COLREGS and common sense

dom said:
It wasn't per chance at the West Princess Cardinal marker off Foreland? The ferries sometimes use this inner route and seem to regard it very much as their priority channel.
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The ferry could well have come through there, but I was a few miles further south. All I know is that it wasn't all that long after the Ouzo tragedy, it was coming straight for me, albeit a mile or more away and I was definitely keen on making sure I was seen.

As for Whitelink ferries, they did seem to think they have absolute priority a few years ago in spite of not drawing more than plenty of yachts, but I haven't had a problem recently. The only issue is guessing whether they'll take the Swashway or if the tide's high enough to allow a shortcut, which can surprise.
 
chriss999 said:
Yes I do that!
It is quite an amazing experience to see them flying past to left and right. Like rainbow-coloured angels! I love it.
How do you handle it?
If under sail I just assume that they know what they are doing and I steer a straight course & hope for the best. Last trip one came off the plane 25 yards ahead of me but I was able to steer round him (to windward seemed sensible).
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I left the Exe for the all tide Plymouth last year.

I've always been a tad nervous with the "rainbow-coloured angels" as lots of people I know who do stuff in the air tend to fall out of it.
 
chriss999 said:
Yes I do that!
It is quite an amazing experience to see them flying past to left and right. Like rainbow-coloured angels! I love it.
How do you handle it?
If under sail I just assume that they know what they are doing and I steer a straight course & hope for the best. Last trip one came off the plane 25 yards ahead of me but I was able to steer round him (to windward seemed sensible).
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That sounds like Chichester harbour. On a nice Sunday afternoon, dinghies of all sizes swarm across the channels like ants on a kicked ant hill. The unwritten rule is for bigger boats to hold a steady course and let the dinghies sort themselves out around you; any other policy means you get out of the way of one to get in the way of two more.
 
Stemar said:
The ferry could well have come through there, but I was a few miles further south. All I know is that it wasn't all that long after the Ouzo tragedy, it was coming straight for me, albeit a mile or more away and I was definitely keen on making sure I was seen.

As for Whitelink ferries, they did seem to think they have absolute priority a few years ago in spite of not drawing more than plenty of yachts, but I haven't had a problem recently. The only issue is guessing whether they'll take the Swashway or if the tide's high enough to allow a shortcut, which can surprise.
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Agree about Wightlink!

Also so agree with 5 flashes, generally best done just off centre of bridge to avoid blinding them. Esp if using a big 2m+ candlepower light. One can just light-up the yacht’s sails 5 times.

Either way, 100% the right thing to do and a mile was certainly not too early.
 
Daedelus said:
QHM ruled that ferries are stand on vessels when in the swashway, probably applies when they cut the corner too.
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I was working for Wightlink (the year of the Ouzo loss, 2007 ? ) and I don't remember that, we rarely crossed without altering for a yacht anyway.. bridge staff were very resigned and tolerant about wayward small craft, and nobody used (or even thought) words like WAFI etc.
 
I think the QHM ruling is comparatively recent - last few years but it is only in the swashway that it applies.

However, Mrs D was utterly convinced that the Portsmouth Wootton creek ferry was out to get her.
 
Seems to me that colregs put the ferries as stand on vessels because they can't leave the channel. For me, that wouldn't apply when they take a short cut, because they aren't in the channel, unless, of course QHM says otherwise. I tend to keep out of their way anywhere near the harbour entrance anyway because I'm playing and they're working.

I suspect their reputation amongst wafis is because they get rather good at judging how close they're going to pass and their definition of a safe distance is a lot less than ours
 
Stemar said:
Seems to me that colregs put the ferries as stand on vessels because they can't leave the channel. For me, that wouldn't apply when they take a short cut, because they aren't in the channel, unless, of course QHM says otherwise. I tend to keep out of their way anywhere near the harbour entrance anyway because I'm playing and they're working.

I suspect their reputation amongst wafis is because they get rather good at judging how close they're going to pass and their definition of a safe distance is a lot less than ours
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It's not usually the yachts calling things as 'too close' and sounding 5.
The friction seems to go in phases, possibly due to the individuals on the ferries?
It's all very civilised compared to about 20 years ago IMHO.
 
I find the IoW ferries to be generally very well behaved these days, and very clear. Yesterday for example I was approaching No. 4 Bar from seaward alongside another boat and we noticed one of the outgoing car ferries sliding over to the right of the channel. A single toot prompted us to turn right a little into the empty shipping channel, at which point the ferry swung hard right and off he went down the Swashway.

Very professional, very smooth, and no probs whatsoever.

Worth remembering that these ferries must routinely deal with pleasure craft with only the faintest idea about Colregs and their requirements.

It would be interesting to hear their side of the story :rolleyes: :D
 
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