Anchor Ball.

[Manuel]

Belonging as I do to the profession you refer to in your post, ............Thank you also for thinking so highly of the profession. There is not a drunken, paranoid megalomaniac incompetent among us! Nor in the merchant service neither.

Mostly they are very professional but you have to chuckle at the 'cool' ones with designer shades. Not an easy job with hospitality to the brat-set 24/7 I am sure, and looks having to be more important than brains when it comes to selecting the female crew.

What surprises me along the Riviera is the constant calling on Ch16 by signal stations (e.g. Porquerolles) asking for details of all the superyachts, manifests, destinations, ETAs etc. Firstly, they clog up Ch 16 and since they all know the yacht call signs and MMSIs why don't they do a selcal on DSC? I have to turn my VHF off if sailing after my crew have gone to sleep because of the incessant routine calls.

Secondly, don't these calls represent a security risk? The paparazzi can listen as could anyone with ill intent. If I was a superyacht skipper I would press for this to stop. There are many other ways round it including DSC, Inmarsat, or even mobile phones, which could be registered on a local database.

The same applies to Operation Endeavour, why not use DSC? It would free Ch 16 for emergency calls and at times it would be almost impossible to get a distress call through. Actually I heard one pan pan fail a week ago due to Porquerolles, whose transmitter reaches nearly to Barcelona on Ch 16.

 

[tinkicker0]

A vessel with two anchors down is moored, not anchored.(Admiralty Handbook of Seamanship, Vol 1, dimly remembered from 45 years ago)
Should it display a black ball, or not?

Oh sod it, cos I boat on a river, I have both a big bow anchor and a 5lb grapnel and 30 foot of chain to sling over the stern. this is to keep the boat parralel to the bank and preveent her swinging out across the channel.

Another can of worms. I would assess that the black ball and anchor light should still be used in this situation, whether its technically mooring or anchoring.

However, don't want to be taken to task by a Broom owning, YC cap n blazer wearing, pipe smoking Captain Bligh swanning past one sunny afternoon.

I have had sufficient numbers of Gimlet Eyes looking askance as they cruise serenely past as it is, just cos i like to play a bit of Basehunter or Darude on the sound system now and again.

So is my assessment correct?

 

[Manuel]

So is my assessment correct?

Very possibly not. Most rivers have a local river authority. You would need to check the local rules. However daft the rules seem, people can get upset if you don't obey them. Most rules were written for what seemed like a good reason at the time.

If you are tied-up on a river bank then you are neither 'moored' (in the sense you are using the word) nor 'anchored'. You are berthed, or tied-up alongside.

You say people are giving you odd looks when they pass. Maybe you need to find out what the local rules say, and what is customary. Presumably you have a permit to navigate that river and, if so, usually they give the book of rules along with the licence and the answer might be with your licence. Or look online on the river authority's website.