a can of worms?

L

Laundryman

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17 Dec 2007
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Live in Hemel Hempstead, Boat is in Haslar.
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This is my first season sailing, so i have much to learn.
I read all your posts and i'm learning what people like and dislike. For me, i'm just happy to sail. Saturday because the weather was so good i managed to persuade the wife to join me. I thought it might be busy with the weather and i duly joined what i thought was a queue of sailing boats leaving walton in the bouyed chanel. Another boat pulled close alongside and a lady shouted asking "are you there for a reason". My reply, just taking my turn in the queue. I was then informed that she was racing and that i was taking her wind! Sorry says I, didnt realise it was yours! Am i missing something, how was I to know that they were racing, with an sog of 1.9kn. I am not ignorant, just inexperienced at all things sailing, i motored out of the way, but i really had no idea. I apologise unreservedly to the lady who's wind i stole and i am now soul searching to see whether i have stolen anyone else's wind without realising it. I plan to sail again on Saturday, assuming i can find some wind that is not already taken.
 
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I'm not a yacht racer, so barely qualified to comment; but I do know that you can steal their 'water' too, so be careful not to make that mistake as well. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Pity you couldn't summon a fart /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you had pulled up alongside them whilst motoring with you main up then maybe it was a reasonable comment but if they had pulled up on your lee then tough.
 
Next time ask them how much they paid and tell them you get yours free on the NHS /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Then ask them why they looked like they were motorsailing and get clear quick /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
That should confuse them enough for a quick getaway even at 1.9kn /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Oh, and please don't think you'll learn anything from reading my posts /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I'm only here for the beer /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
It sounds as if you were doing the sensible thing while navigating the narrow channel. The current rules specify that you should keep to the starboard gap between moorings and one should not moor two alongside in the channel, though this would take up less room than when yachts are lying across the channel due to wind or tide.

As a general rule, larger boats racing will not be wearing their ensigns, while dinghies - well, they're small enough to use the edge of the channel anyway.
 
If I had realised someone was racing and I was overtaking them, I would probably make a point of passing through their lee if I could.
But from your description this one was overtaking you and tried to pass through your lee, so she wasn't too bright. Despite the fact that I spent many years as a fanatical dinghy-racer, I think that in your position I might have produced a Gallic shrug and carried on.
 
Sounds to me like you experienced the classic "i'm racing therefore I have right of way" brigade....

You might like to know that the very first line of the racing rules of sailing (RRS) specify that they do not over-rule the Collision Regulations..... therefore the technically correct answer is that as overtaking boat, they are obliged to keep clear (in fact the same applies to RRS anyway)....

And if they were daft enough to try and sail underneath you, ie into your wind shadow, then they aren't much of a racing boat....

Secondly, if you were sailing on any point of sail with the wind forward of the beam, then once they were alongside, they were clear of your wind shadow by then anyway...

So.... IMHO, the best course of action is to scare the living daylights out of them by quoting a rule number..... doesn't matter if its correct or not.... anything along the lines of "Rule 42, please keep clear in accordance with part 3"..... you will see the skipper dive down below to fetch his copy of the Colregs/RRS, during which time, you have the perfect opportunity to nip down below and turn your cockpit stereo speakers up to full volume playing something that can't fail to impress such as The William Tell Overture or Pomp and Circumstances...... failing that, an alternative strategy would have been to call in a clear clipped English accent..... "sorry... can't change course, as one might spill ones Gin"..... preferably while donning a Deerstalker at the same time/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I race, mostly, but the sort of attitude you've just experienced is 'the pits' and a disgrace to all of us who behave in a civilised fashion.

Ignorance and arrogance are ugly companions and seem to infect the most deserving of hosts.

Ignore this unpleasant person and just thank your lucky stars that you are not the man to whom she wakes each morning but feel some compassion for the poor soul who has fallen into that role /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I race & cruise in about equal measures. I expect people to be courteous and thoughtful in either case, and I try to be myself. If I'm cruising I try hard not to stuff anybody's race up (within reason). If I'm racing I always give a cheery 'thankyou' to anyone who makes an effort not to stuff my race up. But there are racers who don't allow any leeway (pardon the pun) and there are also cruisers who will push the "you don't automatically have right of way just because you're racing so I'm not budging" line way further than they would if they met another cruising boat - they are just as bad if not worse in that they're not just being rude they're being petty as well.

Why can't everyone just get on?

Mike
 
quite agree..... the vast majority will respect the others situation.... i'll always stay out of the wind of a racer if I can, and when racing will always allow for cruisers that are in tight situations, and as per Mike above will always offer thanks to someone who makes an effort to stay out of the way etc.... easy really innit.

Last weekend, a racing boat (that had finished racing) was sailing back into the Orwell with his spinnaker right along the beam, ie at the limits of its windward capability..... I was beneath him by some way but nearly close hauled, ie closing on him..... I had which ever way you look at it effectively got right of way (we weren't overtaking, but abeam and closing on slowly diverging courses both on starboard)... so as we got within a few hundred yards, I yelled "don't panic, i'll duck you".... to which he responded with a highly sarcastic comment....... next time I see him in a similar situation, i'll sail right up to him yelling for him to give way, and make him drop his bloody kite..... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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