How much does it cost total to own a boat per year?

[toyotafreak]

We have to find a way to maybe pass out these seemingly common-sense reminders in license renewal envelopes or something.

Just in case the DMV's reading this....before getting into power turns, tubing and loud country music, could we start with staying 100 feet from a rider, swimmer or other boat?

[Rambling Wreck]

Amen, Toyotafreak. A slalom skier thought it was cute to try to get the people on my dock wet with his "roostertail". Not so cute-

I had the outboard motor of  my pontoon tilted up. As a result, it extended maybe three ft beyond the end of the dock. A friggin wakeboarder actually tried to touch the propellor of darn thing. To  me, it was Darwinism at its best but I am sure some attorney would have made my life miserable for a while had he impaled himself on it.

There is a lady in our cove that is just 'peachy' when she drives her 26 ft. Ebbtide deck boat off plane. She smiles and waves to everyone as they rush to grab hold of something to keep from being thrown off the dock.

I let several friends drive my boat this summer and had to get on almost all of them to plane out, to stay at least 100 ft from others or to pass on the right when the option is available.

Consider this - my daughter is legal to strap our 140HP waverunner under her or to go out on the Epic by herself next month when she turns 12 years old if she passes a simple open book online test. Note I said it was legal, I didn't say was going to. She iis havinig trouble with that distinction!

Ignorance or simple rudeness on the water is rampant. I actually go after people on occasion and mention the offense. What surprises me is that almost everyone has apologized (once I learned not to be so confrontational) and I have not noticed them repeating their acts, at least not in my cove. For the sake of the sport, think about it.

Wow, talk about hijacking  a thread!

[festivus]

I don't live in a "cove" but have experienced similar acts of imbicilism at lake powell in the canyons.  I love it when you get a couple of guys in their 35ft. cuddy cruisers off  plane about 50 yds apart.  Talk about ruining water.  Our local lakes are bad too.  I think that boating licenses should be regulated to those boaters who have an IQ over 50.  Bitzco, maybe you could come up with some sort of "boaters intelligence test" to include the ability to drive in a straight line and a step by step how-to procedure on planing out a boat.  That would remove 1/2 of boaters from the water.  Our local lake is almost a hazardous environment on the weekends.  Just don't go. 

[Rambling Wreck]

"Cave" may have been more descriptive of my living quarters and maybe I should have said the don't often repeat their acts as far as I can see through my rifle scope.