Colregs - Motor Sailing Cone

[bedouin]

The problem is that it does take some time and effort to hoist the cone.

I never hoist the cone to go through the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour because there is too much traffic there for it to be safe to leave the tiller for long enough to hoist it

 

[Goldie]

I too was out in the Solent - motoring with a cone up /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif - on Sunday and I think I must have seen 4 or 5 others. One had no sails up anyway and another cone was upside down......

I've yet to see another cone in Portsmouth Hr and that's somewhere where it would be beneficial - pity the Gosport ferry trying to work out who's actually sailing and who's not. Maybe a few words from the Hr Patrol might help? (Along with ensuring that the illiterate pass the piles on the correct side!!!).

 

[DJE]

Not sure how relevant a cone is in the Portsmouth small boat channel where motoring is mandatory.

Let's have a Scuttlebutt "Black Cone Day" and see if we can make a difference.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Goldie]

But the Gosport ferry operates to the north of the end of the small boat channel doesn't it? Consequently, many reach Ballast Pile (some even pass it on the correct side /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif) and turn their engines off quite legally.

 

[Blue5]

I think we are all guilty of it at times, perhaps should start a campaign to "Save the cone as an endangered species" /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[DJE]

You're right the compulsory engine bit ends at ballast pile but you usually can't sail sensibly until you get North of the oil fuel jetty. The Gosport Ferry is between the two.

 

[fisherman]

Last summer I was shooting a string of pots, fishing signal up, and found a gaff rigger getting in the way. Well it was very light winds, and he had every stitch up, so I had to assume he might just be ghosting along under sail and would therefore have difficulty avoiding me. I end up with a string of pots not where they should be, and find as I turn he's under power as well. That's when I need you to fly a cone, and acknowledge basic colregs. I once had to come to a dead stop with gear still going over the side as a Dutchman crossed my bow, port to stbd, motoring, no sails up. He had come across the pond, so no slouch. And before you all start, yes my fishing signal is up all the time, but I always give way obviously and in good time if free to do so, or take it down.
Cue stories about fishermen behaving badly.
I'm not getting at you particularly, I get many more problems with commercial traffic, just bad practice/seamanship on all sides. A fisherman who had been working amongst shipping for years said to me: "What is the rule of the road out there?"

 

[Thistle]

[ QUOTE ]
I saw a yacht once with a black clew triangle to his roller genoa, so unfurling it a couple of feet showed a black cone, seemed like a good idea but isn't visible from ahead or astern maybe.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the thinking here even if it doesn't quite meet the requirements of the ColRegs (a triangle, not a cone) and there could be confusion with dark coloured UV strips. I guess many of us would be happy to display a cone more often if it was easier to do. Any others out there with ideas as to how this ease of use could be achieved?

 

[Goldie]

Ah sailing sensibly, now nobody mentioned anything about THAT! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Sgeir]

A smug git writes...

If you stow the cone in the cockpit with the appropriate bit of string (we keep losing the right piece of string /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif), it's no great hassle to show the cone.

We're not strictly observant in its use, and wouldn't bother footering about with it when using the engine and sail to leave a harbour etc. But for longer passages in light winds, yes, we usually do. Personally I think it makes sense to be clear about what you're doing.

As for using the engine with a fully hoisted set of sails, this seems to be becoming common practice, even in good winds. We noticed this recently in the Sound of Mull, and surmised that they were all in a hurry to grab the moorings or the pontoons at Tobermory. Sure enough, when we arrived there later, all the engined boats were tied up alongside or attached to the visitors' moorings.

The difference was, we'd had a great day's sailing without the engine. Don't understand it.....

 

[Sans Bateau]

The use of a cone would not help you here. The skipper in both cases should have given way. They should know the rules.

On several occasions in the Solent and Chi harbour I have given way to a yacht on a Stb tack to find as they pass the engine is running. Strangely in nearly every case that I can recall, the boat has been an older (MAB) the crew and skipper have been 'mature' (read should have known better) and there was no acknowledgement of thanks. Ignorant of what they were doing, ignorant of the rules (I doubt) or just ignorant?

 

[fireball]

or just IanGrant ??! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[fisherman]

Re: A smug git writes...

What if you have a pipe socket on the transom, into which you drop a boathook/small spar/piece of plastic sink waste pipe, with a folding cone attached? With plastic pipe you could cut slots to slip the cone in, and have a lanyard securing it down to the base. Come to that, could it go on the backstay? More visible in either case.

 

[fisherman]

[ QUOTE ]
The fact that I tried four chandleries before I could find one to buy says something.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's one, £6.10p
http://www.bosunslockerchandlery.co.uk/default.aspx?ItemID=PL39552&CategoryID=12080

 

[shmoo]

Re: A smug git writes...

[ QUOTE ]

Come to that, could it go on the backstay? More visible in either case.


[/ QUOTE ]

What a good idea. Its accessible there too.

 

[bedouin]

Re: A smug git writes...

[ QUOTE ]
could it go on the backstay? More visible in either case.

[/ QUOTE ]

Regulations says it goes in the fore triangle

 

[shmoo]

Re: A smug git writes...

[ QUOTE ]

Quote:
could it go on the backstay? More visible in either case.



Regulations says it goes in the fore triangle


[/ QUOTE ]

Of course they do: damn!

 

[fireball]

Re: A smug git writes...

you could always motor backwards ... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Victorious]

[ QUOTE ]
to find as they pass the engine is running. Strangely in nearly every case that I can recall, the boat has been an older (MAB) the crew and skipper have been 'mature' ....

[/ QUOTE ]

I quite often keep the engine running whilst in congested waters.. Cos the boat can be a tad sluggish to tack if i need to avoid a collision (regardless of who,s got rights.. port and stb etc etc.
But i dont consider "having an internal combustion engine running" to be quite the same thing as "mechanically propelled"

So... If i have an engine running ...do peeps consider that i have the right to call stb?.. or not?

 

[Sans Bateau]

The cases that I refer to were not in particularly congested waters, but that's relative as all the Solent could be classed as congested.

With what you say that you have the engine running 'just in case' makes it very difficult for others. At what point are you a sailing vessel and when are you a motor vessel? How do we tell?