Etiquette when following a slow yacht up a channel

EU_Cruiser said:
Okay, so no-one on the yacht is keeping a lookout and no-one is bothered about manning the radio. They deserve what they get - one toot and then pass to starboard or two toots and then pass to port. If they complain about it later just politely point out the error of their ways.
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Failure to monitor a radio in a busy waterway is certainly not the preserve of either yachts or MoBos.
On a recent trip up the Thames ,you are supposed to listen in to CH68 and then CH 14 as you transit the barrier.On several occassions VTS called both motorboats and yachts several times to ask their intentions,the reply was silence.
A couple large sports cruisers were the most obvious offenders.
One could suspect that VTS might get the impression that leisure boats are a blimming pain.
 
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oldgit said:
Failure to monitor a radio in a busy waterway is certainly not the preserve of either yachts or MoBos.
On a recent trip up the Thames ,you are supposed to listen in to CH68 and then CH 14 as you transit the barrier.On several occassions VTS called both motorboats and yachts several times to ask their intentions,the reply was silence.
A couple large sports cruisers were the most obvious offenders.
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I hope you don't just mean listen on CH14! I'm sure you advise London VTS at Margaretness your position and also when you have the barrier in sight.:)
 
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salar said:
Was talking about Southsea actually, which has a winding and very narrow channel so overtaking would have to be done on the few straight sections and passing very close. Not really an option! I just wish that yachts would go at least 3.5 knots, the speed limit is 5 knots after all...
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Ah, OK, TBH I thought it sounded odd, I never seem to have an issue with slow yachts on the Hamble, in fact quite the reverse> All the yachts on the Hamble seem to travel flat out down the river, especially the weekend racer boats heading back to Port Hamble, I always think the faster they travel down the Hamble denotes how badly they performed in their race...

Southsea is quite a small marina so traffic nothing like the Hamble, so my recommendations stand. Just be patient and give space before heading down the channel.
 
dom said:
Well I never. I always thought you lot -- what with your bow + stern thrusters, two engines, vectoring propellers and joystick controls -- would simply execute a couple of perfectly timed Come Dancing pirouettes around the slow yotty before sliding gracefully into your berth and bowing deeply to the now cheering crowd :D
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Contrary to popular belief most of us Motor boaters want to do the right thing and live in harmony with our fellow mariners. Yes I've been accused of stealing somebody's wind well restricted by depth in a channel but I was not displaying the correct signals so just waved back cheerily :)
 
sunquest said:
I hope you don't just mean listen on CH14! I'm sure you advise London VTS at Margaretness your position and also when you have the barrier in sight.:)
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100%
They now prefer that you call only when you actually have barrier in sight, normally we give them a shout once past Woolwich Ferry.
 
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Firefly625 said:
Ah, OK, TBH I thought it sounded odd, I never seem to have an issue with slow yachts on the Hamble, in fact quite the reverse> All the yachts on the Hamble seem to travel flat out down the river, especially the weekend racer boats heading back to Port Hamble, I always think the faster they travel down the Hamble denotes how badly they performed in their race...
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Quite possibly.

This is the reason why I started a .how slow can you go' thread. I can't go less than 5.7 knots without going in and out of gear all the time.
 
About 4.5 kts here at idle on both engines, or a bit less than 4kts on just one, but it doesn't exactly steer well on just one: it's like driving a car with one flat front tyre.

The wake at idle speed would barely make a duck wobble.
 
Just pass them , my in gear idle speed is 6.5 knots , about bang on for the hamble , I can't slow it any more , I can't do one engine either without a lot of rudder angle which still gives 5.5 knots on one engine .
 
Firefly625 said:
I think that's the problem, you've fine tuned them too much! 6.5knot idle speed, that's impressive!

I think after Ben's thread about how slow can you go, we need to start another, fastest idle speed recorded... as my idle speed is 2 knots I'm not in contention, you might be though.
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Every time I go past a certain boatyard on the upper hamble they shout slow down!! NOWAY I'm attempting the bridge on one engine! Wash isn't bad.
 
volvopaul said:
Every time I go past a certain boatyard on the upper hamble they shout slow down!! NOWAY I'm attempting the bridge on one engine! Wash isn't bad.
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Not the old: give it the beans to dip the rear end to get under Bursledon Bridge, I trust.
 
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