Do you use Waypoints.

[prv]

I think that is where the difference lies between countries. For example, in my country (Malta) it is illegal for a vessel to venture outside of territorial waters (12 NM) unless she is registered under the Register of Shipping and, therefore, wearing the Valletta flag. This means that my boat, a 10metre sailing vessel is considered, for legal purposes, as a 'ship'

In the UK we are not required to register leisure vessels, but it's strongly recommended if travelling to another country because said country may be confused or worried by the idea of an unregistered vessel. Practically everyone who travels abroad registers, and so do quite a few who stay in the UK because basic registration is easy and cheap (fill in an online form and pay £25).

This makes our boats legally British Ships, but that doesn't mean we are subject to lots of inappropriate regulations. Almost every piece of legislation that would apply has an exemption for non-commercial vessels under a certain length (24m marks a big jump in regulation, hence a lot of big motorboats are just under that). Ensuring that such exemptions get into the legislation, when everyone drafting it is thinking of commercial shipping, is arguably one of the most important functions of the RYA.

There is very little national legislation that applies to a private individual sailing a normal-sized leisure boat in UK waters - the ones I can think of off-hand are:

Colregs
Wireless Telegraphy Act for stuff to do with radios
Non-exempted bits of SOLAS V:

Must have a radar reflector "if practicable" (assumed to be practicable on anything bigger than a dinghy)
Must have a passage plan (necessary level of detail has not yet been tested in court AFAIK; RYA advice is that for leisure boats it need not be in writing)
Must not make false distress signals
Must respond to distress signals received
Must report dangers to navigation if found
Must carry an official list of lifesaving signals (somewhat pointless, but printed on the backs of charts and in various publications, so most people comply even if not aware)
​

There may be some new environmental / conservation stuff come in recently or in the near future. I know that laying moorings etc is now much more bureaucratic than it used to be. Plus in and near harbours there will be local byelaws, VTS regulations, etc so that the harbour can operate efficiently.

Pete

 

[elton]

The first time I sailed to a destination, rather than around in circles, I carefully studied the chart, and plotted a course to a little anchorage just inside Teesmouth. The chard showed a nasty long reef just below the surface a couple of hours before and after high water, so my course avoided that, and was outside the shipping lane.

I carefully followed my plotted course, but I couldn't recognise anything in sight that looked like the chart. So I gave up navigating, and headed straight for the anchorage.

Later, I realised I'd sailed straight over the reef, and it was pure luck I didn't rip my keels off.

Lesson learned.

 

[johnalison]

yes and i place a waypoint at the entrance to say cherbourg - so apart from me getting where i want it has no effect on the tide
in advance i work out a course to steer which will take into account the total tidal offsets for the trip and it everything works out to my calculations i arrive at the waypoint
so as i said all depends on where you put the waypoints - if i had also placed 1 at mid channel i would be needlessly battling the tide all the way and who in their right mind would want to do that - so what is the problem with waypoints it is only a name for a particular point on a chart that you either want to navigate too or via - it don't matter how you do the navigation or what you call it we ALL use those points

Something like this I suppose. My waypoints here would have been one near the north of Guernsey and one at the entrance to Dartmouth. My end of trip correction can be seen where I head for the waypoint instead of following my compass course.

 

[Boathook]

I have waypoints at critical 'areas' such as harbour entrances. I still have to navigate to them and allow for tide etc but they do help and sometimes the tide makes no difference (not often though). I don't sail waypoint to waypoint and the autopilot is a get on course and push the on button to keep the boat on the desired course as seen by the fluxgate compass.

 

[LadyInBed]

When I used to dive, WP was Wreck Position
On DECCA I used to store and record them which carried over into sailing, stored and recorded once I had been there, same with GPS.
Now with a Chart Plotter its all changed, WP's are put in on the fly as and when necessary, never stored and as said previously used to give TTG, Distance and a course for the Autohelm to follow.

 

[KellysEye]

>Try crossing the Thames heading from Burnham on Crouch to the Solent without them we had 34 waypoints needed to avoid mud and sand banks. On the Atlantic crossing we had three.
I'd argue with your use if the word 'needed'.

>>I've sailed around the Thames Estuary since the late 50's, and like generations of seamen before me, have managed with no electronic waypoints at all.

I wasn't sailing around the Thames estuary I was on passage from Burnham on Crouch to the Solent thus way points are needed for the mud banks in and outside the River Crouch, the multiple mud banks across the Thames to Dover, the Gooodwin sands, headlands on the way, the reef off the Solent, the mud banks in the Solent and the entrance to Portsmouth harbour.

 

[sailorman]

One of my Belgian trips with the wp on the Pr Hd & the curved course allowing for the tide

 

[Ravi]

The first time I sailed to a destination, rather than around in circles, I carefully studied the chart, and plotted a course to a little anchorage just inside Teesmouth. The chard showed a nasty long reef just below the surface a couple of hours before and after high water, so my course avoided that, and was outside the shipping lane.

I carefully followed my plotted course, but I couldn't recognise anything in sight that looked like the chart. So I gave up navigating, and headed straight for the anchorage.

Later, I realised I'd sailed straight over the reef, and it was pure luck I didn't rip my keels off.

Lesson learned.

If it is the scar that I think you mean, then you are a lucky man!