Memorial Day is often considered the start of the boating season so it is a good time to talk about laws and rules for safe boating. I am constantly amazed at how inconsiderate and stupid some people are when it comes to boats. If everyone would follow the rules and also be a little considerate of others we would all be a lot happier and safer.

Way too many boat drivers do not understand they are to stay to the right of oncoming boats, just like you do while driving a car. I think the problem is most boats have the steering wheel on the right, opposite of cars. Some boat drivers must assume they pass on the side of the wheel rather than to the right as is appropriate.

This is the way the Georgia DNR explains it in a press release: "When meeting another vessel, boat operators should pass on the right side (just like in a car) unless the boats are far enough apart that they are not meeting head on or close to head on. On narrow rivers and streams, stay as far right as possible and be careful when rounding bends and curves and overtaking or passing other boats. In a crossing situation, the boat on the right should hold its course and the boat on the left should slow down and cross behind the other boat. Powerboats always should yield to sailboats."

So stay to the right and think while driving a boat. It could save your life and the life of others!

Last weekend at Lake Martin I came in from fishing and there was a truck on the ramp. Three folks were busy loading a skidoo. By the time I loaded my camper they had the skidoo on the trailer and were standing there looking at it. All three looked like teenagers.

I was camped right beside the ramp and cranked my motor home. They stood there looking at their skidoo. After a few minutes I realized they were either too stupid or too inconsiderate to move and clear the single ramp, so I motioned for my partner to take the boat to the other ramp, about a mile away. I do not doubt those idiots were still standing there blocking the ramp when we got the boat loaded at the other ramp and left.

There are way too many inconsiderate boaters, and a huge percentage of them seem to be skidoo owners. Those personal water craft have already been banned in many national parks and will be banned on more waters unless the owners wise up and start following rules and being considerate of others. I hate to see any kind of boat banned, but they get little sympathy from me because of the way they act.

Way too many skidoo owners and other boaters do not follow the 100 foot law, either. Georgia law states that it is illegal to operate a power boat at higher than idle speeds within 100 feet of another boat, pier, shoreline or people in the water. The only exception is a boat in a marked boating channel. Slow down around other people!