Been fishing and living on Chippawa Creek 20 years and this year has been THE worse for disrespectful boaters and jet skies.
Where to begin? I have a few close calls this summer and last night took the cake. I watched as an 18 foot Sea Doo "speed boat" approached me at full speed, zigging and zagging across the shallow, dead tree-limbed infested creek. It narrowly missed, narrowly, a family of 6 mallards I look out for. When he came with 6 feet of me, 6 FEET!!!!!!!!!!! He slowed down which pushed a huge wave of water at me. I stood up, dropped my gear and yelled "What the *%$# are you doing????" as the water hit me, slamming me against a bridge again and again, filling the boat with water. I yelled at the top of my lungs, furious! Two guys on shore joined in as did a guy in a pontoon boat, he slowed down. I was FURIOUS!!!!! I limped back home, called the Niagara Regional Marine Unit to ask about speed limits and such. I was almost killed it was horrible. I put my back out trying to save my boat and motor.
I have had two similar run-ins with this clown.
I watched last month as some moron ripped thru a family of flightless geese, killing one and sending the others into shock. I called the cops. I have had incidents where I am on the water talking to people in a canoe 15 feet away and have had 16 foot powerboats weave thru us at full speed.
Jet Skiers never slow down and the river is narrow. Never. People fly by my dock shaking every rivet and scratching the boat. They always fly past me, right over where I am casting and wreck everything. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!
At least in cottage country people have a clue and slow down and show some consideration. It takes 10 seconds to slow down, wave, and get on with it.
I have contacted the Department of Transportation who oversee Canada's waterways and they said rivers under 100m in width have no special rules people have to conform to ie speed limits etc. (you'd think such waterways would be a priority). The city or municipality that the body of water is within has to contact them to request a study to see if signage etc is permitted to be erected on bridges. ALL I WANT IS A SLOW NO WAKE SIGN(S) AND POSSIBLE SPEED LIMITS IN URBAN AREAS WHERE CANOES, KAYAKS ETC ARE USING THE WATER.
The problem too is that the City of Welland banned powerboats, jet skies on the Welland Recreational Canal years ago and that pushed every yahoo onto the river.
This river averages 6 feet in depth and is getting shallower yearly. It s no place to race, jet ski or pull your kids around in a tube. It is so loaded with limbs stuck int the mud that protrude a mere inch above the surface. Someone is going to be disembowled.
I have about had it. A little respect and consideration, heck, some simple boating etiquitte, would go a long long way in allowing all of us to enjoy the water! When I am enjoying a well deserved peaceful evening on the water I do not need to be worrying about whether tonight my equipment will be destroyed or, I suffer some serious injury enjoying my passion.
.... I just needed to vent
Where to begin? I have a few close calls this summer and last night took the cake. I watched as an 18 foot Sea Doo "speed boat" approached me at full speed, zigging and zagging across the shallow, dead tree-limbed infested creek. It narrowly missed, narrowly, a family of 6 mallards I look out for. When he came with 6 feet of me, 6 FEET!!!!!!!!!!! He slowed down which pushed a huge wave of water at me. I stood up, dropped my gear and yelled "What the *%$# are you doing????" as the water hit me, slamming me against a bridge again and again, filling the boat with water. I yelled at the top of my lungs, furious! Two guys on shore joined in as did a guy in a pontoon boat, he slowed down. I was FURIOUS!!!!! I limped back home, called the Niagara Regional Marine Unit to ask about speed limits and such. I was almost killed it was horrible. I put my back out trying to save my boat and motor.
I have had two similar run-ins with this clown.
I watched last month as some moron ripped thru a family of flightless geese, killing one and sending the others into shock. I called the cops. I have had incidents where I am on the water talking to people in a canoe 15 feet away and have had 16 foot powerboats weave thru us at full speed.
Jet Skiers never slow down and the river is narrow. Never. People fly by my dock shaking every rivet and scratching the boat. They always fly past me, right over where I am casting and wreck everything. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!
At least in cottage country people have a clue and slow down and show some consideration. It takes 10 seconds to slow down, wave, and get on with it.
I have contacted the Department of Transportation who oversee Canada's waterways and they said rivers under 100m in width have no special rules people have to conform to ie speed limits etc. (you'd think such waterways would be a priority). The city or municipality that the body of water is within has to contact them to request a study to see if signage etc is permitted to be erected on bridges. ALL I WANT IS A SLOW NO WAKE SIGN(S) AND POSSIBLE SPEED LIMITS IN URBAN AREAS WHERE CANOES, KAYAKS ETC ARE USING THE WATER.
The problem too is that the City of Welland banned powerboats, jet skies on the Welland Recreational Canal years ago and that pushed every yahoo onto the river.
This river averages 6 feet in depth and is getting shallower yearly. It s no place to race, jet ski or pull your kids around in a tube. It is so loaded with limbs stuck int the mud that protrude a mere inch above the surface. Someone is going to be disembowled.
I have about had it. A little respect and consideration, heck, some simple boating etiquitte, would go a long long way in allowing all of us to enjoy the water! When I am enjoying a well deserved peaceful evening on the water I do not need to be worrying about whether tonight my equipment will be destroyed or, I suffer some serious injury enjoying my passion.
.... I just needed to vent
