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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/07/2002 : 21:23:55

What's your favorite "%*Q! @&#% stinkpot" story?

I have 3...

1. Single-handing a 17' Day Sailer, I saw a 60+ footer coming out of Norwalk Harbor at 25-30 knots, headed RIGHT AT me. When it was clear the problem wasn't going away, I tacked away and it missed me by maybe 50' without wavering course or slowing down. As it passed, I could clearly see a 12-14-year-old girl at the helm on the flying bridge. As I dealt with the huge, curling wake (and got a little wet), I screamed at the boat. Suddenly a guy came out of the cabin and scrambled to the bridge. The bow came down, and the little girl was obviously getting a lecture. Did they come back and apologize? They were stinkpotters going somewhere--you figure it out.

2. Same little Day Sailer... Two 50+ footers approaching the same harbor side-by-side, bows up, max wake speed, take courses to put me exactly in the middle between them as they passed. Having taken a physics course, I know that the confluence of their wakes is going to be a BIG problem. I tacked away and got a few yards from that scary point (where I could see the water spraying up). Got wet again, but if I'd stayed on course, I could have been instantly flipped, a couple of miles out.

3. A lazy afternoon with the Admiral on the Day Sailer... The local police boat is drifting about 100 yeards away... Suddently, the cops start up at full throttle heading right at us, but looking behind them--then, when they've reached close to full speed, they veer off and miss us by about 15'-20 feet--not having looked at us yet! Their spray got us pretty good! We were just about to dive overboard--I was trying to get my hands on the air horn in the seat locker, but there wasn't enough time.

We sailed the Day Sailer for 21 years (until college tuitions were done), and the C-25 for not quite two. At least we know that if that police boat had hit us on the C-25, the cops would've felt it!

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

Dennis Pierce
1st Mate

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USA
59 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2002 : 08:05:04

I always loved entering a narrow channel with a 5 MPH speed limit on my Grand Banks 36 and dodging the sailors with little if any knowledge of the rules of the road.

C'mon guys quit beating this subject. I've been boating for over 30 years and there are courteous stink potters as well as jerks. Same goes for rag sailors. I've sailed a multitude of boats as well as owning a couple of power boats.

My favorite stories involve rental sailboats banging the swim steps on my GB while it was in the slip.

Give it a rest.

Dennis Pierce
Gypsy Witch #1719

Edited by - on

n/a
deleted

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125 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2002 : 12:59:00

Wow,some guys just just got spanked too much as a kid!

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2002 : 13:52:01

Dennis, I agree with you that no one is without sin. I would also point out that powerboats are generally far more maneuverable than sailboats, and, because they move faster, throw up considerably larger wakes. P still equals mv (momentum = mass times velocity), which makes a powerboat a lot more dangerous.

We should all boat courteously and defensively. I always assume the other guy doesn't know what he's doing. That being said, I've never had to contend with big wake from a sailboat in a restricted channel, never had a sailboat either almost run me down or force me to alter course suddenly when I was under sail. I wish I could say the same about powerboats.

Brooke

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2002 : 16:34:53

On a much lighter note...
Judy and I were drifting on the lake one afternoon in the C22 - sails down, motor off - enjoying lunch. I noticed this small runabout moving very slowly towards us and kept an eye on him. It became obvious that he was heading straight at us and I could not see anyone at the wheel or anywhere else on board. He kept getting closer and I started hollering at him without any effect. Finally I got out the airhorn and really let go a blast. Suddenly 2 heads popped up from the cockpit floor - a man's (facing the floor) and a woman's (facing the sky). It was pretty obvious what position their bodies were in...<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> and what they were doing <img src=icon_smile_kisses.gif border=0 align=middle>....I guess in the throes of passion that someone's foot had hit the shift lever.
Derek

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Kirk McKay
Navigator

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USA
111 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2002 : 10:22:56

I took a co-worker out on the Bay this weekend. She's an aspiring sailor who has taken a few lessons on the Potomac. As we were motoring out the channel, she was asking about the rules of the road. I tried to tell her most of what I have learned officially, and then told her that she shouldn't count on other boaters knowing and/or using them correctly. It didn't take too long for her to see what I meant, two huge speed boats passed us in the narrow channel at the same time on both sides(really close to us!) By the end of the day, she was screaming at some of the boaters when they did their stupid boater tricks by us! I will add though, that I've had more than a few Sailboats do crazy things too.

Kirk

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2002 : 17:27:12

We were sailing off of the southern tip of Vashon Island. We had been out for several hours and had started to talk about when to go back in. It was just a few days after the 4th of July. Weather was warm and it was getting towars sunset. The wind was droping off and we were making the turn east to head in. My wife Ruth said Oh look someone is letting of more sky rockets. One then two and three. It only took a second for me to realize they were red airial flares and someone was in trouble. I could see a small powerbaot in the ferry lanes. Quickly we droped all the sail and Ruth cleared the decks as we motored toward the boat. There she was. An older walk through bow power boat with this guy standing in the stern while his wife ripped of a piece of his hide a strip at a time. Her foot kicking the empty fuel tank as a cloud of purple stench foul language filled the air. This guy was pleading for some one to put him out of his agony. Out of gas I yelled to him. A sullen not told me yes. I rigged a line and tossed it over. A we headed for the fuel dock a mile or so away the tongue lasshings continued. He looked like god knows what as his wife brow beat him. It was one long long mile and I fet his pain as the cursing passed my ears and off onto the winds. Once at the dock he thanked me a dozen times. Tried to shove a wad of money into my hand and then thanked me some more. I never did take any money for my aid. The show had been worth it. As a form of repayment I made him promise to pass on my good turn to some other poor soul in need. I would wager however he has not been back out on the water since.

