Crossing Shipping Lanes (again)

[Yealm]

Apologies, I think this has been gone over before... but I'm still not clear what the best set of practical rules are for stress free crossing...

Imagine motoring in your sailing boat from UK to France (outside the TSS) crossing first the westbound and then the eastbound shipping lane.

1) Westbound lane
As the ship approaches to your port, you are the stand on vessel - so do you confidently maintain speed and course so as not to cause confusion and assume the ship will keep out of your way ? Or in practice, is it much more ambiguous and confusing ?

2) Eastbound lane
Here the ship approaching to your starboard has right of way. What do you do to avoid collision ?

a) Turn to starboard and and go parallel to him in the opposite direction, until he has passed ?
b) Turn to starboard and head for his stern, keeping aim at his stern by gradually changing course to port until he has passed ?
c) Turn to port and go parallel to him in the same direction, until he has passed ?
d) Maintain course but reduce speed ?


And if you are sailing, how does that change things ?

Thanks !

 

[RupertW]

The practical answer is you are little they are big, you should.cross as close as practical to right angles and make clear manoeuvres to keep out of their way

 

[BoyBlue49]

Rule 1. Never impede a commercial vessel .

 

[{151760}]

No. 2 is easy, any of the options you mention will work.
The first one, though is a bit more complicated. In theory you should stand on, but there comes a point when if the give-way vessel has not changed course appreciably, not only is it wise, but you have an obligation to avoid a collision. You should always alter course to starboard by an appreciable amount. Slowing down, or heaving-to may work too. The distance at which a ship on a collision course becomes a collision situation is often the bone of contention. I used to think that two miles was acceptable, but now I believe that three miles is a more sensible distance. At that point I am quite happy to alter course to ensure that I pass behind it. A ship will cover that distance very quickly. I'm now going to put my steel helmet on in anticipation of strong replies...

 

[East Cardinal]

No. 2 is easy, any of the options you mention will work.
The first one, though is a bit more complicated. In theory you should stand on, but there comes a point when if the give-way vessel has not changed course appreciably, not only is it wise, but you have an obligation to avoid a collision. You should always alter course to starboard by an appreciable amount. Slowing down, or heaving-to may work too. The distance at which a ship on a collision course becomes a collision situation is often the bone of contention. I used to think that two miles was acceptable, but now I believe that three miles is a more sensible distance. At that point I am quite happy to alter course to ensure that I pass behind it. A ship will cover that distance very quickly. I'm now going to put my steel helmet on in anticipation of strong replies...

2(c) is against colregs

 

[{151760}]

2(c) is against colregs

Yes. I didn't read it thoroughly enough.

 

[johnalison]

It is surprising how seldom problems actually arise. My actions would be similar in both cases initially, since ships will often contrive to avoid yachts from some distance away, and an early change of course will simply confuse matters. I have heard a ship's officer with a very English voice giving a couple of yachts a right telling-off for altering course when they were expected to stand on. If required to alter course, the distance depending on various factors, my action will almost always be a major course change to pass astern of the ship, with sufficient change to make the appearance of my boat recognisably different.

 

[Prasutigus]

Greetings,
the OP writes 'outside the TSS', and 'motoring'.
The Rules are crystal clear.

 

[Prasutigus]

The practical answer is you are little they are big, you should.cross as close as practical to right angles and make clear manoeuvres to keep out of their way

Total and utter cojones, he's a PDV, outside a TSS. Read the Rules.

 

[Prasutigus]

Rule 1. Never impede a commercial vessel .

He's not in a TSS.

 

[Prasutigus]

It is surprising how seldom problems actually arise. My actions would be similar in both cases initially, since ships will often contrive to avoid yachts from some distance away, and an early change of course will simply confuse matters. I have heard a ship's officer with a very English voice giving a couple of yachts a right telling-off for altering course when they were expected to stand on. If required to alter course, the distance depending on various factors, my action will almost always be a major course change to pass astern of the ship, with sufficient change to make the appearance of my boat recognisably different.

Yes... to sum it up, read the Book and don't faff about.

 

[Yealm]

2(c) is against colregs

I guess going behind is the safest way to avoid hitting that particular ship. The trouble is that it puts you closer to the next ship coming along !

 

[East Cardinal]

Yes. I didn't read it thoroughly enough.

Pressed reply on previous post before finished typing. StormNorm has it right except you should not alter course to port for a vessel on your starboard side.

When you are the “stand on vessel” you should keep your course and speed. The give way vessel must take action to avoid a collision and again StormNorn explains well.

Do not get confused when in a TSS. The rules on giving way are the same.
The point about crossing is to keep the boat heading at right angles to the scheme. This is not tracking over the ground at right angles it is pointing the boat at 90 deg to the direction of the scheme so that vessels in the lanes see you beam on.

 

[East Cardinal]

Rule 1. Never impede a commercial vessel .

Why do you say that?

 

[Prasutigus]

2(c) is against colregs

Greetings, you can if you need to:

17, (c), "IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE ADMIT, not alter course to port for a vessel on her own port side."
My capitalisation.

 

[[3889]]

Rule 1. Never impede a commercial vessel .

Absolutely. Which is why you should stop unexpectedly on roundabouts when an artic approaches from your left. How could that cause a problem? It's not as though the colregs have been drawn up up by people who, between them, have thousands of years experience of marine navigation, so why not make up your own rules to which no one else is privy?

 

[East Cardinal]

Greetings, you can if you need to:

17, (c), "IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE ADMIT, not alter course to port for a vessel on her own port side."
My capitalisation.

Very true. But the vessels are on the starboard side in this particular scenario. An alteration to port should be avoided. Turning to starboard or slowing down would be acceptable.

 

[Robin]

Greetings,
the OP writes 'outside the TSS', and 'motoring'.
The Rules are crystal clear.

Yep and refined and tested over years and years despite the best intentions of the 'rabbit in headlights' WAFIs and MAFIs.

I guess it is the trolling season.

 

[{151760}]

I guess going behind is the safest way to avoid hitting that particular ship. The trouble is that it puts you closer to the next ship coming along !

The Colregs still apply. You must shape a course to avoid the next ship too. As said above, it's normally fairly easy. On one occasion I've had to avoid a convoy/cluster of six ships. It cost me no more than half-an-hour.

 

[Prasutigus]

Very true. But the vessels are on the starboard side in this particular scenario. An alteration to port should be avoided. Turning to starboard or slowing down would be acceptable.

Well the OP mentions crossing the 'eastbound lane' and the 'westbound lane'..
Anyway it's time for my tablets... NURSE!