The original (longer) version of what’s below was first published on boats.com.
“Jeez, could you stay a little farther out,” the fisherman groused. I was out for an early morning paddle, and I’d already diverted away from the shoreline more than usual to avoid his casting range from the marsh.
Since that was hard to explain in a quick phrase, I stumbled for a reply. “I just…”
“I see where you’re going,” he said. And then muttered under his breath, “How rude!”
For the next five minutes, I paddled harder than usual. Did he think he OWNED the shoreline? Didn’t he understand that I’d already adjusted my course to give him enough room to fish? Didn’t he GET IT?
Eventually, it occurred to me: perhaps there is an unspoken but commonly understood distance to stay away from a casting zone? Perhaps I was—gasp—scaring the fish?
Even before I asked fishing expert Lenny Rudow whether fishermen have unwritten/unspoken rules about how far away the rest of us should stay, I predicted (correctly) that his answer would be “yes.” Sailors certainly have such rules, and they are so ingrained that I consider them common sense. Therefore, any powerboaters that don’t follow them are “rude.”
Turns out that sailors and fishheads have a lot in common when it comes to personal space (basically, don’t invade mine). But there’s one BIG disagreement about what constitutes courtesy: crossing situations.
Unwritten Rule—Sailing
Carol says: “Please take my stern if possible. Even a small wake will slow down or even stop a sailboat in its tracks. And if you intentionally alter course to go across my bow . . . that is really rude.”
Unwritten Rule—Fishing
Lenny says: “Don’t cut within 100 feet behind a boat at anchor (or Spot-Locked), because you’ll break up the chum slick; same goes for a boat trolling, because you may snag a line.”
Wow, who knew?
When I sent him my rule, Lenny was equally surprised. “I find it really funny you’d rather we cut behind you—something I never knew! We always prefer someone cut in front of us. That said, please don’t try to cut ten feet in front of the bow to catch the “perfect” angle on the wind! Yes, sailboats have the legal right-of-way over a recreational fishboat even when it’s trolling, but forcing us to change course can cause tangled lines and missed targets.”
I’ve since learned from other locals that my shoreline fisher-friend has, shall we say, a larger sense of personal space than most. And while I wish he’d been more polite, I’m glad his yelling inspired me to share my own unspoken rules with a non-sailor. Now when someone alters course to cross my bow, I’ll smile and point. “Look! Those must be polite fishing folks!”
Have an unwritten rule to add for your chosen water sport? Share it in the comments below, and maybe we can all learn to share our favorite playground. Thanks for reading, and see you next Thursday.
Photos by PaulCroninStudios