COLREGS... Huston we have a problem

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Lovely day out yesterday; but


  1. Was overtaken by a coxed rowing four, is shouting faster, faster approprate? We were impressed
  2. Cut up by a chap flying a kite on a surfboard, is it a boat or is it an aircraft?
  3. Waved to a chap on a paddle board two miles offshore, I felt like doing a McEnrow!
 
Heh.

Colregs has nothing to say about the relative priority of craft rowed or paddled. Some people have their own pet theories based on the oar being "a machine" or based on the lights they have to show, but they're not borne out by the rules themselves. The RYA legal department opinion is simply that "the rules don't say".

I guess a kite-surfer counts as a sailing vessel, but good luck figuring out what tack he's on - and even better luck finding one that knows the rules anyway! Best either keep well clear, or pass slowly on a straight course and let them avoid you.

Pete
 
As prv wrote, there's nothing specific about this in the Colregs, which stimulated a v-e-r-y long thread only a few months ago.

As to your headline, it reminded me of the best headline never used: after the Potter's Bar rail crash caused massive disruption on the West Coast line, I was every day expecting to read "Euston, we have a problem". But I never did.
Still it wouldn't have been the greatest, not by a long way. That was "SuperCalyGoBallisticCelticAreAtrocious". Inspired
 
prv said:
Heh.

Colregs has nothing to say about the relative priority of craft rowed or paddled. Some people have their own pet theories based on the oar being "a machine" or based on the lights they have to show, but they're not borne out by the rules themselves. The RYA legal department opinion is simply that "the rules don't say".

I guess a kite-surfer counts as a sailing vessel, but good luck figuring out what tack he's on - and even better luck finding one that knows the rules anyway! Best either keep well clear, or pass slowly on a straight course and let them avoid you.

Pete
Click to expand...

+1 The speed those guys usually go they are the 'overtaking vessel' anyway, and have a duty to keep clear. Though they wont know that! Same goes for the High speed rowing four, I guess. The paddle board on the other hand will be likely to be slower, so you become the overtaker.

As has been said, the chances of any of these guys knowing that is pretty well zilch though.
 
I had a kite boarder clear behind me yesterday after calling out to make sure I wasn't towing a fishing line. He passed close enough to exchange pleasantries and it was a nice example of two water users sharing the same bit of water without inconveniencing each other.
 
macd said:
As to your headline, it reminded me of the best headline never used: after the Potter's Bar rail crash caused massive disruption on the West Coast line, I was every day expecting to read "Euston, we have a problem". But I never did.
Still it wouldn't have been the greatest, not by a long way. That was "SuperCalyGoBallisticCelticAreAtrocious". Inspired
Click to expand...

For the sake of accuracy, there is an "e" in Caley.
super-caley-go-ballistic1[1].jpg
 
macd said:
As prv wrote, there's nothing specific about this in the Colregs, which stimulated a v-e-r-y long thread only a few months ago.

As to your headline, it reminded me of the best headline never used: after the Potter's Bar rail crash caused massive disruption on the West Coast line, I was every day expecting to read "Euston, we have a problem". But I never did.
Still it wouldn't have been the greatest, not by a long way. That was "SuperCalyGoBallisticCelticAreAtrocious". Inspired
Click to expand...

That will be because Potters Bar is on the East Coast line which goes into Kings X.
 
prv said:
Heh.

Colregs has nothing to say about the relative priority of craft rowed or paddled. Some people have their own pet theories based on the oar being "a machine" or based on the lights they have to show, but they're not borne out by the rules themselves. The RYA legal department opinion is simply that "the rules don't say".

I guess a kite-surfer counts as a sailing vessel, but good luck figuring out what tack he's on - and even better luck finding one that knows the rules anyway! Best either keep well clear, or pass slowly on a straight course and let them avoid you.

Pete
Click to expand...

Er, rule 13 sez "the overtaking vessel has to keep clear" ie regardless of powered, paddles or sailed. Hm?
 
oldharry said:
+1 The speed those guys usually go they are the 'overtaking vessel' anyway, and have a duty to keep clear. Though they wont know that! Same goes for the High speed rowing four, I guess. The paddle board on the other hand will be likely to be slower, so you become the overtaker.

As has been said, the chances of any of these guys knowing that is pretty well zilch though.
Click to expand...

We once had a windsurfer yell 'Starboard!' to us as we were motoring down a narrow channel with limited depths either side (we drew 7ft) and he overtook us . I yelled '9tons!' he said 'what?', '9tons I said' that is what is about to hit you' silly bar steward fell off! Darwin rules should soon apply.
 
Robin said:
We once had a windsurfer yell 'Starboard!' to us as we were motoring down a narrow channel with limited depths either side (we drew 7ft) and he overtook us . I yelled '9tons!' he said 'what?', '9tons I said' that is what is about to hit you' silly bar steward fell off! Darwin rules should soon apply.
Click to expand...
The correct hail is 'Gross Tonnage!' :D You should also hoist a vertical black cylinder in the fore part of the vessel, but there's more chance of Elvis making a comeback than the windsurf pilot knowing what it means.
 
prv said:
Colregs has nothing to say about the relative priority of craft rowed or paddled.
Click to expand...

tcm said:
Er, rule 13 sez "the overtaking vessel has to keep clear" ie regardless of powered, paddles or sailed. Hm?
Click to expand...

Yep!

It also says what lights a rowing boat should show.

So what I originally wrote - "Colregs has nothing to say about craft rowed or paddled" - was wrong. But I realised that before posting it, and added the "relative priority" bit. The point being that the rules don't say where a rowing boat belongs in the pecking order of fishing boats, sailing boats, seaplanes, etc.

Pete
 
Stork_III said:
That will be because Potters Bar is on the East Coast line which goes into Kings X.
Click to expand...

It was the Hatfield crash on the ECML which caused massive disruption on the WCML - and everywhere else - because it soon became apparent that rail cracks was a worse issue than had been thoughta nd speed limits were imposed everywhere.
 
Camelia said:
Lovely day out yesterday; but


  1. Was overtaken by a coxed rowing four, is shouting faster, faster approprate? We were impressed
  2. Cut up by a chap flying a kite on a surfboard, is it a boat or is it an aircraft?
  3. Waved to a chap on a paddle board two miles offshore, I felt like doing a McEnrow!
Click to expand...

Rowing boat should obey rules but local bylaw may permit rowing clubs for training, they usually would not permit the training vessels support vessel creating the big wake at 8-10 knots.

Kit surfer is the same in my book as a sailing vessel. Aircraft are not connected to the water are they ;-)

Paddle boarder he falls under Rowng boats
 
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