I Used To Like Labor Day Weekend.

One of the side effects of being in an endless summer like we are this year, is now weekend is special anymore. It’s just all one more day mushed up in warm days, sunny days, cool days and so on. And now well, if you watch the news, or don’t watch the news. You no doubt saw the latest in political crap going on in what is now called Dumbkirk. The Trump boat rally that didn’t go well. And so I am pleading to all of us, to keep our classic boats politically free. PLEASE! PLEASE PLEASE. my boat out on the water is the one place I can escape all this diarrhea. VOTING IS PRIVATE! I really don’t care who you vote for, nor do I want to know.

THIS IS WHAT SUMMER IS ALL ABOUT

This is my flag. My United Flag.

Yet here we are. I can’t go out anymore and find myself not waving at anyone being political. Which of course makes me look like a dick. And so it’s happened. By not flying a TRUMP flag, (Most Made In China BTW) I am somehow, on the other side? I would not wave at you if you flew a Biden Flag also. This is pure divisiveness. And all kidding aside, about plastic boats vs woody boats. This is sad, so very sad. AND while I am ranting..  Two Words.. JET SKI …  Jet Ski annoying, which this weekend so fare has been beyond insane.

Bob says it all

In one day of boating, I was cut off twice by idiots on Jet Ski’s, Like scary cut off. One of course had a huge Trump flag.. WTH? Lots and lots of new boaters out there. I am sure I am not alone in my horror ship show out there. The weather is amazing this time of year. So the temptation is out there for sure. But! eesh. Let’s let Classic Boating be a symbol of harmony, of appreciation, and love of old and new. NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!

26 replies
  1. Steve in the woods
    Steve in the woods says:

    Since every day has become Sunday, we prefer to go to the water in the middle of the week. No parades and people!

  2. WoodyGal
    WoodyGal says:

    It’s the last holiday weekend of the year. Leave your boats at the dock, have fun in the yard, fire up the grill, enjoy family & friends! Stay safe…

  3. Tparsons56
    Tparsons56 says:

    I’ll still take the long weekend as we are still working the normal work week. Fortunately things on Lake Charlevoix have been pretty calm this weekend but I did get yelled at by the local deputy for going too fast in a no wake zone called the narrows in our 19’ 1941 Custom. I tried to explain that I was at dead idle at 500 rpm but he would have of that so for the rest of the time in the no wake zone I had to keep taking the boat in and out of gear.

    Oh well – ship happens

    • John
      John says:

      TParsons56 –

      We have the same no wake issue in Wisconsin being interpreted wrong by some water patrols. Our Town finally instructed the officers what no wake zones mean in Wisconsin and by the USCG. Minimum controllable speed! going in and out of gear was deemed unsafe as you do not have control of the boat in Neutral.

      Here is the definition in your Michigan DNR boating handbook –
      “Slow, No Wake Speed” means the slowest speed at which it is still possible to maintain steering and which does not create a wake.

      Keep fighting the good fight, perhaps with the handbook and the USCG definition your water patrol will understand.

      • Tparsons56
        Tparsons56 says:

        Thanks for the info John – that is very helpful. I admit it looked like rush hour yesterday in the narrows so I’m sure the deputy was very frustrated but still that was as slow as I could go in gear.

  4. Murdock
    Murdock says:

    We’ve observed ALL kinds of crazy at the gas dock and on the river this year. I’ll say one thing is for sure though. We have a LOT of boat owners, but few and far between boaters.
    Seems you need a license to drive a car, but not necessarily to buy and drive a boat or to have kids either……..wait, whoops, that just slipped out.
    Yes, 2020 has been a very interesting year and lots of things that happened this year on the river can’t even be put on YouTube………
    Now, about those beautiful fall colors reflecting off the water…..! Enjoy!

  5. Just some dude...
    Just some dude... says:

    Two glorious bright spots will emerge in our near future…we won’t have to look at any stupid blue flags anymore due to Dumbkirk…and the other is that all of the people that recently bought a boat and have no damn idea as to what they are doing, will sell said boat because they can go back to doing whatever it was before C-19 said Howdydoo. Plus, they won’t be able to stomach making boat payments and storage fees for nine months while they cannot use said boat. The honeymoon will be over.

    Tons of camping spots, travel trailers and boats are gonna be cheap, cheap, and cheap in the near future !!!

    Sadly, none of this applies to jet ski people. You can’t fix stupid.

  6. Michael A. Hill
    Michael A. Hill says:

    This is why I’m getting out of boating….I love my boat and I used to love boating, but I just can’t stand (many, if not most) boaters anymore. Sad that after 50 years of this (starting in childhood on the family Chris Craft ) this is what it has come to…..

  7. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    Keuka lake is still completely reasonable. A moderate level of boaters and they all appear to be behaving. The limited amount of boat ramp access likely helps.

    The airport was busy this morning, but everyone was well behaved as well.

    Hope everybody has a good, safe, weekend!

  8. Jeff Funk
    Jeff Funk says:

    The only political statement on my boat is the red, white, and blue ensign flying on my stern pole. And it will remain that way.

