Do you drive on the correct side of the river?

[burgundyben]

Why do so many people drive down the river the wrong side? Its seems mobos are worse.

 

[lisilou]

Can't say I've noticed that too often tbh. Perhaps more central than wrong side but that's both sail and mobo.
L

 

[hartcjhart]

Why do so many people drive down the river the wrong side? Its seems mobos are worse.

probably to avoid the 'raggies' weaving side to side

 

[Kawasaki]

probably to avoid the 'raggies' weaving side to side

Our 'river' the Menai Strait has a bit of a narrow bit called 'The Swellies' where peeps have tight cheeks negotiating it sometimes
Sometimes we pass on the 'wrong' side because of the Nature of the Place
Plus the Marina at Port Dinorwic is 'odd' , cos them that are entering have their Berths to Port, so them at are goin out pass starboard to starboard 9 times out of 10, unless I am comin in!!!!

 

[FalconSteve]

I tend to make passage down the center of the marked channel if no one is about. When I first see an approaching vessel I would move towards the starboard side unless the other boat is clearly taking that course.
I always approach navigation with an open mind, working on the basis that there is the right way to share the waterways,but others might not know the ' rules of the road '.

 

[Firefly625]

Why do so many people drive down the river the wrong side? Its seems mobos are worse.

Funny you should say that, last time out in Seabird & returning to our berth a sailing boat approached us at a diagonal course straight across our bow, I could see helmsman was very much involved in other things going on in the cockpit, he looked up as he approached a moored boat where he straightened his course, looked at us as we passed starboard to..,and no, he had no sails up and was motoring.

 

[rafiki_]

My limited time on the Hamble seemed a lot more chaotic than most rivers I have used. Possible because people are busy thinking about what they are going to do once they get to the mouth? Had to take avoiding action last summer when Powerskipper was training on a Fairline

 

[Davegriff]

Normally not particularly fussy when motoring, except if we see a boat approaching from the opposite direction, when we move over to the right. Funnily enough, last year we had two instances of mobos who when we moved over, also moved in the same direction, and insisted on passing s'board to s'board, one actually cutting across our bows to do so. They seemed to me to consider it the proper thing to do! Odd.

As an aside, I believe that Americans, rather oddly, used to drive their boats 'on the left'.

 

[prv]

I tend to make passage down the center of the marked channel if no one is about.

I often favour the windward side if deserted - gives that little bit of extra reaction time if the engine should **** out

Otherwise always pass port to port.

Pete

 

[Wavey]

From our (limited) experience so far this year it seems to be dependant on how wide the river/channel is. In narrow channels people seem to be quite good at obeying the rules. The larger the expanse of water the more likely they are to be all over the place

 

[david_bagshaw]

I have absolutely no choice on the Severn. Have to go where there might be sufficient depth.

 

[burgundyben]

This was a medium size flybridge in Cowes, watched him the length of the fairway from chain ferry to RYS completely on the wrong side. Berk.
Several ribs too.

 

[Searush]

The salesman tells 'em "It's just like driving a car . . ."

 

[colhel]

I had a situation recently where I was on starboard and a boat aproached me on thr wrong side so I moved to port and the boats approaching me moved over to the wrong side to avoid me and it wasn't until the traffic had eased that I could move back to the right side. I could sense the daggers but this could have been because I was the only raggie.

 

[Firefly625]

… I could sense the daggers but this could have been because I was the only raggie.

It may feel like you are the only raggie Colin, but I think there are a couple of others about!

 

[powerskipper]

What would you do if you were reversing up a river.?

 

[lisilou]

Look behind me?

 

[superheat6k]

What would you do if you were reversing up a river.?

The Col Regs do not provide for specific direction relative to the layout of a vessel, so if you are going astern for any distance then you keep your vessel to the right hand side of the channel relative to your direction of motion and pass other vessels on their port side, as now your own vessels sides have effectively changed whilst travelling astern, i.e. your reversed motion is of relevance to you only, you are still as far as other boats are concerned moving forwards. To other vessels you may approach you are a vessel underway moving towards them and you are obliged to obey the Col Regs as duly required, and the onus is very much on you to make sure you do just that, bearing in mind such a motion could easily confuse other water users, in which case you should be prepared to make whatever action is required to avoid a collision, but this is the case anyway.

 

[matm]

I read this last night and had a bit of a think and whether or not I was going to admit the following. Here goes, I'm in a different time zone so all is excused!

Boat in PS and the "river" is not really a river but a navigation across the northern end of Portsmouth Harbour missing a lot of mud banks and obviously when getting to the Tipner ranges making way as I'm "navigating the Portchester Channel [and] are to pass through the area as quickly as possible". Sorry - grammar not good but I can't make the LNM sound much better in context.

Anyhoo, like others, I take the "racing line" from PS to the P-harbour. Depending on traffic, I might be on the wrong side of the channel but never when I get to the harbour proper and am always listening on #11 etc. I think in PS it's a given - Mobos follow the route I'm talking about, Sailey boats do their own thing but we move to the "right" side when necessary. Overtaking on a bank holiday monday before we get to the lock despite the fact a sailey boat is doing 2kn however is a completely different scenario. Obv never done that.

 

[prv]

bearing in mind such a motion could easily confuse other water users, in which case you should be prepared to make whatever action is required to avoid a collision

Including giving three short blasts on your horn, presumably

Pete