Pool 2 Heads Up

Just a reminder that the river about 1 mile south of Lions Levee has a sea-port with occasional landings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb8r_5MOwoM

Don’t see them land too often, but caught this one on video. Question for you Captains. Who has right of way?

-J.

Up on the Croix, on the flats across from Afton is a favorite practice spot for a charter company that does fly ins. They’re pretty uncanny about wanting to practice about the time the guys are wanting to fish that area. jerr

Aircraft have the right of way.

A couple of years ago I got buzzed by a guy a few miles south of there. He went under the power line and directly over me. If it had been Call of Duty Modern Warfare I would have hit the Y button and taken him out with a stinger!

dd

Here is right of way rules stated in the USCG hand book.
1 Vessel not under command
2 Vessel restricted by the ability to maneuver
3 Vessel constrained by it’s draft
4 Vessel engaged in FISHING
5 A sailing vessel
6 A power driven vessel
7 A seaplane on the water and keep well clear of all other vessels.
8 A aircraft when taking off, landing and in flight near the surface shall keep well clear of all other vessel’s and avoid impeding their navigation.

On wednesday I had to move out of the channel to let one land. I was gonna hit the Y button but then realized I was out of stingers. From now on im gonna carry a cardboard tube in my boat that i can throw on my shoulder when they start coming at me.

Well…maybe not…he’d probably crash and then I’d feel like #@$$%.

Jason

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Here is right of way rules stated in the USCG hand book.
1 Vessel not under command
2 Vessel restricted by the ability to maneuver
3 Vessel constrained by it’s draft
4 Vessel engaged in FISHING
5 A sailing vessel
6 A power driven vessel
7 A seaplane on the water and keep well clear of all other vessels.
8 A aircraft when taking off, landing and in flight near the surface shall keep well clear of all other vessel’s and avoid impeding their navigation.

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Thanks for the reply, Captian Greg!

-J.

Hey Jason!
I apologize for not saying “hi” the other night. That was me in the boat with Mike. I must have been feeling unusually shy. Next time I’ll remember my manners.

joel

Just remember us guys out there fishing in our little boats do not qualify for #4. #4 is a commercial fishing boat with its movement restricted by its fishing equipment or other activities.

The dredging activities around Spring lake fall under #2. A vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver. You will notice on the dredge he is flying 2 black diamonds to let others know this.

Barges on the river I would believe fall under #3, Vessel constrained by its draft. This means its just to big and deep to go around you.

Thanks for the video Jon. Those planes seem to be doing a lot of practicing around spring lake this year to. I wonder if they pick a certain part of the river to practice on depending on the wind.

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Here is right of way rules stated in the USCG hand book.
1 Vessel not under command
2 Vessel restricted by the ability to maneuver
3 Vessel constrained by it’s draft
4 Vessel engaged in FISHING
5 A sailing vessel
6 A power driven vessel
7 A seaplane on the water and keep well clear of all other vessels.
8 A aircraft when taking off, landing and in flight near the surface shall keep well clear of all other vessel’s and avoid impeding their navigation.

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So if you are fishing you fall into #6 I am assuming that would also be the case if you are drift fishing with the motor off.

Any idea on where the rowers that are in long row boats fall. I see lots of them around lillydale. One just about hit me the other day while I was fishing a wing dam. I was drifting and he was rowing who has the right of way? I usually move but this time never saw/heard them comming.

Think I was a little off in my earlier post. The black diamonds on the dredge shows that it is towing. The reason for 2 diamonds is to indicate it is a long tow. It looked to me that on the Starboard side of the dredge is 2 black balls. I would bet if I looked closer it would of been ball, diamond, ball. This indicates it is a vessel Restricted Ability to Maneuver. The lights on its mast Red, white red indicate the same thing.

Next question. Does the pilot of the plane need a Captains license when he is on the water and there are passengers or he is conducting any type of commerce?

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Hey Jason!
I apologize for not saying “hi” the other night. That was me in the boat with Mike. I must have been feeling unusually shy. Next time I’ll remember my manners.

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No problem!! I couldn’t remember if that was you or I would have said something myself.

Jason

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Any idea on where the rowers that are in long row boats fall.

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I would assume they fall in with #5. They are not a power driven. Even though you are at drift I believe they may have the right away. Though anyone rowing/canoeing/sailing would have to be insane to expect you to move off drift in most cases. They do have the ability to maneuver and unless safty was an issue or a organized event/race was happening there is no need for them to believe they have the right away if you are at drift or anchor….. Unless they want to create an issue!

How about on/off channel anchoring??? How do they look at this when navagation is an issue. I used to catfish one spot that would be considered a back channel. There is olny one narrow way in on the upstream side and a plenty of room on the downstream side of where they camp but if you anchor at the entrance on the upstream side it is not too safe for a big boat to come through. Small boats are no problem but a few big boats wander back there and a few cry bloody murder when they see us anchored there. Had one lady on the phone calling the cops on me and I even offered to move out of the way. Just courious where the right away stands…. Either on the main channel or off channel areas???

You need lights on when anchored Joe unless you are anchored in a designated anchoring area. You are the only guy out there that I have seen not follow this rule.

You only need one white light. They must be able to see you to catch you and your pretty hard to see with your lights off.

Mike, I have no idea what your talking about I do know the rules for lighting up but not worried about that part. This spot is one that we always run an anchor light for this reason.
My question is where are we allowed to anchor with the rightaway over a boat in navagation???? up on the Croix it was always a battle with these people in the no wake areas. I was told as long as you are inside the cans you can anchor and have the right away over people coming through!!! made perfect scence to me and most spots there is no issue!! However there are spots on P2,3,and 4 where you can sneek into a backwater and there may olny be room for that one boat. If a boat wants to come through who has the right away. Am I supposed to move for them or are they expected to move around me??? 99% of the time common courtesy gets both parties through this but every now and then one of the parites believe they own the river and well you know how the rest goes

Ill have to look back to the rules of the road for this answer Joe. This section deals with how boats are supposed to maneuver around each other and such details.