Victoria Canal and IDIOTS!

[Dom]

Thanks

[Old dog]

Just remember in any accident if you're the faster boat it's your fault. A club member hit a cat fisherman at night who had NO LIGHTS on at Clear Lake. They're we're no injuries but there was minor damage to the cat fisherman s boat. The cat fisherman sued in small claims court and won because my buddy was the faster boat, didn't mater that the other guy had no lights on. Wake boarders that intentionally throw large wakes due to bladder tanks should not be allowed in narrow canals.

[mark poulson]

A boater is legally responsible for any damage his wake does, period.
This is another argument for boat licenses.

[jerrysfishing]

If it happens again just go by them, just on plane and as you go by them raise your motor up and GUN it. The 500 gallons of water you'll spray on them will cool them down

[Dom]

Thanks yall, But is Victoria ONE WAY?

[kraetzer]

Just found this on the California Delta Chambers & Visitor's Bureau's homepage regarding the Victoria and North Canal: "Take the time to observe the traffic flow and follow the “unwritten one-way rules” here."

[clearlakeoutdoors]

Its not against the law to go either way on Victoria. The locals have been using it as a one way for years and I always did also.Its probably more known as a one way to the skiers.
Dave

[minnkotaman]

i've been fishing the south end since '75 and i'd say your at fault.
i've never had a accident for 2 simple reasons. i follow the rules of the
road (like driving a car and common sense). would you run down the south
end of woodard it to traffic to save the 80' at the turn. use common sense.
and a gun is a bad idea, if your looking for trouble it will find you.
jim l.

[Dom]

Thanks

[flipit]

Well if trouble is brought im here to give it ,i have a ccw and if 10 GUYS ARE TRYING HURT ME then i am in fear f or my life and i will pull the trigger. Sorry but not sorry about that. As for one way thats why im asking duh!

I've been fishing and skiing the delta for the better part of 30 years. It's always been an unwritten one way. I understand your frustration as its a no no to get close to another boat specially while towing. I've had them come to dang close while I'm fishing. I stay out of there once it gets busier in the afternoon. It can get crazy down there. As for saving maybe .50 in gas? No comment.

[Dom]

Ok so the simple answer to my question was not law but yes locals have made it a one way, I will run it as one way thanks to the guys who gave helpful info so I now know. Been running that channel since 91 and never had a problem. Now I know thanks again

[jimmy87]

I have had the same thing happen. Just last week in fact.

what about passing a wake boat in that canal? I don't think they like that either.

I never fish in those areas past 11 am or so. I do not care for wake boats and they do not like me either.

[gabuelhaj]

Two blasts to pass them on the left and one blast to pass them on the right. If they don't answer with like sequence, or a 5 count, you can still pass them. You are letting them know your intent and unless they answer with a 5 count, not much for them to complain about. If they don't answer at all, pass at your risk and with caution as many of those guys aren't really sailers and don't know the rules of the road.

BTW, did you sound the proper horn signal to let them know what approach you were intending to use in a head-on condition?

Good luck!

[whazup]

Two blasts to pass them on the left and one blast to pass them on the right. If they don't answer with like sequence, or a 5 count, you can still pass them. You are letting them know your intent and unless they answer with a 5 count, not much for them to complain about. If they don't answer at all, pass at your risk and with caution as many of those guys aren't really sailers and don't know the rules of the road.

BTW, did you sound the proper horn signal to let them know what approach you were intending to use in a head-on condition?

Good luck!

I would bet you and one more would make two who know that rule, lol. And what kind of horn are you using that can be heard above two motors, a music blasting wake boat, and drunks hollering at the wake boarder. My horn (legal) can barely be heard from the cockpit. The more I think about it, the more I think you are TIC.

[Mike]

No wonder all skiers thing bass fishermen are assh0les..... You were going down the LEFT slough on the LEFT side??? And you have been boating since 91'? I'm surprised your still alive. It's just like driving a car. You stay to your right to avoid any head on collisions. A little common curtacy goes a long way. If your passing a skier, go wide right and slow way down until the skier acknowledges you, then pass. I've seen many times where a bass boat goes flying past a skier when they are cutting back and forth. If the skier doesn't know you are coming, they can cut right in front of you. And as far as you running them down and confronting them... Then saying that if you had a gun and they came after you, you would shoot them???? You would go to prison. You were the aggressor. J/S

[Dom]

Thanks again Yall !

[gabuelhaj]

I believe I described the Coast Guard rules of navigation and signaling when passing and meeting head-on any vessel. Also, it doesn't matter what side of the berm you're on, you USE your sound signalling device to negotiate the proper, and safe, passing and navigation. Just because the skiers ignore any, and all attempts to negotiate, acknowledge, and navigate doesn't give them the right to claim any water is "one way". But then again, common sense and caution rules here.

