Close Encounters

[Topcat47]

Hi Folks,

I had a close encounter with a hovercraft in the Solent, yesterday. It's in the hands of the MCA, but I believe people on a 44'er about 400yds ahead of us were either photographing the incident to better yet even videoing. I was rather concerned about other things at the time and failed to get the sail number, the only identifier I could see. I've not found anything on the interweb so if it was "you" or someone you know...please PM Me with the evidence.....

 

[[2068]]

Why would you stand on to a commercial hovercraft service doing 40kts?
Most people manage to avoid them.

.

 

[C08]

Why would you stand on to a commercial hovercraft service doing 40kts?
Most people manage to avoid them.

.

That seems a surprising and critical comment when the OP has not yet given any details or nature of the incident?

 

[RichardS]

Why would you stand on to a commercial hovercraft service doing 40kts?
Most people manage to avoid them.

.

Surely there could be many other scenarios?

Richard

 

[prv]

Why would you stand on to a commercial hovercraft service doing 40kts?

Because it's fast, manoeuverable, under power, and certainly not constrained by draft?

I wouldn't so much "stand on" to one, though, as expect it to have plotted a route round me quicker than I could realistically do anything to avoid it.

Pete

 

[Tranona]

There was a big hovercraft going up and down the western Solent between Newtown and Cowes today. Looked quite an old fashioned type and no commercial markings. Black skirts, superstructure with windows and white cowls to the propellers. did not seem as fast as the ones used as ferries.

 

[RupertW]

I’m also a bit sceptical about this after many close encounters with the hovercraft since the early 70s. If the sailing boat was hit by the hovercraft then the hovercraft was to blame but if it got a really close encounter then meh: it’s been passing stationary objects forever,

 

[LittleSister]

Because it's fast, manoeuverable, under power, and certainly not constrained by draft?

I'd always assumed that hovercraft were not very manoeuvrable at speed: no brakes and not very good at cornering. Am I mistaken?

(I'm not meaning to imply anything about the OP's experience, b.t.w.)

 

[[2068]]

I'd always assumed that hovercraft were not very manoeuvrable at speed: no brakes and not very good at cornering. Am I mistaken?
(I'm not meaning to imply anything about the OP's experience, b.t.w.)

You are not mistaken.

A hovercraft is pretty good at making good progress in a straight line in moderate conditions.
Tacking, Gybing, or making tight turns are not things that it is good at.

They also follow a route that is almost entirely predictable.
Portsmouth -> Ryde -> Portsmouth -> Ryde ...
It's not as if you will encounter one at the entrance to the Hamble.

Every day, hundreds of boats transit the area and manage not to run into or end up with a close quarters situation with commercial traffic such as container ships, ferries, Hovercraft or the Royal Navy. If you do end up in a close quarters situation, it's invariably not 100% the fault of one party: it takes two to fail to spot that several tens of tonnes of Aluminium travelling in a straight line at 40kts might be about to cause a problem.

 

[RobbieW]

...
They also follow a route that is almost entirely predictable.
Portsmouth -> Ryde -> Portsmouth -> Ryde ...
It's not as if you will encounter one at the entrance to the Hamble.

...

However not all hovercraft operating in the Solent are ferries on that route. There was one out around the area of Calshot cardinal on Wednesday, quite likely the same that Tranona reports...

There was a big hovercraft going up and down the western Solent between Newtown and Cowes today. Looked quite an old fashioned type and no commercial markings. Black skirts, superstructure with windows and white cowls to the propellers. did not seem as fast as the ones used as ferries.

There are occasionally hovercraft testing in Southampton Water, theres even a defined area for it, though the one on Wednesday wasnt there either. It did pass across the entrance of the Hamble

 

[ShinyShoe]

I'd always assumed that hovercraft were not very manoeuvrable at speed: no brakes and not very good at cornering. Am I mistaken?

(I'm not meaning to imply anything about the OP's experience, b.t.w.)

You are not mistaken.

A hovercraft is pretty good at making good progress in a straight line in moderate conditions.
Tacking, Gybing, or making tight turns are not things that it is good at.

