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With season upon us once again, boat traffic will increase significantly on our local waterways. With more traffic and congestion, comes more vessel to vessel interaction.

There are set rules all boaters should know for when vessels meet. If you don’t, I recommend a safe boating course before operating a vessel. There are also some unwritten guiding principles of courtesy and common sense that we should also respect when on the water.

Have you ever been heading out of the Big Marco Pass doing about five knots and enjoying some nice conversation when all of a sudden a 50-foot powerboat passes you at an uncomfortably close distance, throwing off a wake that temporarily turns your vessel into a bucking bronco? Well I have. Did he have a right to pass me? Absolutely. Why should he putter along at five knots when he can do 35? Did he pass me in the correct manor? Legally yes. But he did violate an unspoken rule of seamanship courtesy.

The courteous way to pass was to first, give the slower vessel plenty of room when he passes it and slow down a bit during the time his wake would influence the slower boat. These two simple things would have won the appreciation of the folks on the slower boat instead of a few choice words spoken to themselves about the X#X!! on the other boat. You are responsible for your wake.

Another simple piloting technique I often see people avoid is allowing your intentions to be known. When meeting another vessel head on, by the book, you should both give one horn blast and pass port to port. If everyone did this on our Marco river, it would be a noisy, confusing mess. A safe option is to commit to one direction or the other well in advance and make sure your movements are dramatic enough to make it obvious to the other vessel what your intentions are. Do not approach bow to bow and try to guess what the other skipper is going to do at the last minute. This is a major reason why you hear of collisions and close calls even in no-wake zones.

This brings up another point of courtesy, and law. Have a cocktail at The Snook Inn on a nice weekend afternoon and watch the river traffic. You will be surprised to see what some people consider to be no-wake. Here it just takes a little common sense to determine what your optimum no-wake speed is.

Look at your wake. If it ripples out gently, you are good. If it’s very noticeable and causing a disturbance when it meets the sea wall or beach, slow down. If you are in a powerboat and your stern is dug in and the bow is up, you are giving off too much wake. Out of courtesy, if you see someone boarding or maneuvering a boat near a sea wall, slow down even more so you do not inhibit their actions. Again, you are responsible for any damage done by the wake of your vessel so don’t make it an issue.

Another suggestion I have is to not assume that the pilot of another vessel knows what they are doing. Just because someone has the money for a boat, does not necessarily mean they have the brains to operate it properly. I had a 40-footer on full plane do a hairpin turn right in front of me and stop just to see a dolphin. You’ve probably heard the saying “stay clear of the boats with phone numbers on the sides.” I hate to say it, but many rental boaters have no idea what they are doing on the water. I guess what I am saying is pilot defensively and anticipate others doing the wrong thing.

As far as races and regattas go, there are no laws to keep other boaters, both power and sail, from crossing the racecourse. No one owns the water, but out of courtesy you should stay clear. If you see 10 sailboats converging on a mark, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that a race is going on and the last thing they need is outside boat traffic to deal with. On the other hand, racers who near fixed marks like CP-2 should show courtesy to any fishing boats anchored nearby and give them room. They have as much right to be there as you do.

Another important area to show common courtesy is in anchorages and docks. Take extra care not to disturb others in these areas with excessive noise or wakes. If you plan to anchor, make sure that you do not anchor too close to other boats for safety and privacy. You do not want to start off on the wrong foot with your new neighbors.

The list can go on and on but the point is that if everyone was a little more courteous on the water and just treated others as you would like to be treated yourself, and use a little common sense, it would make the water that much friendlier and more enjoyable for everyone. Oh and when someone on another vessel gives you a friendly wave, it doesn’t hurt to wave back, especially if they have been courteous towards your vessel.

Have a great Christmas.

Billy Harris welcomes ideas, comments and information about sailing. If you would like to inquire about sailing on Marco Island, e-mail him at defcon1bh@earthlink.net.