fireworks

Wondering how many people go out on their boats to watch fireworks.I did last year for first time,not sure if i'll do it again.First of all it got way too crowded out there.We were early and by the time it started we were surounded by boats.Some getting within a few feet to jockey for position.Some going just fast enough to throw rollers and rock the boat pretty good.Patrol stopped a few doing that too close to other boats.Then leaving after fireworks?Wow!!Talk about chaos.Our dock is not from where we were so trying to dock (once we finally got there was downright dangerous.With a steady stream of cruisers going by sending huge rollers our way.Thankfully we have lights on the tower to at least see what we were doing i waited in between waves and shot in fast just in time for a huge one to hit us causing the side of boat to scrape against dock pylon causing damage to decal and gel coat.Maybe we will sit it out and watch from shore.

The best thing to do is to get the best view from the farthest distance. And if you are close for the best view, after the fireworks just wait an hour for all the loonies and morons with big boats to clear out before heading back. Good way to be safe, avoid drunks, and avoid chaos.

Thats what we do also. Just sit there and hang out for awhile once the fireworks are over with, then the ramp is all cleared out.

Yea sounds good,or maybe we will sit further out this time.Or we will leave before its over.Aside from the crowded water it was fun.

Originally Posted by jgriffn

Thats what we do also. Just sit there and hang out for awhile once the fireworks are over with, then the ramp is all cleared out.

The problem with that around here (saltwater) is if you are last out you have had tons of boats power loading and there are huge mounds of dirt and sand. Wrecked my prop last time I tried to go do something like that as I wasn't gonna fight all the drunk idiots jockying for position so waited till everyone had pretty much pulled out and then pulled out and hit one of the mounds.

Kind of a "been there done that" attitude for us. Like the others have said, it's fun, but getting back to your home base with all of the chaos is just annoying. We have to go under a bridge to get back to our slip. Never fails that a pontoon has a bimini too high to get under and screws up the procession. Last year was our last year of doing it.

we always wait until the chaos dissipates, last year my crew took a margarita machine on the boat and they had great time, i on the other hand was the margarita maker since i was driving and had to be sober, we sat out there until the water turned to glass with the tunes blaring, a few other boats crept over and joined the party, no problems with boat traffic that way

We did it a couple of times. The worst part for us was that people were at the boat launch shooting fireworks out over the water, so it felt like coming in for a landing at a war zone. I won't do it again.

Did it a few years ago.
The Tricities puts on a pretty good fireworks show every year from a barge anchored in the middle of the Columbia River
The launch was about 4 miles from the cove we were going to watch the fireworks from. My wife and I put the boat in the water about 3 hours before dark and as we motored downriver to the cove we saw a POS Bayliner trihull to the right of us with 4 guys in it doing power turn donuts about 100 yards away. When they saw us, they pulled out of donut mode and headed straight twords us at full speed straight into jump our wake mode.
They hit our wake at what must have been about 20 feet back at full speed.I hit the throttle when I finally realized what they were going to do. I think if I had cut the throttle they would have broadsided us.

So these guys are hooping and hollering and chugging beers, go across our wake, then turn around to do it again. My wife gives them the middle finger salute and I beeline to the cove where there is a no wake zone. The Bayliner guys take offense to my wifes salute and start coming after us.
I hit the No Wake zone and am about 50 yards into it when the Bayliner comes roaring into it at full throttle looking like they are going to try to pull up to us and two of the drunks are going to try to jump into our boat. Obviously, these guys are real pieces of work.The only thing missing was a pirates flag...

The cove we were in is at a marina and there was a line of yachts rafted together just ahead of us.
Just as the Bayliner was getting pretty close, a Sheriffs boat was motoring out from behind the raft of boats. People in the yachts saw what was going on and were yelling and pointing in our direction. I layed on the horn and started waving to the cops. The Bayliner guys were so intent on trying to pull up next to us, that it took them a while to realize that the cops were watching everything transpire. One of the guys finally saw the Sheriffs boat and they suddenly turned around, took off at full speed out of the cove, the Sheriffs boat in pursuit with lights and siren blaring.

After a short chase, the cops caught the drunks and pretty soon it's the driver doing a sobriety test, getting handcuffed and the Bayliner getting the tow of shame back to the marina with a huge round of applause from us and yacht crowd.






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Oh man great story^^^

@ Kirk,that's the kind of behavior i'm talking about.Inconsiderate a$$ holes that know full well the problems they're causing but don't damn care!!!I It's like once they get out there their levels of stupidity increase ten fold!!!!!!!!It's downright dangerous ,and in the dark too!

Idiots like that are the ones that should be made examples of. The problem is that guys like the them take their boats out 4 times a year. I went out last year on the 4th for fireworks on our lake. I will never do that again. It was a white nuckle ride back to the ramp. I waited about an hour to roll out to allow the Wallys to smash the throttle and leave, but an hour was not long enough. I will stick to the non-holiday weekends.

I have watched the fireworks (not on the 4th) in Knoxville three times from the boat. Each time I have managed to be in the lead of the exiting "stampede" and it all turned out well...but a little stressful. Will probably do it again this year if the family and friends are game.

Kirk - I love a story with a happy ending.

So many idiots out on the lake during fireworks... Here's one tragic example from a couple years ago...

Ouch...
That looks ugly.
When we were watching Fireworks shows from the water we would bring sleeping bags and crash until after the carnage was over and head back to the ramp after about 1am. By then most of idiots were already off the water.