Just to let you know the area this is taking place is a narrow river not a huge lake <BR> <BR> <BR>So I was out on the lake the other day and I watched this occur. Boat A was pulling up a rider as Boat B passed pulling another rider. <BR>When boat A made it to plane it was actually going fater than boat B. So naturally Boat A was going to pass boat B. However Boat B kept cutting off boat A when boat A tried to pass. Eventually for the safety of all riders boat A puled back a let boat B gain some distance. about 30 sec later boat A resumed with rider and came upon boat B comming back to a fallen rider. The rider behind boat A make a generous heelside edge and then cut in creating a large spray for the guys in boat B. The question is did these pri#cks deserve this or not?

Boat A in the wrong. Double that for spraying the boat.....which could end up with a beating if done to the wrong group of individuals. <BR> <BR>Side note, I don't know if Boat B should have been "cutting off" boat A when it was trying to pass. But regardless, Boat B should have given Boat A time to get out of their way....then started pulling their rider.

Boat A was in the wrong. Should have waited for B to pass and create distance, especially if they knew they were riding at 23+ mph. Boat a should have flipped a biotch and rode the oppopsite direction. The rider of boat A should get his ace kicked for the spray.

My opinion is Boat A should have waited and given plenty of room for boat B to get down the slew so that they never would have had this problem. one of my biggest issues on the river is when we are coming up on a downed boat and they pull up right in front of us. <BR> So I would say that boat A is wrong if they would have waited all of this could have been avoided but "cutting off another boat with rider in tow" sounds to me like all involved are idiots. <BR> People that do s*&amp;t like this need to stay home, and we will all be safer.

Why would you start to pull your rider when a boat is coming up behind you. A little patience goes a long way but some people just don't seem to get it.

I agree with J-Rod. Much safer going in the other direction also.

Boat A should have waited until boat B passed and then got into their wake. Longer you wait the better. <BR> <BR>I will guess that both A &amp; B did some sweet power turns to retrieve their downed riders.

Knowing my friends at the Delta, if this would have happened and someone sprayed their boat with all the expensive electronics in it someone would be getting a nice bullet hole through their hull or a couple of bullet holes at that. I learned the hard way never spray another boat even if they are friends, it will end up costing you money.

Just want to clarify my last sentence. I meant Boat A should have waited until Boat B passed and given them time to get out of the way, then pulled up their rider. I got my boat A, Boat B mixed up.

Agreed with all the above statements

Agreed. This is also my biggest pet peeve out on the delta. People will pull up infront of you all day long when all they have to do is wait 30 seconds and it makes better water for both of you.

You gotta be careful with a rider in tow. Granted part of this was the riders fault. Spraying a boat is something that should be reserved for your friends. Even then you may get a beat down if the spray is bad enough. Spraying someone else's boat could result in an enraged boat driver. Guessing that rider "A" is going to fall eventually I'd be a bit scared of having enraged boat driver "B" coming up on rider "A". Sounds like a good way to get yourself run over.

Spraying people you don't know is the dumbest thing ever. Like what was already been mentioned, you are asking for it. What if boat A had a bunch of video cameras and still cameras on board that you ruined. The beating may be much more severe. Why do we feel so inclined to retaliate when we are "wronged"? They makes us just as bad.

would the guys in boat A. spray the guys in boat B. if they knew A. they where packing heat, B. members of hells angels. C. under cover officers? <BR> <BR>be the bigger person and let it be. You never know who you are messing with. What if they came back and ran over your rider? does'nt matter whose in the wrong now but whose in the hospital.

Man I was lost when boat b started going

If boat A was going 22 miles and hour and boat B was going 23 miles an hour. And boat A rider sprayed boat B (which we all agree was wrong) then my question is..... Which train gets to Cleveland first? <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/crazy.gif" border=0>

my thoughts exactly<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/rofl.gif" border=0>

Damit I hate math word problems...... I will say boat C makes it to Cleveland

If boat A has 5 dudes in it...and they pass Boat B which has 5 girls in it, Should boat A assume the girls are borrowing their boyfriends boat? or B move in for the kill and tell them you are a team of Doctors here from Sweeden to help the less fortunate in the community?<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/biggrin.gif" border=0>

The driver of boat A should have waited until boat B was out of sight, or better yet turn and head back the other way. Boat A was in the wrong for overtaking boat B with riders in tow on either boat.

Now when you say boat A, are you really talking about yourself? <IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0>

I would say everybody in Boat A is lucky to have their teeth intact.

agree with everyone that boat A should have waited <BR>but <BR>since he didn't, boat B should have never "kept cutting off boat A", especially with a rider in tow himself....crazy <BR> <BR>on the waterway, you always have to re-evaluate everything...thus, always keeping within safety margins <BR> <BR>boat A was the idiot first <BR>boat B was the idiot second <BR>person in tow from boat A was the idiot third <BR> <BR> <BR>to me, boat B had the highest incident of idiocy, cause he put his rider in front of another moving boat <BR> <BR>...assuming that initially boat A could have run parallel to boat B....only ruining the water as opposed to endangering anybody

What Cliff said.... Sounds like another case of "I'm a 'wakeboarder' so it's ok to be an idiot on the water"........... <BR> <BR>Legally, it sounds like A gets the prize, but you have -at least- two losers driving, and one loser riding........"spread the stoke!" <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/uhoh.gif" border=0>

I freakin' hate when other boats snake ya on the river....it really pisses me off because we always wait for others to pass by.... <BR> <BR>what sucks more is that experienced crews will do it to ya sometimes as well...

