Boat Etiquette

by Old Airboater

The other day I was thinking about boat etiquette.This subject has been covered many times . I am not sure if I am qualified to write on this subject . The only qualification  I have is that I have been on the water all of my life. I have also been around the old salts back when the boat motors were larger than men and only developed thirty or forty horsepower.

I have noticed people still loading their boats with equipment once they have backed into the ramp. This is rude and inconsiderate. This blocks other people that are ready to launch from using the ramp. I was taught that the ramp was for loading or unloading boats off of trailers. 

If you use a boat ramp before daylight or after dark, you need to turn off your headlights and use just parking lights unless you need to see where you are going.  Headlights blind other boaters and people loading and unloading boats.  If you are backed into the ramp then your lights are shining up this is even more blinding at different angles.  If it is a two boat side by side ramp you are blinding anybody else trying to use the other side. 

Patience while waiting to load and unload makes for a more pleasant day.

Once launched, you need to get underway as soon as possible to make room for other boaters.

I have also noticed that a lot of fishermen and fisherwomen use the boat docks as fishing piers. I always try to give them as much room as possible but I do not forget that my goal is to launch or load my boat in a safe and proficient manner.

All boaters are responsible for their wake.. That is a simple statement to understand - it's also sometimes hard to enforce. Damaging someone's property with your wake can land you in court. Being damaged by someone's wake can put you in court.  If you fish in the only channel or cut into a body of water sooner or later someone will come by you. Sooner or later you will go by someone fishing in the channel. Think about how they go by you and how you go by them. I was taught not to blow by someone fishing but I was also taught not to endanger my boat or the people in my boat.   If you put me in a hazardous position, that means that I will rock your world if I have to when I safely need to egress an area.

I was also taught that if you are fishing a spot it is your spot and I should fish somewhere else. That means that if you are fishing birds I will not join you. I will find my own birds to fish. If you join me while I am fishing birds I will not welcome you and I will not wave nicely at you. I will ignore you if you let me. If you do decide to join me then you need to do it right. Don't crowd me or the birds. Don't make noise. Don't cast across me. If you scare the fish you have ruined it for both of us.

One other thing, if you need help wave with both hands. A one hand wave looks friendly. A two handed wave means notice me. There are also other ways to get my attention. Whistles, flares.flags, etc. I think that most people on the water are considerate and thoughtful. The problem is that all it takes is one uneducated or rude person and we let it cast a big shadow over what was mostly an enjoyable experience.

This by no way covers all of the boat etiquette mistakes I have seen, experienced or been taught. I think we teach people by example as well as by the written word. Remember that there is always someone watching and the example we set is just as important to ourselves as well as the observers. Good fishing and fishing is supposed to be fun. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife sends a booklet with the rules of the road and other tidbits of knowledge dealing with the safe and legal operation of a boat. Read it and compare it to what you are doing and seeing done around you by boaters.

Old Airboater.