Andiparos Kite Surfers - what the hell do I do?

[Irish Rover]

On Saturday I came north through the narrow channel between Andiparos and Paros. It was blowing around 25kts from the north with some stronger gusts. As I approached the narrowest part of the channel just south of Remattonisi I encountered a group of some 50 to 60 kite surfers whizzing back and forth across the channel. They were coming at me from both sides at the same time. Some were travelling at phenominal speeds, some were airborne, some falling in the water and being dragged along. At the best of times this is a dangerous channel with depths as low as 2M and exposed rocks in parts. You need to carefully pick your way through with careful attention to the chart and the depth sounder. How in the name of God do you do that with this jet propelled swarm of midges buzzing back and forth and a pair of ferries operating a shuttle service between the two islands just north of the kite surfers.

 

[Adios]

For insurance purposes get some of this on you for a start



Then some good scissors to cut them off your boat

 

[Stemar]

And one of these, perhaps

After all, at low speed you aren't too manoeuvrable, especially with all those idiots flying around...

If all else fails,

 

[penfold]

I doubt the average kite surfer has a detailed appreciation of COLREGS, so slow down and use sound signals but stick to your chosen course and be ready to take avoiding action if necessary. Assuming it's not an organised event, in which case where are the safety boats?

 

[Irish Rover]

I doubt the average kite surfer has a detailed appreciation of COLREGS, so slow down and use sound signals but stick to your chosen course and be ready to take avoiding action if necessary. Assuming it's not an organised event, in which case where are the safety boats?

Finger never came off the horn. I was going as slow as I could to maintain control in the 25kt gusting wind. Any attempt to avoid one would probably cause me to hit two more. No safety boats.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

You are a “vessel constrained by her draught ”, a power-driven vessel which, because of her draught in relation to the available depth and width of navigable water, is severely restricted in her ability to deviate from the course she is following.

Vessels constrained by their draught.
Any vessel, except a vessel not under command or restricted in her ability to manoeuvre, must avoid impeding the safe passage of a vessel constrained by her draught and exhibiting the signals mentioned in Rule 28. The words ‘if the circumstances of the case admit’ are included in Rule 18(d) to take account of the fact that some vessels, particularly vessels engaged in fishing, may be unable to take effective avoiding action in sufficient time. A vessel required to avoid impeding the safe passage of a vessel constrained by her draught must, if the circumstances of the case admit, take early action to allow sufficient sea room for the safe passage of the other vessel. Rule 18(d)(ii) requires a vessel constrained by her draught to navigate with particular caution having full regard to her special condition.

... so basically, keep your speed down, navigate with caution, display the correct signals, and carry something suitable for cutting away tangled kite-strings ... although god knows what would happen if you got a kite wrapped round your prop.

I can sympathise, the entrance to Medulin in Croatia is often plagued by kite surfers, wind-surfers, people in ridiculously unsuitable or overladen boats, and the odd idiot on a lilo ... not to mention swimmers and snorkelers. Haven't run anyone over yet. Closest I came to killing someone was a water-skier where the boat driver misjudged a pass across my bow, the paniking skier then lost it and fell over about 10 metres directly in front of my bow. I stopped, but the skier sh@t themselves.

Your biggest problem will be that even if the idiots have no idea about the collision regs, you can guarantee that you would be held responsible if you were not displaying the correct symbols once it all landed in the courts.

 

[NPMR]

We had a similar situation arriving at Douarnanez a few years ago.

An organised competition was taking place across the river entrance. There were possibly a hundred or maybe more kites hurtling around. Very exciting but impossible to gauge where to go to help or avoid them. We were under spinnaker.

A safety boat arrived and suggested we make a 6 mile detour round the event, an offer we declined.

We maintained a steady course and of course, the kiters simply drove round us as though we were standing still, such was their speed difference.

It all worked fine but we worked on the principle that a) we were a bit constrained by our sail plan at first and b) they were definitely the overtaking vessels.

 

[ylop]

Your biggest problem will be that even if the idiots have no idea about the collision regs, you can guarantee that you would be held responsible if you were not displaying the correct symbols once it all landed in the courts.

I suspect you’d still find yourself in hot water even with the right day shapes and flags displayed. Ultimately neither the col regs nor common sense entitle you to barge through the middle of them hoping it will all be fine and shouting about being the stand on vessel.

