I don't understand other boaters...

brew · Posted: Sep 01, 2007 10:58 am Post subject: I don't understand other boaters...

We went riding Monday night at Percy Priest after work and ran into boat problems about 45 minutes into riding. We drifted for about an hour and a half jumping up and down waving at other boaters as they went by, but nobody bothered to stop.

We ended up calling several local rescue squads to see if they could send someone to help, but they just argued over who's problem it was and basically told us without someone being injured there wasn't anything they could do.

We finally drifted into the bank where we proceeded to walk the boat towards a loading ramp that was down the lake. All the while boats continued to pass by. We even plugged the lights in and flashed the lights constantly after it got dark to try and signal someone. About an hour or so after dark we finally managed to get the boat running enough to limp back to the ramp.

If you see a group of people jumping up and down waving towels at you, stop and lend a hand. It may cut your day short, but hopefully someone will return the favor when you are the guy needing a hand.

jryoung · Ladies Man Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 7664 City: Man Jose

brew, Those boaters who knowingly passed you will most certaintly have the favor returned to them.

Tbonez · Posted: Sep 01, 2007 11:15 am Post subject:

This would NEVER happen where I live...NEVER. I end almost every trip pulling some idiot fisherman in who ran his tank dry.

SeaLyon · Posted: Sep 01, 2007 11:37 am Post subject:

brew, They are required to help, but what gets me is the local rescue squads
THAT'S BULL..... I would go out of my way to report them to someone higher up. Evil or Very Mad

H20orSnowLetsGo · Posted: Sep 01, 2007 12:28 pm Post subject:

whenever I have no pulls, I go ride my jet ski. Though my little ski cannot tow a boat, if anyone looks in trouble, I ride over to find out, so that I can run to shore for help if needed.

brew · Posted: Sep 01, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject:

michigan boarder · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 333 City: MI

I'm not gonna lie. The fact that not one person stopped to help you is messed up. I always help someone if they flag me down. One day I may need that help.

jlaws · Addict Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 832 City: NC

wow that is so lame, that would never happen here! but do y'all not have vhf radios on your boats???? maybe it's just cause we are in a saltwater/fishing but everybody has a vhf.

Memphisvol · Newbie Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

thats pretty bad. coming from someone who rode behind a boat with numerous problems and emergency tows, I know it sucks when someone wont stop

wakeNskate · Outlaw Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 200 City: Nashville, TN

Brew... that's not the first time that's happened in TN. Last month a friend of ours got had some engine trouble in his pontoon boat on Old Hickory Lake, and was being pulled towards the dam. No one would stop and help him and his family, even though they were trying to flag them down. He ended up calling me (I live in Dallas but know a few people in Nashville) and I called one of my wakeboard friends. He hooked his boat up to the truck, pulled it to the ramp, drove 20 minutes and towed my broken down friend (who he didn't know) back to the ramp. There are good people out there, but on the lakes in TN for some reason they are real assholes.

Sorry that happened to you. Next time you're stuck call me and we'll get someone out there Smile

Shawn_17 · Newbie Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 22 City: Halifax

This is why I am glad to have a cottage on a smaller lake (big for Nova Scotia, small for the rest of you haha). Everyone doesn't know each other, but none the less I've never seen someone stranded for more than 5 minutes.

Sucks that it happened to you. I don't get why people don't help each other out. I mean it really doesn't take that long either.

khollin1 · Newbie Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 30 City: Peoria

Fortunately not all the lakes around Tennessee are full of unfriendly boaters. I've needed a tow several times on lakes in East TN and never had any problem finding someone to help out. In fact, a couple times I didn't even have to flag anyone down because they came over on their own when they saw us messing around with the engine. Like others said, I just don't understand not being willing to help out because it is so easy to do. Maybe it's someting about the Mid TN boaters in particular?

SeaLyon · Posted: Sep 03, 2007 10:31 am Post subject:

brew · Posted: Sep 03, 2007 11:36 am Post subject:

I don't think it's any particular group of boaters in TN. I would hope that if we had seen someone else out wakeboarding, they would have stopped. However, it was primarily people fishing and out on cruisers. I've had virtually the same thing happen on Kentucky Lake, so I don't think you can call out Middle TN boaters.

I think it is mainly a problem on big lakes, as I've never had a problem on the small local lakes I ride. I think that it's because it's not as big a body of water and people notice you a lot easier because they have to drive right past you.

I had several numbers for people on this board, but I left my phone in the truck and had no way to reach them. I'm sure that one of them would have lent a hand, if I would have been able to call.

Memphisvol · Newbie Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

CHiLi DaWg · Posted: Sep 03, 2007 5:52 pm Post subject:

I will go check on someone if they are signaling. But I will not put my boat into shallows to give a tow. I did that one time, because the guy actually remarked to us that we didn't tug him close enough to the pier. Anyways, I would up chopping up some lillies and churning up muck for that guy. Next time, I'll get somebody close, then it's their problem.

