Newbies
It’s late July, prime boating season, and it seems like everyone with a boat is out on the water. Now, while some skippers are experienced and maintain situational awareness; others are inexperienced, and somewhat conscious of their surroundings; and a final group is comprised of folks that are both inexperienced and mentally “checked-out”. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the most of the dicey situations involve boaters from the third category. You see them all the time- cutting in front of your boat in the harbor entrance; stretching across the channel; reversing into traffic on a narrow river stretch; or proceeding along with never even a casual look over the shoulder for overtaking boats. What’s a skipper to do?
Be cautious and patient. Assume the other skipper is not well versed in navigational rules and is not deeply connected to the situation at hand. I know, from experience, that this “high ground” is not always easily attained, but there’s a strong similarly between road rage and water rage. And since we all agree that actions associated with the road rage typically don’t pay off, you can easily arrive at the same conclusion for water rage. So, the next time you come across a water newbie, ease back on the throttle, take a deep breath and count your blessings for the opportunity to be out on the water. It’s the best way to experience the pleasant feelings you bargained for.