 

[ChromeDome]

When are these kite chaos pilots not out there?

Early mornings (when they are sleeping it off), evenings (when they rather harass people in bars)..?

That is when you go there.

 

[Irish Rover]

I suspect you’d still find yourself in hot water even with the right day shapes and flags displayed. Ultimately neither the col regs nor common sense entitle you to barge through the middle of them hoping it will all be fine and shouting about being the stand on vessel.

I don't imagine anyone would do that when the safety of other human beings is at risk. I made my way through as carefully and slowly as I could continuously sounding my horn to attract their attention to my presence. The only alternatives I had was to turn back and do a close on 20 mile detour around the west of Andiparos in rough seas or, as @ChromeDome says, wait there 6 hours until after dark

 

[ylop]

I don't imagine anyone would do that when the safety of other human beings is at risk. I made my way through as carefully and slowly as I could continuously sounding my horn to attract their attention to my presence. The only alternatives I had was to turn back and do a close on 20 mile detour around the west of Andiparos in rough seas or, as @ChromeDome says, wait there 6 hours until after dark

I agree - baggywrinkle though suggested that you do exactly that and your worry would be the court case not have killed someone. I appreciate its most likely keyboard bravado but there are people stupid enough to try and force their cars through protestors which regardless of the rights or wrongs (lets not go there) of the people being there is the sort of ill attitude that seemed to being promoted. It sounds like you were much more pragmatic and treated this like having to take your car through a busy pedestrian area and slowed down, kept your wits about you and used the much greater manoeuvrability of the other parties to help get you through safely.

 

[ChromeDome]

You could go to war with them, but all the fuss, annoyance, disappointment and the risk of their uncontrolled retaliation would make it all hopeless - not least because you have no chance in the world of changing their behaviour.
You could repeat the whole circus every time you came back.

Idiots don't get it anyway.

So rather use intelligence, do the smart thing and go around them.

 

[Irish Rover]

You could go to war with them, but all the fuss, annoyance, disappointment and the risk of their uncontrolled retaliation would make it all hopeless - not least because you have no chance in the world of changing their behaviour.
You could repeat the whole circus every time you came back.

Idiots don't get it anyway.

So rather use intelligence, do the smart thing and go around them.

No possibility to go around them unfortunately - they were litterly using the full width of the channel.

 

[ChromeDome]

Go around them timewise, I meant.

 

[Stemar]

I can't help wondering if going into a river full of kite surfers, a prudent move wouldn't be to lose the spinny, maybe even all the sails and use the motor.. At least you'll be going slower, and, more importantly, you'll be in a position to male rapid changes of course

 

[Sandy]

Did you got get your bagpipes out or does that only work at anchor?

 

[Adios]

I'm pretty certain no kite surfer ever expects they have the right of way. They wiz around between boats and are too unpredictable for anyone to know how to give way to them

 

[geem]

Being a kite surfer and a sailor I will give me thoughts. The competent kitesurfers will be very aware of your presence. They will carry on kite surfing and keep out of your way. The problem comes when a novice with zero ability gets in the way. As a sailor who doesn't kite, you won't know the difference. The best policy would be to slow down and engine through the mass of kites at slow speed. If its blowing 25kts, most kiters will be competent. They will be doing up to about 25kts across the water so can easily keep clear of you.
We're you approaching from up wind or downwind of the kites? When there are so many kites, the risk of collision between kites is high. Kites use the starboard rule for right of way between kites so are aware of the principal of right of way. The experienced guys will also know where the deep water is so will pretty much know the route of your boat. I suspect it was way more stressful for you than them

 

[Bouba]

I’ve had the same problem in the same situation but luckily only a handful at the same time.
Some beaches are zoned for kite surfing other against…so a complaint to the local authorities would be a start…plus you are notifying them of a potential disaster and that must mitigate your actions when the inevitable happens

 

[geem]

Go

I’ve had the same problem in the same situation but luckily only a handful at the same time.
Some beaches are zoned for kite surfing other against…so a complaint to the local authorities would be a start…plus you are notifying them of a potential disaster and that must mitigate your actions when the inevitable happens

Good luck with that. Kite surfing tourism brings in a lot of revenue for local business. Accommodation, eating out, lessons, equipment hire, bars, supermarkets. Way more per head than sailors