Then again, I just sold my boat, so I guess it's really not my decision now Smile

Iman · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 116

My guess is that you just ran into bad luck with people who passed by. Some boaters barely understand what they are doing and they are afraid to offer help. Others have family out, etc and are afraid to help. Also, don't be too crazy trying to wave people over, that might make me think you were just partying and then I might not come over.

I'm on a big lake and I've towed in a dozen or so boats and been towed in a couple of times myself. We also have TowboatUS and Seatow? that you can call to tow you in.

jpk · Outlaw Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 215 City: Redmond

I just pulled a broken down Sea Ray back to the dock this weekend. I've done this many times on our lake. I needed the favor once myself two years ago when my SeaDoo broke down on the water.

The super retarted thing about pulling that Sea Ray in this weekend is that they were out there for a while before we got on the water and helped them out. Once we got them tied up and were starting to tow them back to the dock, the f'in watercop Sherriff came over and pulled me over for having someone sitting on the v-drive sundeck while the but was underway. WTF?!!?!! The f'in watercop didn't help the people out. So when I stop to lend a hand, they pull me over instantly for having someone watching to make sure the towline is properly secured as we are getting underway? F those mothers!!

The boater culture of yesteryear is gone. Boaters no longer wave to each other when passing and help each other out. They flip each other off as they cross through each others line and ignore each others fallen riders, tossing beer cans along the way. That's what booming boat sales does to the culture, I guess.

Bambamski · Posted: Sep 04, 2007 10:39 am Post subject:

I towed two Sea doo's off the water on the weekend. I was just glad to get them off the water so they didn't chop it up anymore! J/K they were my buddy's sea doo's those things are soooo temperamental!

Chad H · Posted: Sep 04, 2007 1:51 pm Post subject:

jpk,
I agree. Our local marine police are at least cool, at least they were a while back when we didn't have our registration card with us, bu we had stickers.

We normally don't see them where we go, because we know where they are stationed, and they don't go too far from there.

Ohioboarder · Addict Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 520 City: Over there

My FIL went out on labor day and had an engine completely fail and lock up. They had to SWIM the boat into the state dock because no one would help even after they displayed their distress flag. (I'm sure no one knew what it was) Kinda like when I'm out on my bike, if I see some one who looks to need help I stop...

Dave Twisted Evil

chaz28o · Posted: Sep 08, 2007 5:22 pm Post subject:

We went out for an evening run (and the evening are getting shorter and shorter these days) and there was some dumbazz out of gas on the river.

I told him that I'd take him in, but not until after we did some runs

The dipstick copped some kinda attitude about that

I left his dumbazz out there

HHI Dave · Posted: Sep 08, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject:

Around here, unless you know the sandbars and the tides, you stand a very good chance of running aground. If you happen to get hung up as the tide is going out, you will be stuck there for many, many hours.

We've cut several wakeboarding sessions short in the past in order to save some stranded boater and give them a ride to shore.

However... I will never tow another boat with my boat again. I did it one time and it turned into a nightmare. I'll do what I can to help as far as rides or phone calls etc, but I will NOT be towing any boats. Confused

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

HHI Dave, what happened that you won't tow a boat again?? Confused

dgraf · Newbie Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 9 City: houston

I don't know about lakes, but in the gulf if you see someone stranded and you don't help get them back to shore, the coast guard has the right ticket you and possibly worse. I (unkowingly pumped 31 gallons of water into my girls bu sportster only to find out the hard way 4 miles from the dock!) and got stranded in the middle of now where,luckily a fisherman towed us back with his jon boat. tossed 'em about five brewski's and we were back.
moral of story: don't be a PT(penis top) you may be the next one stranded, and on a monday(like we were!) you lucky if you get back before its dark

HHI Dave · Posted: Sep 09, 2007 9:52 am Post subject:

nickl011 · Posted: Sep 09, 2007 10:41 am Post subject:

We have always given a tow to those in need. But in the rare case that something that happened to Dave happens to us, that'll be the end of towing. There are a lot of dumb people out there. I'm sure I wont run into anyone like that, as most people on my lake are pretty reasonable. Just last week we had to pull in an older SAN cuz they ran out of gas. We gave them 5 gallons, and they gave us $20.

furitive_revolution · Outlaw Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 127 City: Oshawa

A couple years ago, i was driving over to the calm side of the lake when we see a life jacket go by, then we see a tackle box go by and figure we'll drive towards where they would have came from. About 200m of driving and we find this boat, about 6 inches of nose out of the water and three guys with no life jackets on. They are all in their 60's or 70's, and one guy has his head barely above water cause his ankle is stuck in the anchor line. It was near the end of summer and dusk was not far off. we get the guys in the boat, hook them up to the heater, and pull their boat back to shore. These guys were literally minutes away from not making it. And what do we get, nothing. Not a thank you, not a you saved our lives nothing. Needless to say at the end that didn't matter, but at least a thank you would have been nice.