Karma for jet bike hooligans

HUMBER P4VWL · 01 June 2009, 14:29

After navigating the swellies by menai bridge at leisurely 17 knots, guiding two other craft through who asked politely, I pointed out to the wife 3 wreckless seadoo owners spinning round the brittannia bridge turrets. Whilst I may be stereotyping, I also said to the wife how noisy, irritating and dangerous the vast majority of them are. Upon which they all decide to blast past me to prove their manhoods, with the last t#at swerving at our boat at 40+ knots spraying us in water!!!!

After much cursing and being told to calm down by said wife, she said perhaps karma would mean he would fall off and hurt himself. At which point one of them appeared to fall off in the chop at said speed with his mates heading off to the horizon. Cue a very happy skipper to tootle up and offer assistance, he was suitably winded and I think concussed. Once his friends finally returned very sheepishly realizing I had saved him a got what was still a begrudging apology from some scouse half cut idiot.

When are they going to do something about chav drunk city idiots ruining it for everyone else!!

PeterM · 01 June 2009, 14:37

Paul - I enjoyed your story greatly - though I am surprised you bothered to assist the twat who fell off !

BUT........ I think you'll find its the majority who are sensible etc & the minority who are complete dicks . I was once a seadoo owner and had to regulary use my bottom of the range 80hp seadoo to tow ski boats, dinghies, yachts & even dare I say the odd RIB back to harbour. Nowadays you cant buy a new ski with less than about 155 bhp !

I would agree though that the drunk idiot type who exisit can graviate to jetskies as they are pretty cheap , easy to drive etc - but then the same could be said of ' some' of the ski boats, day sailors & dare I say some RIBS.

I was soaked by an SR4 heading out of the harbour this weekend & when I asked him to slow down ( I was actually polite at this point) he gave me the bird and raced off , only to nearly eject his mate from the bow over a wave ! In a similar way to you wifey stopped me from doing a smart 180 and giving him verbal going over.

HUMBER P4VWL · 01 June 2009, 14:46

I apologize, not all owners are chav or drunk or irresponsible. Also, nothing wrong in being scouse, my mum is almost and I support Liverpool.

As you say, it just appears a higher % of jet bikers have disregard to others than other water users.

I had to help him, wife on board and in a 5 knot tide he would never have got to his bike. Friends were at least a mile off before they realized. He was completely in a daze and couldn't even hold our boat! Knocked out initially I guess, couldn't even ride back, they towed his bike and carried him. It must hurt bad at 50mph. It hurts at 15 coming off the wake board!

willk · 01 June 2009, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackroady

Paul - I enjoyed your story greatly - though I am surprised you bothered to assist the twat who fell off !

I carry a few items on the rib to assist other water users in case they need help, you know, spare fuel and siphon, jump leads, etc.

I carry a Mars Bar in case I meet a stranded PWC user.

PeterM · 01 June 2009, 14:52

Maybe its just that the twatty ones are always easily noticed ? I always try to help anyone on the water if I can - but if he had done that to me I really wonder if I had would have left him to it and waitied for his 'mates' to help him.

If he had purposely endangered me , & my boat, & crew (family) I'd let the little git sort himself out. As you say some Karma in the world - at least he fell off , and better you got to see it & have the moral high ground.

PeterM · 01 June 2009, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I carry a Mars Bar in case I meet a stranded PWC user.

thats mean making them watch while you eat it from a nice stable RIB !

willk · 01 June 2009, 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackroady

thats mean making them watch while you eat it from a nice stable RIB !

Oh, sorry, no.

So they don't get too hungry waiting for the RNLI to roll up

PeterM · 01 June 2009, 14:59

Phew thats Ok then ! They will have called the coastguard on their once great ( but not waterproof) 'Iphone' - well until it saw the water & stopped working.

I have only once in the last 7 years heard/seen a jetski with a VHF.......... dont get me started ............

HUMBER P4VWL · 01 June 2009, 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackroady

Phew thats Ok then ! They will have called the coastguard on their once great ( but not waterproof) 'Iphone' - well until it saw the water & stopped working.

I have only once in the last 7 years heard/seen a jetski with a VHF.......... dont get me started ............

