Could have happened to anyone?

Some years ago, left Guernsey in the early hours. The Frenchman on the inside of us wanted to catch the tide back to St Malo, so we decided to use that opportunity to complete our passage to Jersey. (We had been intending to catch the evening tide, but since we were awake...)

Once clear of the harbour, sails up, course set, we observed three vertical reds in the distance, off the port bow. We were in a boat, doing boaty things, so the only thing it could be in my mind was a ship - a ship constrained by its draft. A bit strange, I thought. Assuming it was clear of the reefs, it was all pretty deep around there. I just assumed they must have forgotten to turn them off after leaving whichever port it was that they had departed.

An hour later, ship still in roughly the same position (and not appreciably closer).

Then the first light of dawn, and it finally dawned on me. It wasn't a ship, it was the TV transmitter on Jersey's north coast.

(I think there was a similar "Confessional" in one of the recent YMs).
 
A while back I was closing the Cumbrian coast on a very dark night, and could see a single white, followed by a red and a white, moving across my bow. They appeared to be 2 small fast moving boats a considerable way off. Puzzled why they were moving at exactly the same speed, keeping their separation constant, I had a closer squint into the gloom, whereupon I saw the dark bit between them and realized that it wasn't 2 small fast boats a long way off, it was an effing great ship just over there.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
A while back I was closing the Cumbrian coast on a very dark night, and could see a single white, followed by a red and a white, moving across my bow. They appeared to be 2 small fast moving boats a considerable way off. Puzzled why they were moving at exactly the same speed, keeping their separation constant, I had a closer squint into the gloom, whereupon I saw the dark bit between them and realized that it wasn't 2 small fast boats a long way off, it was an effing great ship just over there.
Click to expand...

I had much the same experience as I was entering the river Rother many years ago. Tired and somewhere about 02:00, Those ,who know the Rother, will know how small the entrance is. A small white light seemed to be catching us up very slowly and some distance behind was another vessel. Showing a steaming light and a port hand light. I thought that this was a bit bussy for that hour of the morning. The white light came abeam of us and it was only when Dungerness power station lights went out that I realised that all the lights were linked and It was a bloody great coaster trying to share my bit of water. Evading action put me the wrong side of the timbers and marks at the entrance but it was very high tide and I did not touch anything. For some reason I did not feel tired anymore:eek::D
 
Once when inexperienced with night sailing and deprived of food & sleep, crew & I noted a 'yacht with a white light behind a red spinnaker' approaching; it turned out to be the moon...:rolleyes:
 
I once tacked away from the shore at 3am to avoid an oncoming nuclear power station. :eek: Fortunately it was about 5 miles away and not moving very fast.
 
Seajet said:
Once when inexperienced with night sailing and deprived of food & sleep, crew & I noted a 'yacht with a white light behind a red spinnaker' approaching; it turned out to be the moon
Click to expand...

You don't have to be inexperienced or deprived of anything to be caught out by the Ghostly GiantContainerShip. Alert(-ish) and solidly into a watch system mid-ocean, more than once I've turned round and momentarily panicked to see the steaming light of a huge vessel that wasn't there a few minutes earlier...
 
Quite a few years ago now, I sailed with a pal on his lovely S & S 34 up to Bermuda from St Maarten.
We had a slow passage (11 days for about 900 odd miles) due to light winds, and we only had about 10 gallons of diesel with us, that we were keeping in reserve for 'emergencies'.
Our watch system was a routine of 3 hrs on / 3 hrs off at night, and after arriving in Bermuda and anchoring in the harbour at St Georges, we turned in fairly earlyish.
Four hours later I suddenly woke up wondering whats happening - we were becalmed, not moving.
Looked at my watch, and Dave should have called me an hour ago for my watch.
Where is he?
Jumped out of my bunk to go up for a look around, and as I went up the companionway I saw this huge cruise ship all lit up, bearing down on us from astern.
I realised just in time before shouting for Dave that it was moored alongside the quay, and we were anchored, and Dave was fast asleep in his bunk....... :)
 
It's probably changed a bit now but years ago I remember my fist night arrival into Yarmouth and being thoroughly confused by the changing red/green entrance lights.... only to realise as we got v close they were changing traffic lights.
 
Rob_Webb said:
It's probably changed a bit now but years ago I remember my fist night arrival into Yarmouth and being thoroughly confused by the changing red/green entrance lights.... only to realise as we got v close they were changing traffic lights.
Click to expand...

I had a similar problem at Ramsgate the first time, flashing red lights that turned out to be car brake lights. The traffic lights were mostly obscured by the lights from the funfair. :)
 
I saw a good one, though only a potential 'Gotcha'; off Hayling foreshore a gin palace cam bounding towards me at high speed, and I noticed it was still showing a black ball behind the flying bridge.

I assumed they'd weighed anchor and forgotten to lower the shape; then as it went past I saw it was a satellite TV dish, firmly nailed on...:rolleyes:
 
Long time ago when lenses were still crystals I broke my glasses and I was lended the "new" One Day contact lenses whilst my glasses were repaired.

Driving back home at night I noticed a car reversing but on the opposite side of the road. Then another one and one more with red lights and white "reverse lights" turned on. I thought it odd that there were so many cars all reversing and oriented the wrong way.

I soon realized that my lenses were diffracting the white beam lights into two beams, one red and one white.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

eebygum
What what to do when somebody threatens to cut your rafting lines ?
11 12 13
Replies
244
Views
8K
Fr J Hackett
Fr J Hackett

Share this page

Top