  9. Mahogany Mafia
    Mahogany Mafia says:

    I come on woodyboater for politicaly free wood boat stories im not sure telling people to keep there boats politically free is any of your business if you choose that for your boat thats great remember if a certain party gets its way and imposes the green new deal our boats may be first to be outlawed on many lakes and waterways good day sir stick to the boats

    • Ronald
      Ronald says:

      I totally agree with everything you say Mahogany Mafia. This is the second time for this information on this subject that I have seen. I’ll stop at that. On the subject if the water patrol. When I owned my first wood boat. A 60 17 sportsman we were leaving a local marina in the long no wake area and was meeting a water patrol he started yelling at me to slow down. I told him it was idling in gear so he yelled take it in and out of gear. Lol.

  10. John
    John says:

    Just like Memorial Day and 4th of July, my family and our little 16 ft Lyman avoided the water this weekend. You’ve heard of no country for old men, well the inland lakes near us in Northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin are no country for old (and small) boats and their families on holiday weekends, especially this year. Whoever said there were tons of boat owners but few boaters hit the clinch nail, clinkers for us Lyman folks, on the head. We’ll go out mid-week instead.

  11. Jeffrey Martinson
    Jeffrey Martinson says:

    I’m shocked – shocked – that you would post your opinions on your own website, Matt! How dare you! It’s not like we have a choice as to whether to visit it or not. Gosh! Do what WE say! LOL

  12. Donald
    Donald says:

    you will be sinegin a different tune when that senile moron and his Commie sidekick get elected, and O’Crazio andher green new deal make our boats illegal.

    You have reach a new low of stupidity, Matthew.
    Dumber than Festus!

  13. Matt
    Matt says:

    Donald, first thankyou for reading Woody Boater. We hope you are enjoying your golf today. As I said at the top of the story. I am not for anyone or against anyone here. The devisiveness is self evident. And if I saw a Biden flag out on the water. I would be equelly upset. Politics and boating are like oil and water. I go out on my boat to forget the crapmasphere, and being reminded of it in any way is annoying. Its equelly sad that this story turned into a crap story for even asking to not make it about politics. My boat will be fine. Boats have been dealing with far worse for centuries.

  14. thomas d
    thomas d says:

    imo, your not fooling anyone with the i dont care who you vote for line, you say your not political but a flag gets you upset enough not to wave at another boater? calling it dumbkirk is a childish insult to Dunkirk. the parade did go very well, nothing major happen at the Trump boat parade, 5 small overloaded boats were swamped, two sank, 3 pulled ashore, no one injured. thousands of Patriotic people having a good time on the water, no f-you-defund police signs, no riots, not one business looted and burned. i fly any flag i want on my boats and thanks to $1.75 gas i’m out on the water a lot more now than 3 years ago. one side plainly tells you, and puts it in writing, that they will do away with all fossil fuel, you gonna pull those flatheads out and put a big green new deal battery in? not me. Love Labor Day and all American holidays. and if i see you on the water i will still wave.

  15. Matt
    Matt says:

    I am 5th generation Washingtonion. I have seen all the politics I want to see. Its all marketing. My family is 90% some sort of government employee. Engineer, Admiral, USIA, Lawyers, CIA. 99% of the messaging and platforms are all spins to motivate action. There is an argument for everything. Pro and Con. It’s endless, and what you find in the DC area is most people feel this way. It’s not as simple as red and blue, left or right. I have family, and friends, dear friends that will always be friends on both sides. I make my choices based on the information I see. I watch CNN, and Fox, and BBC, CBS, and try and weed through the crap, and spin. My father literally wrote the book on Political Warfare. Not BSing. He did. And it’s hard to read because he was the smartest man I knew and knew how to spell big words. We are being manipulated by all sides. So when you think you know how I lean. YOU ARE DEAD WRONG.

    • Murdock
      Murdock says:

      I agree Matt.
      The only “virus” I know right now is the media.
      Turn it all off and you’ll be much happier. All day, every day.
      Remember this: in order to spin enough “news” to fill a 24 hr cycle, you have to make stuff up and take every kernel and blow it up like popcorn.
      I really don’t care about a newscasters opinion or personal life. Just be like Walter Cronkite and report “just the news”.

  16. Dick Dow
    Dick Dow says:

    There are a lot of “checkbook boaters” out there who have no idea of the etiquette of boating, much less the laws and obligations. This summer has magnified that significantly, as there are so many more of them. I am in agreement with many of the comments regarding the degradation of the on the water experience as a result. It’s just not fun with all the idiots out there. Wakeboard boats are the worst! I thought it interesting that the speed for one of the boat parades last weekend was set at 10 mph/knots. With those boats, that’s an invitation to get real wet, swamp boats and bust up docks… Sheesh!

  17. Alex
    Alex says:

    I had 18 souls in Marion E for an evening cruise (including 5 kids). She was sluggish to respond. And rooster tail at 2200 rpm was half way to the moon! (I was hoping the Coast Guard would stop me. We had lifejackets for all, and every possible safety item on board.) Weather was serene. Awesome boats these are. Just awesome.

Comments are closed.