Anyone Ridden In A Friends Boat And Been In Fear For Your Life ???

Saturday afternoon we met up with one of my buddies at our place (The Palms) in Needles. I've been in his boat before (28 Magic Deck w/525) and knew how he drives, but he said he would take it easy since we had 3 kids and my wife with us. Two of my other buddies and my wifes cousin went on the trip as well, so there was 9 of us total.
We start out floating down river just drifting and then he (boat owner) says let go this is boring. He takes off like a bat outta hell, and I
swear we must have threaded the eye of a needle atleast 6 times before we pulled into Park Moabi (and it's not that far) and doing around 60 all the time as I'm telling him to slow down and he's in and out of traffic.
I was surprised that the boats we passed and cut off didn't try to come after us and want to fight (it was that bad). When we stopped to get fuel at Park Moabi he went inside to pay and my wife and one of my buddies were pleading with me to drive back, they were that scared. Not to say that I wasn't scared, but I was more disturbed than anything with reading all of the accidents and events that have happed lately.
He kept telling me "Please... I've been in your boat and you drove way faster so come on and calm down". I said yeah we were doing about 90 in my boat but there were just 3 of us guys, no holiday traffic, no other boats around, and I went straight not your back and forth action.
So I did end up driving home back up river to everybody's delight. I was even pushing his boat trimming it (something that he doesn't do properly anyways) and driving it wide open. Everybody felt at ease even with me going faster than him because they know I have a little more seat time than him.
When we got closer to the dock and ramp he took back over the wheel so I could go back down the trailer, when he started racing a ski and then turned the boat sharp and fast to spray him. All he could say was "weird feeling in a cat huh, you can't do that in a V-bottom" as my 10 year old daughter was balling her head off because she was so scared.
Yes driving that boat is different from a V, for the fact that when you pull back on the levers it took much more time to slow down.
Needless to say my wife and the others probably won't be going in his boat again and if I do I'll make sure to be sober so I can, 1. hold on and 2. drive.

Hey come on now
I KEPT IT AT 60MPH, DIDN'T I

Yes, we are no longer friends though, but not because of his reckless driving.

Yes, we are no longer friends though, but not because of his reckless driving.
Yeah I'm still his friend but we will have a talk (civil) before I go out on his boat again.
It just sucks that others have to put up with his poor driving all the time, not just once in while like me.

Saturday afternoon we met up with one of my buddies at our place (The Palms) in Needles. I've been in his boat before (28 Magic Deck w/525) and knew how he drives, but he said he would take it easy since we had 3 kids and my wife with us. Two of my other buddies and my wifes cousin went on the trip as well, so there was 9 of us total.
We start out floating down river just drifting and then he (boat owner) says let go this is boring. He takes off like a bat outta hell, and I
swear we must have threaded the eye of a needle atleast 6 times before we pulled into Park Moabi (and it's not that far) and doing around 60 all the time as I'm telling him to slow down and he's in and out of traffic.
I was surprised that the boats we passed and cut off didn't try to come after us and want to fight (it was that bad). When we stopped to get fuel at Park Moabi he went inside to pay and my wife and one of my buddies were pleading with me to drive back, they were that scared. Not to say that I wasn't scared, but I was more disturbed than anything with reading all of the accidents and events that have happed lately.
He kept telling me "Please... I've been in your boat and you drove way faster so come on and calm down". I said yeah we were doing about 90 in my boat but there were just 3 of us guys, no holiday traffic, no other boats around, and I went straight not your back and forth action.
So I did end up driving home back up river to everybody's delight. I was even pushing his boat trimming it (something that he doesn't do properly anyways) and driving it wide open. Everybody felt at ease even with me going faster than him because they know I have a little more seat time than him.
When we got closer to the dock and ramp he took back over the wheel so I could go back down the trailer, when he started racing a ski and then turned the boat sharp and fast to spray him. All he could say was "weird feeling in a cat huh, you can't do that in a V-bottom" as my 10 year old daughter was balling her head off because she was so scared.
Yes driving that boat is different from a V, for the fact that when you pull back on the levers it took much more time to slow down.
Needless to say my wife and the others probably won't be going in his boat again and if I do I'll make sure to be sober so I can, 1. hold on and 2. drive.
A real "friend" would have bitch slapped the hell out of him, deposited his dumbass on the shoreline and let him walk/swim back to the house!! At least that's what I'd have done in the same situation. Your 10 year old daughter in tears of fear??? HELLO............What were YOU thinkin??? On 2nd thought, I'd have tied a ski line around his ankles and dragged him back an then told him,..."you can even do that behind a V-bottom"

i have never had that problem in a boat.. but in a car thats a different story. my brother-in-law is a great guy and would do anything in the world for you if you need it but he can't drive for sh*t.

So I did end up driving home back up river to everybody's delight. I was even pushing his boat trimming it (something that he doesn't do properly anyways) and driving it wide open. Everybody felt at ease even with me going faster than him because they know I have a little more seat time than him.
If it was that bad Why in the world would you drive faster than he was driving with that many people on board.Thats just plain stupid

[/Everybody felt at ease even with me going faster than him because they know I have a little more seat time than him.
B]
If it was that bad Why in the world would you drive faster than he was driving with that many people on board.[B]Thats just plain stupid
The speed wasn't the issue with him, ok it was one issue, but when he was behind the wheel earlier in the day there was alot more action (more boats & skis) on the water.
But at around 50mph he likes to turn the boat back and forth, hard right, hard left, and thinks it's the greatest thing, and say "Look how my boat handles".
And another was running up on people from behind and then splitting traffic like he was on a motorcycle.
I would have to point out when a boat was on the side of us passing us to get away from him, he didn't pay attenton to anything but what was right in front of him.
When I drive my boat or any boat, I am constantly looking to both sides and behind us as well. You cant just have tunnel vision trucking along, and expect others to make the right decisions to slow it down or turn.
We were in the middle of the river heading back (because the water was shallow) and there was a 30 Daytona with his twins trimmed up, coming up on us fast, real fast. Now if I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings (like my buddy) even behind us, I could have turned to avoid someone or something and went right into the path of the Daytona.
It doesn't take a genius to know you should pay attention whether your on the boat by yourself or with 15 people.
By the way a little FYI...
In my teenager days I worked as deck hand on six-packs, private yachts, and the large sportfishing boats out of Newport. I was also the youngest person to graduate from a Maritime academy in Newport, but couldn't get my Captains license because I didn't have enough hours logged, but could have if I put in the extra time.
So you are correct in that I am just plain stupid.

Too bad your buddy drives like an ass, not a lot of room to dodge holiday traffic on the river. At least no one got hurt.
I'd tell him to pound sand the next time he asks me to go on a ride.

Minor rant on!
I know exactly what you are saying. Not that my buddy (who will remain nameless here) didn't have experience and all of that. It was that his boat had too much HP for the hull. I fully expected for it to come apart while underway at some point. Yes, different MFR's make their boats more durable than others. I don't care WTF anybody says...in the old days MFR's were aware and warned you of how much HP a particular hull could take. Nowadays it seems that few MFR's give a F and will put in whatever engine you want regardless of safety issues. Not good/cool in my book.
Rant off :)
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