In addition to the sound signalling device(s), you can also use your VHF radio.

Also, I don't get "TIC".

Good luck!

[whazup]

I believe I described the Coast Guard rules of navigation and signaling when passing and meeting head-on any vessel. Also, it doesn't matter what side of the berm you're on, you USE your sound signalling device to negotiate the proper, and safe, passing and navigation. Just because the skiers ignore any, and all attempts to negotiate, acknowledge, and navigate doesn't give them the right to claim any water is "one way". But then again, common sense and caution rules here.

In addition to the sound signalling device(s), you can also use your VHF radio.

Also, I don't get "TIC".

Good luck!

"TIC" = Tongue in cheek......kidding

[Cooch]

I would bet you and one more would make two who know that rule, lol.

Don't take that bet, You are certain ta loose. Many of the owners of large cruisers, the ones we hate because of their large wakes, indeed know about this horn tooting etiquette. How many times have we been out fishing, one comes along and we hear a horn blast? Unfortunately 95% of boaters like you suggest, don't know what that means and assumes that boat captain is just sending a kind jesture in place of a hand wave cause ya can't see him in the helm.

The same thing probably holds true for the hand signal a boat driver is supposed to make when approaching a downed skier and/or their red flag is up, acknowledging that you see the downed skier or recognize and will manuever away from a trailing tow rope. You are also not supposed to pass a downed skier within 100 feet at a speed greater of 5 mph. Most sloughs on the Delta don't allow for this 100 feet, so slowing down and passing is the only safe way. But that is rarely what happens.

The rules of the water ways put forth by the US Coast Guard are far more sophisticated than driving a car. Yet there are many safe boating actions and manuevers we are supposed to make that are not followed and dangerous situations develope due to that lack of knowledge. This indeed is just another strong case for having some sort of test and license issuance, as Mark Poulson mentions above. A short test should be issued by the DMV any time a person applies for a new or renewal boat registration. Charge $5-10 for the process to cover costs of implimenting, how difficult is that ta figure out?

[mark poulson]

Hey Cooch,
Whatever happened to trolling flags? Those really helped the rest of us keep off trolling lines.
Were they once required?

[whazup]

I hear ya, Cooch. I guess I was thinking of the average fisherman or wake boat operator. I admit I did not know the horn procedure. Thanks to you and gabuelhaj for the education.

[CBS]

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/Sacriver/SactoRiver.pdf

The attached link is pretty informative regarding the subject. The next to last page refers to boats near swimmers.

[CBS]

http://dbw.ca.gov/pubs/ABC/Operational_Law.pdf

A little more research uncovered this document for the San Joaquin. It states the separation from boat to swimmer(100') is different for a water skier but doesn't stipulate what the distance is.
We definitely should require licensing for boaters in Cal...

[gabuelhaj]

[/quote]

"TIC" = Tongue in cheek......kidding[/quote]

Got it!

Thanks!

Good luck!

[Cooch]

http://dbw.ca.gov/pubs/ABC/Operational_Law.pdf

That's good stuff there for folks CBS, thanks fer posting it!

Gotta love the last paragraph, shows ya how smart our goverment really is when it comes ta boating:

Court-Ordered Boating Education
Any person convicted of a moving violation of the Harbors and Navigation
Code or Federal Rules of the Road, or while operating a vessel in violation
of the Anthony Farr and Stacey Beckett Boating Safety Act of 2004 (Carbon
Monoxide law), shall be ordered by the court to complete and pass a boating
safety course approved by DBW.
Proof of completion and passage of the course must be submitted to the
court within seven months of the time of the conviction.

Let em kill someone or create and be involved in a horrific accident, then make em take the test! Righttttttttt!

[mark poulson]

http://dbw.ca.gov/pubs/ABC/Operational_Law.pdf

That's good stuff there for folks CBS, thanks fer posting it!

Gotta love the last paragraph, shows ya how smart our goverment really is when it comes ta boating:

Court-Ordered Boating Education
Any person convicted of a moving violation of the Harbors and Navigation
Code or Federal Rules of the Road, or while operating a vessel in violation
of the Anthony Farr and Stacey Beckett Boating Safety Act of 2004 (Carbon
Monoxide law), shall be ordered by the court to complete and pass a boating
safety course approved by DBW.
Proof of completion and passage of the course must be submitted to the
court within seven months of the time of the conviction.

Let em kill someone or create and be involved in a horrific accident, then make em take the test! Righttttttttt!

Amen!!! Lock the barn after the horse has escaped. Pure genius!

[Ceaser]

where the hell is Victoria Canal?! I gotta get on the water more, i must be missing out!!