CQS tonight

[Elessar]

Popped to cowes for a curry in a mates 300 hp rib.

Coming back, the owner, a pilot, is general lookout stood behind solitaire at the helm and me on the radar. 2 other pax.

So, narrow channel, cowes ferry to the starboard side, we were abeam of it just outside the main channel, or maybe just in it. We at about 18 knots, good vis and not right outside the channel because of all the unlit ****.

We saw the fastjet coming down channel but assumed he would pass the slow ferry red to red, as he is obliged to pass as close as practical to the starboard side of the channel. But no, he elects to pass the ferry green to green so he is closing on us head on at about 50 knots. We turned to starboard to show him red and he gave us 5 hoots ( well maybe not 5 but he hooted, dont think it was 3 either) and reported us to VTS.!

Guess he thought ribs dont always have a radio! Our feelings were made known. The written report will go in in the morning.

Still a quiver........

 

[Solitaire]

Update! Red jet 5 has reported it to VTS now as "an embarrassing incident"! Downgraded from CQS. I don't think the Red Jet expected the report being filed so quickly. Blatant attempt at intimidation - they picked on the wrong team!

 

[MapisM]

he is obliged to pass as close as practical to the starboard side of the channel

Is he? If so, they should rephrase such obligation, to start with.
If I should have guessed what the rule is based on the AIS track of Red Jet 5, I would have said "wherever they please", rather than "as close as practical to stbd side"....

 

[longjohnsilver]

Update! Red jet 5 has reported it to VTS now as "an embarrassing incident"! Downgraded from CQS. I don't think the Red Jet expected the report being filed so quickly. Blatant attempt at intimidation - they picked on the wrong team!

I've googled and found VTS, but what's CQS. All foreign language for a country bumpkin from the W Country!

However, not a pleasant situation to find yourselves in. I was out on my rib on the Exe last night, luckily not another boat moving. A little different to the Solent..............

 

[Elessar]

I've googled and found VTS, but what's CQS. All foreign language for a country bumpkin from the W Country!

However, not a pleasant situation to find yourselves in. I was out on my rib on the Exe last night, luckily not another boat moving. A little different to the Solent..............

VTSs version of an air "near miss". Close quarters situation report. New one on me too. They took it quite seriously, spoke to us, then redjet, then us on ch 20, a duplex channel so we couldn't hear what jedjet was saying. Took our names phone numbers etc, marked the radar recording so they could view it tomorrow.

There weren't many out in the Solent, all the more reason why the redjet took us by surprise when it went green to green with the car ferry.

 

[superheat6k]

You don't say but I assume you the ferry was to your port side. Had the fastjet reported me in such a manner I would have been livid, and tempted to follow him back to Cowes to discuss the situation further.

I assume you also can make a suitable complaint to VTS ?

 

[Elessar]

You don't say but I assume you the ferry was to your port side. Had the fastjet reported me in such a manner I would have been livid, and tempted to follow him back to Cowes to discuss the situation further.

I assume you also can make a suitable complaint to VTS ?

Yes the ferry was on our port side and we were slowly overhauling it. Complaint made on the phone last night, we spoke to them twice after the ch20 conversations, and written report this morning. VTS exceptionally professional.

Yes we were cross. My view: The red jet made an error, he clearly hadn't seen us when he took the green to green decision. We turned to starboard, the correct action, and he reported us for causing him to crash stop. And 5 hooted.

He had to slow, he had no option as he had a ferry to starboard but we found out later he slowed to 18 knots, hardly a crash stop. Thankfully at least hid did slow and not turn to port, though we did have lots of get out of here power in reserve. Oh and our nav lights were brighter than required by the regs, and fully functioning.

We weren't cross about his error, but about the fact he he tried to blame us! We probably wouldn't have reported the error in isolation, but now we will ensure it is fully reported and investigated. As solitaire says, bad luck red jet you picked on the wrong RIB!

 

[superheat6k]

Just found this guidance note for leisure sailors ...

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/admin/content/files/PDF_Downloads/Yachtsmans-guide-LowRes.pdf

Bit vague about bullies in fastcats !

 

[Solitaire]

I've googled and found VTS, but what's CQS. All foreign language for a country bumpkin from the W Country!

However, not a pleasant situation to find yourselves in. I was out on my rib on the Exe last night, luckily not another boat moving. A little different to the Solent..............

CQS short for "Close Quarter Situation" interesting that in a phone conversation VTS said that the Red Jet had reduced speed to 16 knots and VTS actually stated hardly a "crash stop"

It was just as well I had given considerable space between us and the car ferry on our port side other wise the outcome might have been a bit different. I was just on the edge of the main channel. There are a number of yellow survey buoys outside the channel that are streaming small hand buoys and not well lit and I did not want to foul on the streaming lines.