Doug&Ruth
Boatless in Seattle
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2002 : 17:59:34

"I would wager however he has not been back out on the water since."

At least not with his wife...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Derek

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Tony Dillon
Navigator

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USA
168 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2002 : 19:17:29

This is not exactly a “Stink Pot” story, however, it does involve one.

On Labor Day we were coming out of Quartermaster Harbor at Vashon Island which is about 3/4 of a mile across. There in the center of the channel is a dingy motoring across the channel really slow towing a large pink inner tube. We passed about 150 yards ahead of him when we realized he was escorting 2 swimmers across the channel. One was behind the dingy, the other about 150 yards ahead, right in our path. The dingy made no effort to point him out, luckily he did have on a bright green bathing cap. With all the boat traffic through the channel it make one wonder!

Tony Dillon
Mental Floss

Edited by - on

ssteakley
Captain

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USA
467 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2002 : 00:15:34

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE,
that is the best lesson....If you want to win the game defend well, then attack,
Steve Steakley

Edited by - on

luckystar
Navigator

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USA
236 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2002 : 00:45:57

I hate to join this discussion seeing as how I grew up on powerboats on the lakes here and the oceans on vacations but...
the very first time I sailed was on a 14' Chrysler I found in the back of my friends lake house 4 years ago. it was in pretty bad shape, so I researched and read up, cleaned, fixed, re-rigged and found the dagger board, sails, mainsheet blocks and rudder half buried in their basement. I was pretty proud of my accomplishment and knew nothing of any animosity between sailors and power boaters, I just loved being on the water no matter what. But that very first day that my friend and I took her out and @#$hole of a powerboater wanted to show his friends how powerful he was by doing a 360 in his twin engine 30 footer around us no more than 20ft away, laughing and flipping us off the whole while. His wake flipped us (good thing I'd read up on how to right her and we were wearing life vests!) and drove off. Needless to say, I've had a bit of a grudge against them now. I've taken many boating classes, read alot, learned the rules of the road, got certified and basically spend a lot of time, even though I'm a lake sailor, making sure that I treat ALL my fellow boaters with respect. I just wish some power boaters would take an ounce of that effort. They aren't all bad, but it sure is hard not to assume that they are when the one's that are deliberately go out of their way to endanger you. Good luck to you all and happy boating! (thanks for the therapy session, I feel much better now, whew!)

Patrick Burnett, Little Rock, AR
S/V Lucky Star #2707 1982 SK/SR

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jellyfish
Navigator

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USA
171 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2002 : 16:55:53

sailing the ICW, I have got lots of stories but try this! next time someone does something really stupid get their call numbers and find out who they are. Call them up and explain that "by law" they are respondible for thier wake and any damage it may cause. Explain to them that last Sat or Sun or whenever their wake all most caused your boat to capsize and in the process your wife, son, or daughter, or whoever broke their leg. You plan to sue them and hang up!

Edited by - on

FrankV
Navigator

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USA
135 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2002 : 23:46:39

1. At two in the morning on a summer Saturday sail, I came across a small fishing boat adrift with no lights on at the far upper north end of the lake. I sailed close by and saw no one aboard. I came about and used the cleated main sheet as a lasso and roped the front chair sticking up and started towing the boat to the marina to call the authorities. 5 minutes into the tow a rather drunk belligerent big guy (and drunk, belligerent big, girlfriend) raised up out of the power boat and started yelling at me. Then he cut my rope!

2. Out late at night again, saw a power boat dead in the water flashing O-S-O with a flashlight. We dropped the sails, motored over as fast as we could, asked what was wrong and they had suffered a lighter failure and wanted to know if we had a spare!

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2002 : 07:35:15

I was on the committee boat for the annual around the lake race. Winds were nearly non-existant and as the gun was fired for the start of the first fleet, a stinkpot broke through the boats beating to the starting line and had a perfect start. The county shariff flipped on his lights and immediately pulled the guy over. After the last fleet started he came over to to the committee boat and told he would never,NEVER do that again.

Don Peet
C25, std, wing
The Great Scandaga Lake

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2002 : 07:45:23

Just thought of another story.

Just after my dad bought a Dragon we were in a race from Sodus Bay to Rochester on Lake Ontario. This had to be 45 years ago! Off Pultniville, probably ten miles out in the lake both starboard shrouds broke. A friend at the helm had the boat onto port in heart beat and we headed into shore. @$@@#^$##$$ motor wouldn't start and when we approached shore we realized we were a few miles east of P'ville so we opted to go back to Sodus. Several hours later we had passed through the channel and were swinging around the point and dad tried the motor. It started, and at that very moment a stinkpot threw his wake over the after deck and outboard and drowned the @#@$#$%$%&# outboard again.

Some nice stinkpotter came to our rescue and towed us around the point, back to the Sodus Bay Yachet Club.

Don Peet
C25, osmepneo, std, wing
The Great Sacandaga Lake
On the hard already - the lake is down, boo <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

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