#424 Boat waving

These are the rules of the sea.

If you’re on a boat you must wave to anyone who waves at you from another boat, you must wave to anyone who waves at you from land, and you must initiate waving to as many other boats as possible.

The only way you can avoid these rules is if you’re a dog, or a pirate, or both.

AWESOME!

Photos from: here and here

51 thoughts to “#424 Boat waving”

  1. You must also wave to anyone floating in the water on a tube and vice-versa.

    And don’t be so quick to exempt Fido; I’ve seen people (drunk, perhaps, but still) wave their dogs’ paws as they passed. True story.

    I’ve never seen them do it with a pirate-dog, though, so I guess that exception still applies.

  2. As an avid boater, this is one of my favourite awesome things to date. Boating people are friendly people and darn if we won’t wave and everything and everyone we pass.

    I always meet the nicest people when I take a boat out on the lake.

    1. It’s almost impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re out on a boat (unless you get motion sickness … that tends to put a damper on the day). My family used to go boating all the time, too, and I agree — everyone’s very friendly and happy. Makes me miss our boat!

    1. I was thinking the same thing Becky. On dirt roads esp. We wave at any and all we pass on the road going to home…and we know only a few of them!

  3. My favorite awesome thing so far!! Its so true…everyone waves, even when speeding 35mph past each other! I have had a boat all my life and without fail, this waving ritual happens at least 10 times per outing; it makes me smile.

  4. That dog is a bonus! 2 awesome things today, 1) waving (which I frankly do pretty much everywhere I go…), and 2) THAT DOG! Thanks for putting one up on labor day, I didn’t dare get my hopes up but I was so happy when I saw the post today!

    *Waves Enthusiastically*

  5. I rode the ferry from Delaware to New Jersey this past summer and made good of this rule. There were many boats on the water that day, all who were extremely willing participants in this awesome exchange.

  6. Laura is correct in remarking that anyone actually in the water should also be waved to. However, if that person is in some difficulty and is waving back vigorously it’s advisable to stop waving and get some help!

        1. Yay Jeeps! I used to drive a Jeep, and was big into the “Jeep wave”. There seemed to be a hiearchy of sorts.. it was always cooler to wave if you had the top down on your jeep, when another driver still had their top up.. but it was EVEN COOLER if you had taken the doors off your jeep (a common practice in the summer time), and you could do your “jeep wave” out the side of the car where the door was supposed to be.

          Admittedly, this was before I met my wife and she taught me the important rule of “safety first”. Now doors remain on our vehicles at all times.

  7. So true! Even when you’re on a cruise ship and you’re passing another cruise ship, you’ll see people on deck waving at each other

  8. I also practice this rule of the sea while traveling on a Greyhound…”Hello, I wish I driving in your car”!

  9. I enjoy waving to the crew hanging around on deck on the ships going up and down the Welland Canal.

    1. I enjoy going up and down the Welland Canal! I love going through locks in a small boat and chatting with the people around you.

  10. I totally agree with this one!!!! I do it all the time and usually to cute guys! it gives the happiest feeling in the world to be on a jet ski and just randomly wave to people! I also do this in cars though =))

        1. I was about to say – that Pirate dog sure looks like he just farted..

          *cough* it wasn’t me, it was the dog *cough*…

          And it smells just ARRRRGGGGGHHHH-ful..

  11. We wave to each other on dirt roads out here, but it’s mostly because we need to be certain that someone will stop and help you when you break down miles and miles from anything.

  12. i loveee this. my favorite is when cruise ships leave port before the other cruise ship, and everyone on both boats are waving good bye to each other.

  13. I completely agree with “Boat Waving” and also with “Country Road” waving! Here in Texas, once you pull off the asphalt, you must wave to everyone, whether you know then or not! If you don’t have one already, you need to save a spot for “country road waving”.

  14. Its awesome feeling but i like to wave to children only specially bcoz when there parents r busy in driving they get boared and u also get an awesome response.
    It makes ur day as well as that child’s day……..

  15. “Safe journey fellow boater, who braves the open sea.”
    “Safe journey fellow rider, who braves the open road.” (for bikes)
    That’s what I say the wave means.

  16. If only we could bring these good habits that we practice on the water to the roads (other than our bikers)! The same peeps that do a happy wave on the water should do a friendly nod on the road once in a while, right?!!

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