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1><b>quote:</b></font><p>what sucks more is that experienced crews will do it to ya sometimes as well...<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote> <BR>IMO,more b/c usually they have a good rider in the water/behind the boat so they think,"since we ride faster anyway,we'll just get in front of them real quick,they were going to fall or they suck anyway. <BR>When boats did this to me on the Delta,it would be usually a guy rippin behind the boat.

A is for A-hole

This happens alot in are area, we just pull a 180 and go back the other way, its the same as a car speeding up or sliding into your lane when you try to pass. Ya talk to them and make the rules of boating clear, over passing boat stays clear and there should be no problems, but there pushing it by pulling out and not letting you go by. Call the boat cops, the least that will happen is that they have a talking to in boat manners and probably get a ticket for not having enough lifejackets.

if they're comfortable enough to pull up in front of us...then they need to be comfortable enough for us to ride their ass....and trust us to dodge them when they fall <IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0>

This s/it happens all the time, but any boat that is driving slower while cutting off another boat is in the wrong. I love pulling out in front of other boats at the right time so I tow my rider up at the same time in the same direction so they can ride next to eachother, only if there is room to do so. spraying the boat is a different subject. I know from experience that no matter who was in the wrong, most bone head boaters don't care and will retaliate in some way or another. One funny incident was when I was in a boat on the delta and our rider srayed another boat going the other direction on twin . He almost got ran over and an ass kicking, funniest sh't i've ever seen. He was pleading with these guys not to kill him, and I got it all on high 8 from the pass seat. Most people don't know d;ck about anything, and will be pissed even when they are the one's who fri<ked up. I have had most problems on the delta and the Sacramento river, last week some fisherman slashed my friends tires on his trailer (Garcia Bend, Sacramento River). My friend's boat did not even cut them off or spray them just rode in the best water which is where those guys were fishing. I once had a gun pulled on me on a buddy's boat in the delta, it was in Cat Fish Hole (salsbury Island) close to (dirty dells/end of the river) just for riding by their anchored boat a few times. those fisherman really don't frick around.

The Navigation rules state that a boat that is overtaking anothe boat shall stay clear of the boat itis overtaking, thus making them the "Give-Way vessel" The boat being passed is the "stand-on Vessel" and is required to maintain course and speed and not create a hazardous crossing situation. This is straight Coast Guard "rules of the Road". If there was an accident, the guy being passed would have been at fault and would have been cited for not maintaining course and speed while being passed. Then the other guy could be cited for "negligent operation of a Vessel" for what he did after, by attempting to spray the other guy. Trust me, I know all about this kind of thing.

Following on from JEFF H's post if there had been an accident I'm pretty sure that the law wouldn't give a damn if boat A had pulled up in front of boat B (as long as it wasn't too close to be unsafe). So whilst boat A was in the wrong according to wakeboard etiquette the first thing done illegally was the cutting off that B did to A. And then yes, stoopid (and illegal probably) of rider A to spray B - I've seen beatings for way less than that.

one day out of lazy m a bank fisherman cast his line at/near my friend who was skiing after we had gone back and forth a few times...we were not even that close to their lines...even though they kept casting as far out as they cuold, we had gone away from that area and when my friend came back into the boat stuck in the neck of his wetsuit was a 4 inch bait hook...luckily for them (and us) it did nothing so we calmed down and unloaded the guns...that day really coulda got ugly

I agree that you should never spray a boat you dont know, and even then its sketchy depending on what they may have laying out; it could ruin a friendship. <BR> <BR>Alternatively, I have snaked and been snaked in almost all forms. Ish happens, the biggest factor is ego's and frustration. Often times its worth it just to chill out and let it be. Its pretty much pointless to get bent out of shape about something, typically either the driver made an honest mistake or is an A-hole and will pull the same ish regardless of what you do next weekend. <BR> <BR>One day I walked into a Kragens and noticed a megaphone on sale for 19.99; money well spent. Its great for conveying messages to boats ruining the water! <BR> <BR>I had a funny experience where we were riding on grant line and had taken a break to eat some lunch. A tan and green 205V rolled by and fell on a HS 5. Shortly before he had been snaked by a tuber which we had already "had words with" (I think my boat and the 205 were the only 2 boats NOT doing powerturns that day, lol). About 5 mins go by and as we are sitting in pure silence enjoying the sound of ripples hitting the boat hull off in the distance you can hear "F-ing A- hole, blah blah" pretty comical.

wouldnt it boil down too what side boat B was passing on? If boat A was on B's starboard, then wouldnt B have to yeild to A?

slower boat always has the right of way on our lake, even if they are dicks

The US Coast Guard rules always give right of way to the boat in front. They call the overtaking boat the "give way" boat meaning if you are overtaking a boat from behind you must give them clearance and warning before you pass. On narrow waterways the boat in front does not have to allow someone to pass. The boat in front is called the "stand on boat" meaning they have the option of staying on course and speed. The "give way" boat can pass on either side of the "stand on boat" if there is enough distance to pass safely.

Two things, one, the stand on boat does not have the option of maintaining course and speed, they are required to in an overtaking situation. Has nothing to do with speed or what side or size of the channel so long as the boat doing the passing stays clear. if the boat that is being passed alters course to stop from being passed then they are definetely in the wrong..legally and morally. As far as the starboard side rule, that s dub quoted, that only applies to a crossing situation when another boat is forward of your beam. I am a licensed captain, and have taken numerous "rules of the road" and deck Watch officer exams with the coast guard so if anyone has any questions, i can always try and help as well as direct you to where to reference the laws/rules..just wanna keep everybody safe on the water!!!