Drowning In Your Own Wake!
Guest Post by Dennis Miller at Miller On The Money
My first boat was a small 22′ boat with twin outboards hanging off the back.
A total newbie, I took the Coast Guard course by mail. We had a tiny Florida condo on a very narrow canal. Off I went, learning how to drive, navigating the twists and turns into the Atlantic. It was windy and choppy; I needed considerable power to maintain control.
I was uncomfortable and turned back, zooming into the mouth of the channel. The channel was clear for the first 100 yards. I ignored the NO WAKE signs, wanting to get well inside where there was no chop.
When I throttled back, unexpectedly the bow shot up into the air while the stern dug deep into the water. I panicked, yanking the throttle back to neutral. For a brief second, the boat leveled off and then I was hit with a huge wake from behind, sending the stern into the air. I lurched forward, bow plowing into the water.
I’d lost control, closing in on several moored boats. I grabbed the console rail, holding on for dear life, barely missing some boats and pilings. Luckily the family wasn’t with me; they would have been flying around like pinballs. I barely avoided what could have been a bad accident.
Neighbor Charley scolded me, warning how easy it is to destroy your boat, and others, with your own wake kicking your ass. Lesson learned….
Sadly, our country is about to get kicked in the ass with a tsunami-level wake caused by the failed “Great Financial Experiment.” There will be damage, a lot of it.
Where to start?
President Clinton demanded banks write mortgages for high-risk borrowers at the same rate charged to excellent credit risks. Banks had to meet quotas, or they risked losing their bank charters. The increased defaults caused the banks to start losing money.
I don’t know what this guy is talking about. Anybody that has any experience operating a boat of any size knows the exact opposite would happen when throttling back. Bow goes down and stern rises, it’s called physics.
He did say “unexpectedly” but doesn’t elaborate. I guess my point is I stopped reading the article after that.
Blah blah blah. The guy goes on and talks about water under the bridge and then makes proposals that are never going to happen.