If they used their iPhone before setting out, they could google "rules of the sea" and learn a thing or two. Also that calling 999 ends up in an office god knows where. Then you get put through to someone else who contacts the coastguard, meanwhile you have drowned and no one knows where!

iPhone great for going on forum when in work though! IT police can't bar me now!!! Lol

BassBoy · 01 June 2009, 17:55

Just curious to know if anyone here has an example of good seamanship by one of these 'water scooter' drivers? (Blackroady asside!) I'm trying to balance the argument....... with considerable difficulty!

codprawn · 01 June 2009, 18:15

They seem a much better bunch in our waters. In fact it's great to have them around. The entrance to our harbour is so dodgy jetskis are about your only chance of being rescued in time!!!

tinker · 01 June 2009, 18:29

I would have called a mayday and then claimed salvage?

Nos4r2 · 01 June 2009, 20:44

Is it against the rules to sink it because it's a danger to shipping?

spartacus · 01 June 2009, 21:25

You can draw parallels with a minority of bikers, never mind jet-skiers. How often have you been spooked by some twat literally clinging to their motorbike as they overtake you at breakneck speed. Normally I say a little prayer for some loose stones or diesel up ahead.

Not all jet-ski users are idiots, although a minority undoubtedly give the sport a bad name. I must admit - a little respect from all water-users would be welcome.

yoyo · 01 June 2009, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

After navigating the swellies by menai bridge at leisurely 17 knots,

When are they going to do something about chav drunk city idiots ruining it for everyone else!!

Errr..... have you read this, at 20mph you could be guilty in the yachtie's eyes

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.p...2312953&page=0

Northern Tim · 01 June 2009, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassBoy

Just curious to know if anyone here has an example of good seamanship by one of these 'water scooter' drivers? (Blackroady asside!) I'm trying to balance the argument....... with considerable difficulty!

I have to say that most members of Colwyn Bay jetski club do display good seamanship, and I know that quite a few carry VHF. I was out in the Menai Straits and they were on a cruise from Colwyn Bay to Porthdillaen, heading in the opposite direction. They were cruising in a "V" formation, with a lead PWC and a couple of sweepers. When they approached another vessel, the V would close into a line, slow down until passed, before opening it up again. They also actively promote the RYA PWC certificate.

Having said all that, I do have one or two less favourable tales too!

floater · 02 June 2009, 09:29

its not always the driver !

its the type of vessel, once youve blasted up a down a few times on your own and then with your mates, theres nothing else to do except be a pain to other water users !!

you carnt just stop and enjoy the sun/rain/sea have a picknic, drop a line, layback etc as theres no room so your only option is to blast around

they have very little range so most have to stay close in !

Jet skis are the same as a 16 year old on a scooter no matter what age

I personaly think that they are a pointless craft that you get wet on and annoy other water users with

Andy

codprawn · 02 June 2009, 14:14

Nah they are good fun to have a play with and intimidate - they won't come anywhere near me any more - they may be faster when it's calm but as soon as the waves build I leave them standing and they sulk!!!

badbaws · 02 June 2009, 16:16

I had finished repairing a classis sailing dinghy and to float test I suggested to my wife a gentle row around Eling creek in the sun at the top of Southampton water. Whilst there we had rowed not 50m when the first of 2 jetskiers came flying round the corner at 30 odd knots, before banking hard in each direction to cause maximum wash disturbance.

When we returned from our row, the same idiot came back flying in past several other boats, including one trying to launch. I approached the guy driving and mentioned that the speed limit was 6 knots to try and keep the wash down. He just laughed swore and walked off.

I just wish I had been in my other boat to give him a nudge...

So never met a nice jet skier, just the idiot ones.

This is why i like working on a ship with 20mm cannons.. We class jet skiers as hostiles (well I do!!). It is only a matter of time, that is all I will say!

Don't get me wrong tho I won a bottle of whisky from a yachting Magazine a few years ago writing an article as a dinghy sailer, yacht sailer, powerboater and as a ship driver, where lots of people get in the way! RIBS, yachts, dinghies..

HUMBER P4VWL · 02 June 2009, 17:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyo

Errr..... have you read this, at 20mph you could be guilty in the yachtie's eyes

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.p...2312953&page=0

LOL, ironic they had the same problem. I personally slow near moorings and wave to most yachts. That day, that forum was right, there were so many bikes near port dinorwic and the typical conwy cruisers powering up the straits. The problem is, as conwy is tidal marina the huge boats have to blast down to abermenai point, anchor, set up their food and g and t, then blast back to make the marina in time or they get locked out for the night!! Sometimes the wash of a 45ft planing cruiser is phenomenal. My dad went over board last year caught unawares, kill cord saved him but still hurt!

Has to do 17 knots in swellies as tidal race was about 5, yachts were at standstill