When moving quickly enough they can make "minor" adjustments to direction that will be far more responsive than a displacement craft.

Depending on the craft, and the "ride experience" you are aiming at - you might be able to turn it relatively sharply. If it was a commercial craft with passengers - doing so would cause injuries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmPebbNKoQ4

They also follow a route that is almost entirely predictable.
Portsmouth -> Ryde -> Portsmouth -> Ryde ...
It's not as if you will encounter one at the entrance to the Hamble.

Every day, hundreds of boats transit the area and manage not to run into or end up with a close quarters situation with commercial traffic such as container ships, ferries, Hovercraft or the Royal Navy. If you do end up in a close quarters situation, it's invariably not 100% the fault of one party: it takes two to fail to spot that several tens of tonnes of Aluminium travelling in a straight line at 40kts might be about to cause a problem.

That is assuming it was normal commercial traffic making a sensible passage. If WAFI hit the Porstmouth to Ryde - I'd be surprised. If some d**k was out testing a hover craft, making sharp turns, using his fans to change the wind direction for WAFIs and generally being a complete kn*b - anything becomes possible...

 

[[2068]]

There are occasionally hovercraft testing in Southampton Water, theres even a defined area for it, though the one on Wednesday wasnt there either. It did pass across the entrance of the Hamble

They are out there to get you!
It’s a conspiracy!


I’ll be keeping an extra lookout for rogue predatory hovercraft today, just in case ..

 

[Topcat47]

There was a big hovercraft going up and down the western Solent between Newtown and Cowes today. Looked quite an old fashioned type and no commercial markings. Black skirts, superstructure with windows and white cowls to the propellers. did not seem as fast as the ones used as ferries.

That’s the one.

 

[Topcat47]

Why would you stand on to a commercial hovercraft service doing 40kts?
Most people manage to avoid them.

.

Had the hovercraft not turned onto a collision course, it would have passed ahead, around half a mile ahead. It turned onto a course which led to ahead to head with a 26’ sailing boat making ~2knots through the water......go figure!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Why would you stand on to a commercial hovercraft service doing 40kts?
Most people manage to avoid them.

If you're in something moving slowly, you are generally dependent on the thing moving ten times faster to avoid you. Even if you do manage to assess that a risk of collision exists, you're unlikely to have time to make a significant course alteration.

When I flew gliders I occasionally had to share the Cheviots with RAF jets. Theoretically I had right of way; in practice I was wholly dependent on their seeing me and taking action.

 

[LittleSister]

If you want to avoid hovercraft completely, go to the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads, where they're banned, despite that being where they were 'invented' and first flown.

(The Broads has a selection of other hazards, mind, and not very handy for getting anywhere else.)

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Had the hovercraft not turned onto a collision course, it would have passed ahead, around half a mile ahead. It turned onto a course which led to ahead to head with a 26’ sailing boat making ~2knots through the water......go figure!

Presumably there will be AIS data for the hovercraft showing his tracks.

 

[laika]

If you're in something moving slowly, you are generally dependent on the thing moving ten times faster to avoid you.

In all my time sailing in the Solent I’ve never had the slightest concern about the redjets or the southsea ryde hovercraft whose pilots seem astonishingly skilled at threading their way through the wafis which is why I was surprised by this thread until we learned that the micreant wasn’t one of the hovertravel ones

 

[ShinyShoe]

Presumably there will be AIS data for the hovercraft showing his tracks.

Only if it has AIS. If it is a commercial passenger vessel it does. If it is over 300GT it does. How heavy is a Hovercraft? And how much does it displace - I guess not 300GT! So it depends on if it is registered as a passenger vessel.

But Solent has Radar... a Hovercraft will show on Radar.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Only if it has AIS. If it is a commercial passenger vessel it does. If it is over 300GT it does. How heavy is a Hovercraft? And how much does it displace - I guess not 300GT! So it depends on if it is registered as a passenger vessel.

But Solent has Radar... a Hovercraft will show on Radar.

Something as described by Traona is quite likely to be over 300T gross. Displacement however is a different thing as it's a hovercraft.