It was interesting to see the Red Jet cross in front of the car ferry and come down the green to green side of the ferry!

 

[Hurricane]

My experience of VTS is (as you say) - very professional.
When we were running our small cat RTI races, they were extremely helpful - both on the day and with our safety documentation.
More than can be said for the RYA - but thats another story.

 

[Elessar]

Just found this guidance note for leisure sailors ...

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/admin/content/files/PDF_Downloads/Yachtsmans-guide-LowRes.pdf

Bit vague about bullies in fastcats !

Pertinent points are make sure your lights work. Tick. Avoid sailing in the commercial channel and if you do stay on starboard side. Tick.

 

[Cozzy]

Fair play. If it was me in that position I would have assumed I was in the wrong and remained puzzled as to my error :-/
After all he is the pro and should know what he's doing

 

[Elessar]

Fair play. If it was me in that position I would have assumed I was in the wrong and remained puzzled as to my error :-/
After all he is the pro and should know what he's doing

We all make mistakes, even in the things we get paid to do. No problem with that. It was trying to blame us that was his real error.

 

[Steve Clayton]

Had a red jet situation a couple of years ago. Entering Portsmouth whilst RJ departing. RJ wason shore side in small boat channel and holding course as we closed. I turned starboard so we would pass port to port -all good and he then seemed to wake up and realised exactly where he was.
He turned port to cut across me and I had to virtually stop. Once on my starboard side he gunned his engines and we went all over the place in his wash. Called him on 16 - no reply; so purposely on 16 I called him again requesting to speak to Captain Stevie Wonder - no reply. Switched to 14 for VTS to register complaint and completed their paperwork that evening and emailed RJ management of what occurred (and at what time, name of RJ) suggesting their L drivers need further training .

No idea of what the outcome was!

 

[Elessar]

Had a red jet situation a couple of years ago. Entering Portsmouth whilst RJ departing. RJ wason shore side in small boat channel and holding course as we closed. I turned starboard so we would pass port to port -all good and he then seemed to wake up and realised exactly where he was.
He turned port to cut across me and I had to virtually stop. Once on my starboard side he gunned his engines and we went all over the place in his wash. Called him on 16 - no reply; so purposely on 16 I called him again requesting to speak to Captain Stevie Wonder - no reply. Switched to 14 for VTS to register complaint and completed their paperwork that evening and emailed RJ management of what occurred (and at what time, name of RJ) suggesting their L drivers need further training .

No idea of what the outcome was!

Typo on your port of entry!

Call VTS on 12 immediately and they will speak to redjet.

 

[Bazzer]

God forbid a redjet that would actually slow down for another vessel !!!!

 

[prv]

Out of interest, were you listening to Ch12 before the incident and did the Red Jet arrange the green-to-green pass with the ferry? Or just go ahead and do it?

Let us know what the eventual outcome is.

Pete

 

[theoldsalt]

..... cowes ferry to the starboard side, we were abeam of it ..........

............ he elects to pass the ferry green to green so he is closing on us head on at about 50 knots. We turned to starboard to show him red.......

As a casual observer I am confused - could you clarify the situation, please as you description is not clear. Were you passing or overtaking the ferry? If passing (as you state the ferry was to starboard) how could the fastjet turning to port affect you, as the ferry would have been between you and fastjet for you state it passed the ferry green to green.

 

[prv]

..... cowes ferry to the starboard side, we were abeam of it ..........

As a casual observer I am confused - could you clarify the situation, please as you description is not clear. Were you passing or overtaking the ferry? If passing (as you state the ferry was to starboard) how could the fastjet turning to port affect you, as the ferry would have been between you and fastjet for you state it passed the ferry green to green.

You've snipped the crucial bit, and thus misunderstood the situation. Here's the whole sentence:

So, narrow channel, cowes ferry to the starboard side, we were abeam of it just outside the main channel, or maybe just in it

(my emphasis)

The ferry was on the starboard side of the channel, not to Elessar's starboard side.

Pete

 

[jfm]

As a casual observer I am confused - could you clarify the situation, please as you description is not clear. Were you passing or overtaking the ferry? If passing (as you state the ferry was to starboard) how could the fastjet turning to port affect you, as the ferry would have been between you and fastjet for you state it passed the ferry green to green.

When Elessar wrote "cowes ferry to the starboard side..." he meant the ferry was on the starboard side of the channel. The ferry was actually to the port side (abeam) of Elessar's/Solitaire's RIB. The Redjet then was head-on coming towards the RIB once its helmsman had taken the decision to go G-to-G with the ferry

Good going Elessar and Solitaire. It's times like these when you wish you had Kahlenbergs