Col Regs and 2 points abaft the beam

[capnsensible]

Larger vessels will generally have a watch keeper that speaks English....or something close enough....in my experience. And I've certainly chatted on VHF about crossing situations.

The fun begins when you encounter the wandering so of coasters, fishing vessels and assorted other vessels who most definitely don't speak it. Probably not fitted with AIS either in more far flung regions. So practice, practice with the hand bearing compass for me is....sensible. ?

 

[awol]

What I have done in those situations is to radio the ship , state the CPA, my intention to stand on and ask their intentions. They always alter course.
I’d only recommend this if you transmit on AIS and then there is no ambiguity as to which target you are.
The colregs don’t allow for the use of VHF presumably to guard against ambiguity and they were written before AIS could transmit your identity so I don’t care.

I considered the call but decided that discussing the small difference between crossing and overtaking was not worth the effort. I assumed from the unchanging course and relative bearing that the tanker was not going to give way and by making an obvious change of course and aspect I was removing any problem. I was not, I believe, behaving like a rabbit in headlights or the fabled John O'day. My only misgiving was changing course to port - a starboard change would have been better but it would have meant a gybe and I'm a lazy sod.

 

[davidej]

What I have done in those situations is to radio the ship , state the CPA, my intention to stand on and ask their intentions. They always alter course.
I’d only recommend this if you transmit on AIS and then there is no ambiguity as to which target you are.
The colregs don’t allow for the use of VHF presumably to guard against ambiguity and they were written before AIS could transmit your identity so I don’t care.

Not always!

I was returning from Belgium under sail on a broad reach doing about 7kn. A dredging was overhauling us on a converging course, only doing about 12 kn so the closing speed was quite low. As it neared without a change of course, I radiod it three times but got no reply. When it neared to about 100 yds, I took evasive action. As it passed I couldn’t see anyone on the bridge.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I remember seeing an overtaking ship well out in the ocean, and concluding when he was still a way off that he was going to pass well clear. Next thing, my friend on watch called out "Bill, that ships quite a bit closer now", and so he was - less than a mile away and heading much closer to us. So I got on the VHF with my officious voice and asked if he had seen us - "Yes little sailing boat we see you, we saw you a while ago so we altered course to come and have a closer look!"

We then had a great chat about where we were heading and whether we needed anything, and afterwards my mates both said "Well why the hell didn't you ask them for more cigarettes???" (We'd run out a couple of days earlier.)

 

[Quandary]

I was watching Awol as he made his way out of Belfast Lough into the North Channel making all of 3 -4 kts, obviously against the tide, what a display of pure masochism.
There is so little traffic once clear of the Lough that you have to work really hard to contrive a collision risk.

 

[awol]

I was watching Awol as he made his way out of Belfast Lough into the North Channel making all of 3 -4 kts, obviously against the tide, what a display of pure masochism.

It was actually quite pleasant once the rain had stopped, the visibility cleared to >200m and before the jumbled sea got up. It must have got faster 'cos I did the 60nm to Arran in ~12 hours.

There is so little traffic once clear of the Lough that you have to work really hard to contrive a collision risk.

My wife was more concerned about the Stena Superfast's AIS track coinciding with mine as they overtook in the Victoria Channel to the extent she phoned to see if I was alright!

 

[Gary Fox]

..it might have the right of way...

....My wife was more concerned about the Stena Superfast's AIS track coinciding with mine as they overtook in the Victoria Channel to the extent she phoned to see if I was alright!

I've heard of back seat drivers... but that is taking it to another level

 

[capnsensible]

I've heard of back seat drivers... but that is taking it to another level

.it can get very foggy in the Gib Straits. A while ago I was sat at anchor outside Ceuta on the south side waiting for it to clear. A friend of mine was caught out in it and heading my way. He sent me his Lat and long every 15 minutes and I directed him using my AIS through the two busy shipping lanes where big ships never slow down.
It was a good Excercise.

 

[scottie]

I considered the call but decided that discussing the small difference between crossing and overtaking was not worth the effort. I assumed from the unchanging course and relative bearing that the tanker was not going to give way and by making an obvious change of course and aspect I was removing any problem. I was not, I believe, behaving like a rabbit in headlights or the fabled John O'day. My only misgiving was changing course to port - a starboard change would have been better but it would have meant a gybe and I'm a lazy sod.

Does final words excuse motoring cone said by someone who thinks the proper place for a cone is on wellingtons statue

 

[Stemar]

Depends on whether the tanker was close enough to see the Cone

I really don't think I want any tanker to be close enough to me to see my MS cone, thanks very much. If there's a risk of collision and he's that close, I reckon this is likely to be the bit that applies
When, from any cause, the vessel required to keep her course and speed finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall take such action as will best aid to avoid collision.

 

[Pye_End]

Not terribly exciting but it left me with the thoughts of confusion between AIS and radar tracks and a boat's actual heading. At night I would have exhibited a white light and the overtaking rule is clear but by day I can understand an acceptance of a crossing situation instead. As it happens I don't even know if the tanker was aware of my existence.

If visibility is fine then the rules are for visual - ie electronics are aids only. In restricted visibility, ie when you might be using electronic as primary information, the rules are different - ie you are both obliged if there is a risk of collision.

 

[Richard10002]

I considered the call but decided that discussing the small difference between crossing and overtaking was not worth the effort. I assumed from the unchanging course and relative bearing that the tanker was not going to give way and by making an obvious change of course and aspect I was removing any problem. I was not, I believe, behaving like a rabbit in headlights or the fabled John O'day. My only misgiving was changing course to port - a starboard change would have been better but it would have meant a gybe and I'm a lazy sod.

How far away was he when you altered course? My experience has been that ships may not take their avoiding action until they are half a mile or so from you which, from their perspective, and in good visibility, is plenty of space to avoid a collision.

 

[awol]

How far away was he when you altered course? My experience has been that ships may not take their avoiding action until they are half a mile or so from you which, from their perspective, and in good visibility, is plenty of space to avoid a collision.

He wasn't that close. So I saved him a tweak of his auto-pilot and reduced any possibility of my heart rate rising. My experience has been that large ships have changed course at a greater distance than that.

 

[Richard10002]

He wasn't that close. So I saved him a tweak of his auto-pilot and reduced any possibility of my heart rate rising. My experience has been that large ships have changed course at a greater distance than that.

I agree with what you did...... If I ever saw the possibility of a collision situation arising with a "big ship", I would often do something to avoid it developing, (maybe at 6 miles or so, maybe less dependant on circumstances). I never liked being the stand on vessel, as you ought to wait until things get pretty close to dangerous before taking your own action. Knowing how late some of the smaller "big ships" will leave it, I preferred to avoid the squeaky bum moments.