to run down the middle of an opening that can fit two rec boats, if they bear right. But not down the middle. ON weekends there's too much traffic there for waiting lines. And no one wants to wait either.

Ironically being on the water most weekends for years on the tow boat, there is much less boat traffic than in the past. When gas prices spiked years ago and pre-Sandy. Never recovered. Summer times come 5pm on weekends the place is deserted around SH and the Bay.

[CCMPmonmouth]

Thanks for proving my point with your unimformed posts. Perhaps you never read the inland Colregs? Most people don't, which was my point. some of the ocean rules do not apply when inside the line demarcation and visa versa. As far as the size of my boat . The vessels I have run for an occupation were measured in the 100's of tons starting with my fathers business's vessels P/B New York and P/B New Jersey when i was 20 Y/O. Dont need to post my master's liscense tonnage on this site to prove a point. which is if you read and know the colregs ,no one should Collide and everyone would have a much more enjoyable time.

[squan63]

Being a recreational fisherman and knowing quite a few commercial captains and tug captain I believe the term less maneuverable vessel including sailing vessel under sale has the right of way under most circumstances inside and out.

[Capt. Debbie]

Boaters are all required to get certified in NJ and get an 80% on a test. That will not solve people being reckless. Drunk driving is illegal too, but it happens all the time.

Careless boaters come in both flavors, recreation and professional. Read about the two "professional" mariners that both killed two people in the Duck boat incident in Philly a few years ago.

Both captains should have know better and probably had the requisite COLREGS on board. But that doesn't "un-dead "the duckboat fatalities abandoned by the duckboat captain.

That duckboat "captain" who anchored in the channel watched a captainless tug & barge for nearly 10 minutes before it ran them over doing only 5 knots. You figure plenty of time to have them don lifejackets- neh! Stereo imbeciles.

Or similarly the sail boater exercising his "stand on" status crossing in front of a power boat ( aka 700 foot tanker) in open water. Duh!

Luckily most are a bit more careful, but all the education and rules in the world will not change a mindset.

To think rules and courses will make all people act differently is not realistic.