Boat Wakes and Small Boats

[Gerry Zagorski]

A raging debate going on in one of the local Facebook pages...

Someone in Kayak fishing near a fairly narrow channel in a high boat traffic area and a boat underway in the channel wakes him...

https://www.facebook.com/sleckman/vi...6537589785687/

Interested in others opinions here...Should the boat have slowed down, did he have to slow down by law. Should the Kayaker be pissed or should he not be fishing where he is??

[Gerry Zagorski]

A similar situation for me the other day...

I'm coming back into my Marina which is a 1/2 mile long fairly narrow channel with pretty shallow water to either side of the channel. This is not a no wakes zone so I and pretty much everyone else runs this channel at speed...

In the distance I see a guy in a Kayak who is sort of clinging to one of the marker buoys and fishing.... This is the next to the last set of buoys before I get into the Marina so as I get closer, I have a decision to make... Do I stay at speed and wake him or down off plane so I don't??

Well, I decided to come down off plane and slow down way before him so I didn't wake him but thought to myself that's not a good place for a Kayak to be fishing....

Had that been further from where I'd eventually have to slow down to enter the Marina, would I or should I have slowed down??

[Duffman]

I started out fishing SH and RB in a 14 foot Starcraft. Definitely fished places I shouldn’t have been and remember getting waked all the time.

Now that I’ve progressed onto bigger rides I always slow down for small boaters and yaks whether they are fishing a spot they shouldn’t be or not.

Guess it’s kinda “ not forgetting where ya came from” mentality.

[courbeco]

Agree with Duffman on this issue and for the same reasons stated. When I had my boat, I always slowed for the little guys as it usually was a guy in rental rowboat with his kids (Shark River back channels). I suppose it's a matter of courtesy and unless you're restricted in maneuverability, it's the right thing to do. I was on the Paramount a few years ago, and there was a little guy in a tin boat drifting near the mouth of the inlet. Capt. Dennis actually reduced a fair amount of speed so as not to wake him and send him up on the rocks. I thought that was very courteous of him considering.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Duffman

I started out fishing SH and RB in a 14 foot Starcraft. Definitely fished places I shouldn’t have been and remember getting waked all the time.

Now that I’ve progressed onto bigger rides I always slow down for small boaters and yaks whether they are fishing a spot they shouldn’t be or not.

Guess it’s kinda “ not forgetting where ya came from” mentality.

x2

What’s the real hurry that anyone has to wake another boat anywhere .

On the reef guys come flying in bouncing all over right between boats drifting .

No one likes to drive a boat faster than me , but I always give everyone wide berth or slow down till I’m past them .
Possibly injuring someone else isn’t worth the 4 seconds you save backing off.

.

[Gfedor]

I will always slow down, even when out in the middle of the Raritan bay, when coming to the end of a drift, I'll go nice and slow to the start of drift if any boats in close area, regardless of their boat size, just common sense.
I've been out so many times to witness a boat finishing up their drift then going balls to wall in between other boats creating waves etc, just to setup 300ft away! Usally I'm on my boat with wife and 3 daughters, they know the routine now, they hold on for the waves to pass.

[catsmeow]

I fish sandy hook out of rumson 17' sea nymph aluminun planning hull with a 90 hp. Have to slow for most boat going in the opposite direction, due to shallow draft. Handle most wake on drifts ok. Last year was drifting just down the rip at the tip of the hook, back to the ocean beach. I hear this roar and a 40' sport fisherman wide open and the guy in flying bridge waves to me i wave back, and then i see like an 7' wake coming, my eyes become wide as could be and we go up and over with my atomach in my throat. Wtf was that about ? Seem to me he was looking to flip me over. I fish only on weekdays so usually not to bad out there. Have to watchout for the seastreak, tankers, and tugs towing barges with cables. Salt water fishing needs to be done cautiously and some craft out their are taking chances the sould not be. Well safe boating and aways try to respect other boaters as best as possible. Paid it foward last week and towed in 25' parker from the bug light to his slip in atlantic highlands. He was alone with no tow insurance. Will not do that again i know if i dameged his boat or another boat in the harbor i could be sued. Had to come in the rumson ramp dead low, 1 1/2 of water at one spot, had bought a hand held spotlight 2 weeks prior just in case i ever needed it, and did not take long to put it to good use. Been fishing the hook since a kid in the 50's. Does anyone remember the party boat "Happy" Had a portly mate who was just great to us kids, cannot remember his name, wondering if anyone here goes back that far ? Tight Lines .....walt

[Gfedor]

Originally Posted by catsmeow

I fish sandy hook out of rumson 17' sea nymph aluminun planning hull with a 90 hp. Have to slow for most boat going in the opposite direction, due to shallow draft. Handle most wake on drifts ok. Last year was drifting just down the rip at the tip of the hook, back to the ocean beach. I hear this roar and a 40' sport fisherman wide open and the guy in flying bridge waves to me i wave back, and then i see like an 7' wake coming, my eyes become wide as could be and we go up and over with my atomach in my throat. Wtf was that about ? Seem to me he was looking to flip me over. I fish only on weekdays so usually not to bad out there. Have to watchout for the seastreak, tankers, and tugs towing barges with cables. Salt water fishing needs to be done cautiously and some craft out their are taking chances the sould not be. Well safe boating and aways try to respect other boaters as best as possible. Paid it foward last week and towed in 25' parker from the bug light to his slip in atlantic highlands. He was alone with no tow insurance. Will not do that again i know if i dameged his boat or another boat in the harbor i could be sued. Had to come in the rumson ramp dead low, 1 1/2 of water at one spot, had bought a hand held spotlight 2 weeks prior just in case i ever needed it, and did not take long to put it to good use. Been fishing the hook since a kid in the 50's. Does anyone remember the party boat "Happy" Had a portly mate who was just great to us kids, cannot remember his name, wondering if anyone here goes back that far ? Tight Lines .....walt

The Happy was my first party boat I went on as a small boy, that's when the addiction to ocean fishing started. I thank my dad for getting me into fishing

[Capt. Debbie]

I remember that in the 1960's with my dad's rare venture out of Elizabeth 4 times a year.

Go there was our boat the "Lazy Bones" others like the Delmar. Hoboken had the Palace IV. The "Reliable". The Sea Fox V.

The good old days. Almost all the PB boats had a Portly mate... many named BLACKIE too.

Originally Posted by Gfedor

The Happy was my first party boat I went on as a small boy, that's when the addiction to ocean fishing started. I thank my dad for getting me into fishing

[Capt. Lou]

One the most memorable PB’s I sailed on every week with my grandfather was the Bel Boy out of Perth Amboy in the 50’s old 110’ sub chaser
We sailed year round very memorable along with Flying Saucer out of AH , Highlander and Miss Take out of the Highlands , Sea Fox the first one !
Mud Hole tuna fishing was on fire in those years enjoyed going every week !
Rambler outta Belmar cod fishing on SR’s in winter !
Those days those boats sailed in any weather ! However most close runs do to lotsa fish local !