Boating in Alberta

[Smackdown]

I was not sure if this post should go here or in the fishing section but I have a question about boating and cell phones. I just finished a wonderful 2 week vaction at Moose Lake by Bonnyville and had something that kinda choked me up...... My 13 year old duaghter (fully licenced up) way trolling along with my wife, her father and myself catching and releasing a host of fish.....some dick talking on his cell phone rips right in front of our boat witin a few meters of us. There was a whole freakin lake to go but he chose to scream past not giving a crap what his wake left behind (if I remember correctly you ARE RESPONSIBLE for the wake you leave). He runs into shore some get off and come right back and then go back out on the lake. If I would have been with someone other than my 70 yr old father-in-law and kid I would have had a chat with him and his crew. It's funny how one dick can ruin a day.....99.9999% of all the other boaters were exceptionally good and no one had any issues. You try and teach your kids to be responsible and do the right thing like slowing when approaching other boats and steering clear wherever possible to avoid things like this. It was a good thing I was right beside her to avoid a potential collision. I would like to have grabbed a boat identification off the bow....but as you can imagine it was not up to regulations (too small and not in contrast to the colour).
Well I guess you can't fix stupid....thanks for letting me vent.

[bloopbloob]

This year especially, I have to say idiot boaters are the rule, not the exception. I own two boats, a 12' aluminum, 7.5hp with a 50lb electric, and a 15' 75hp speedboat, so I understand from both sides. The little fishing boat goes out 80% of the time, and at busy lakes like Pigeon, without fail, jerk-offs with the entire lake to themeselves will drive within 100 feet or so of my little 12' boat towing a skiier, and have actually had some super-jerks do circles around me. I'd love to teach them a lesson..... Not sure if they just want an audience, or don't understand what their wake does to small boats, but either way, it's unacceptable. When I take the bigger boat out for tubing, etc., I stay well away from all other vessels, whenever possible, but especially the very small fishing boats. Wish the boat licence BS helped with this sort of thing, but it doesn't at all... I could keep going on about this, but won't. lots more to vent about, but won't. it just sucks.

[lolanr]

I agree with there being even more bad boaters on the lakes this year. I was trolling the shore line for well over 1 hr one evening. Same path recorded in the I pilot. There was 1 ski boat and me on the lake. They almost ran thier skier into me 2x. Once, the other driver was looking back and I had to rush to hit my horn or they would have ran right into me. That's when I started screaming. They moved further down after that. A whole lake with 2 boats on it, there shouldn't have even been an issue. What was really concerning is that they would even be running a skier where I was trolling. There are lots of rock piles that come up to just below the surfaceI was going to get thier license and call it in but they left before I did. Very scary.

[chasingtail]

Maybe the should make a law that you need a boating license.

[Ken07AOVette]

That sucks, too bad ignorant morons never learn.