stuhaynes
Well-Known Member
Prompted by the yacht and the chain bridge (featured in this forum today m'lud), but reinforced by so many other posts here too... 
So, how 'pure' can stupidity get?
So, how 'pure' can stupidity get?
Can stupidity ever be pure?
- Thread starter stuhaynes
- Start date
pvb
Well-Known Member
I hadn't seen that post, what's it called?
prv
Well-Known Member
Only one I've seen is in the Mobo forum. They're busy castigating some yacht for not giving way to the chain ferry that the harbour byelaws say he has right of way over.
Pete
pvb
Well-Known Member
So it wasn't in this forum then? Perhaps Stu is demonstrating his own point!
Leighb
Well-Known Member
It is curious that the Cowes Bye-Laws state that the ferry has to give way to vessels navigating in the harbour, and yet the Sandbanks ferry has AFAIK right of way in that fairway.
I would not want to argue with either of them personally, but happily do not sail in that neck of the woods.
prv
Well-Known Member
The Sandbanks ferry used to be the give-way vessel, until an incident about ten years ago where the ferry and a racing fleet ended up doing something like the left-right corridor shuffle which, combined with some flukey wind, ended up with the keelboat being pushed under the ferry. After that they decided things would be clearer if the ferry just went and everybody else treated it as a mobile obstacle. I believe it still has to give way to large vessels like cross-channel ferries.
I think most chain ferries are give-way like the Cowes one.
Pete
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Not curious at all. It is only recently that the Sandbanks ferry got right of way. Prompted by the latest one being twice the size of the old one and a number of incidents involving collisions and near collisions. Despite the right, the ferry does seem to adjust departures to minimize impact on small boats.
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
They are very different situations. Cowes is a small floating bridge in very confined waters encountering mostly small vessels. Poole is a much larger floating bridge, travelling a lot further and encounters larger commercial vessels as well. The Cowes one would probably only have to stop once to let a vessel pass, Poole would be stopping numerous times.
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rob2
Well-Known Member
I'd hope they minimise the impact on small boat traffic! ;-)
Rob.
P.S. Yes, my stupidity is absolute.
Leighb
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the clarification, I didn't know that the RoW at Sandbanks had changed. I do remember the report of the incident with an X-Boat that collided and one crew member was swept right under the ferry, amazing to have survived.
Seajet
...
Knowing both quite well, I'd say these chain ferries have an equally dangerous ( but immensely tedious ) job, both in areas of strong tides.
I've been visiting both for 40 years and never had a hairy moment, the operators seem professional and considerate; they give signals as in flashing lights and a ball raised to show they are setting off.
I think the skipper / operator has a tricky job re passing boats at both Cowes and Poole, so make my intentions - pass or wait around - clear, as a courtesy.
It's only racing or arrogant types trying to be smart-arses who get into trouble !
I've been visiting both for 40 years and never had a hairy moment, the operators seem professional and considerate; they give signals as in flashing lights and a ball raised to show they are setting off.
I think the skipper / operator has a tricky job re passing boats at both Cowes and Poole, so make my intentions - pass or wait around - clear, as a courtesy.
It's only racing or arrogant types trying to be smart-arses who get into trouble !
AHoy2
Well-Known Member
From a recent article I read it seems that the Cowes chain ferry is also going to be made the right-of-way vessel from next year (sometime).
