Avoidance of collision/Waterskiers

and dont alter for them erroneously by mistakenly thinking

'quote'
3. Assuming light winds, cos your not going to be skiing in half a gale, bothb should turn to Starboard and pass Port to Port.
'unquote'

go and stand in the corner and look at the rules again
 
To add to previous comments... if the boat has its sails pulled right in, its entirely possible (arguably its likely) that it can't turn any further into the wind without stalling, so think about the wind in context of the sailing boats direction rather than just its aspect to you.... equally, if the boat has its sails right out, its arguably likely that it cant turn away from the wind in a rush, as that would force a gybe, which could be very dangerous aboard the sailing boat if unexpected..... hope that helps....
 
ok - but I am pointing to the fact that a powerdriven vessel on the bows of a sailing vessel does not mean both go to stbd !!!!!!!!
I am well aware of the constraints of sailing vessels being forced to alter - so are the rules .................

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
I think that the point llandaftaf is making is that the wind strength/ direction is irellevant.The yacht under sail should stand on(with caution)unless it becomes obvious that the motorboat is not doing sufficient to avoid a collision.
 
Sorry Landaftaf, that comment was not aimed at you, rather at the original poster who stated that they had only sailed once, so I worked on the assumption that they wouldn't neccessarily understand the dynamics of wind direction versus boat direction!... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I'm certain from your previous posts that I don't need to explain sailing vessel constraints to you!!!!!!
 
Graham,

Agreed... but the original poster was asking us what we would expect him to do, as an aid to his learning, presumably to help him be a more repsonsible water user... so I figured that a little awareness of sailing constraints would help him....
 
Most busy water ways will either not allow watersking at all or will provide designated water ski areas. You don't state where you intend to indulge your "passion". However, I suggest you take a good dose of common sense on the water with you. First and foremost if you are watersking anywhere near a fleet of winddriven vessels then you have not taken CS with you /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Check the charts for the area in which you intend to operate and look for the water ski areas. Yachts etc will know where those areas are and will (should) avoid them, as will other water users. The same applies to PWC users who have areas set aside for their use - although they do tend to play havoc at times.

You need to be responsible and consider the issues of safe speed as others have said and consider the safety of your skier. Remember, the skier has no control over the boat - the driver does! If the driver puts the skier into a conflict situation where death of injury may ensue then the driver could be had up under a man slaughter charge.

An owner of a boat has, just in the last week, been found guilty of overloading a vessel in which a person lost their life. He has been convicted of man slaughter!

So in summary, don't put yourself into the situation in the first place whereby you may have to take a split second decision. Given your (stated) experience, you'll most likely be wrong and that could have tragic consequences.

If you intend to operetae in the Solent area HERE is some infomation.
 
Hi again everyone and thank you for your answers. I've often wondered how you guys see it; now thanks to the internet I've got a pretty good idea.

It seems that your opinions and understanding of the regs/common sense are broadly similar to mine; which is good because it means we are less likely to 'meet' in unhappy circumstances.

I of course understand that we should never be close enough for this to be an issue but sometimes things go slightly wrong and the correct action, taken on the basis of what's been discussed, could prevent things going badly wrong. Some of you may feel that the correct action in this case would be for me to stop moving but this can exacerbate the problem as I then have a skier in the water, just their head showing, 75ft from my boat and perhaps not visible from a yacht under sail. So if possible I prefer to keep moving and get well out of the way. In 18 years of driving Ski-boats I have never had even the slightest issue with a sailboat whilst I was moving, but I've had a couple when my skier was in the water and I was unable to return to them for various reasons. (engine stalled and wouldn't restart for example)

If you see a sportsboat ahead of you accelerate, then turn sharply back towards you and stop somewhere ahead across your line of travel, it could be that he's an idiot, or it could be that he has a skier in the water and is playing 'mother hen'.

When skiing we like to go in straight lines. We tend to drive up and down the same line with a tight circle at each end. (rather like the shape of a ring spanner) This is because the boat is not then crossing it's own wake continuously; it's easier to ski on flat water and the same pattern repeated means the skier can anticpate when the boat will turn.

I ski in Plymouth Sound. According to my chart the designated ski area there is in Jennicliff bay. My understanding was that the 'Waterski area' is somewhere we are allowed to ski, not an area where we have priority. Of a sunny Sunday lunchtime there are more yachts per acre 'parked' in Jennicliff bay than there are in the local marinas. At about 11.30 there are 0-1, an hour later ther can be over 30 boats there. When this happens I go somewhere else, or join them and anchor up for lunch. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Anyway thanks again for your help and perhaps I'll see you (from a distance /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) on the water.
 
I'd maintain course and speed to be as predictable as possible unless running into dander in which case I'd do what I'd want and you'd get the middle finger if you objected!
 
Two things, much as some others have said:

If you are travelling at skiing speeds and you have to worry about whether you or a sailboat doing 6 or so knots under power (or sail) gives way, then you are far too close to the sail boat.

From time to time I work with large fast commercial power boats (say 80 foot, 40 knots) - when at speed the crews I have been involved with always plot around nearby boats only capable of slow speeds. There is no way that the slow vessel can take much meaningful action in the closure time. Hopefully the slow vessel plays its part and does not make confusing changes of course while you are doing so. I find (am not in the UK, tho') that the majority of fast pleasure powerboats always do the same to me.

John
 
no probs ...... must watch my short fuse on these colregs issues ....... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gifits just a bit frustrating sometimes to see some of the incorrect interpratations written on here as fact, /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif as we know, its normally the first thing hears one remembers best, not the correction /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Thank you

espescially for this bit:

"If you see a sportsboat ahead of you accelerate, then turn sharply back towards you and stop somewhere ahead across your line of travel, it could be that he's an idiot, or it could be that he has a skier in the water and is playing 'mother hen'."

Makes sense, and I will bear it in mind.
 
Thanks for asking

Well done TheOrs for asking. And for putting the skiboat driver's point of view.

If I ever see a speedboat parked in front of me, I'll look very carefully to make sure there's not a skier's head in the water somwhere nearby. Hopefully, if there is, it'll still be attached to the rest of the skier!

In my very limited experience of waterskiing (or swimming with a plank) skiers tend to prefer flat calms (or near enough), when the chances of meeting a sailboat hammering along under all plain sail are unlikely. Most likely, they'll be motoring, or drifting. If drifting, regard them as a rock. If motoring, normal colregs?
 
Re: Thanks for asking

[ QUOTE ]


In my very limited experience of waterskiing (or swimming with a plank)

[/ QUOTE ] Did you not get to the "power drowning" stage?
 
Re: Thanks for asking

[/ QUOTE ] Did you not get to the "power drowning" stage?

[/ QUOTE ]
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Very good; I like that!
 
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