Etiquette

[TonyS]

Heard in the capitainery in Cherbourg a skipper describing how on the edge of the shipping lane he caught a long piece of netting on his prop. He spent several minutes with his rope cutter in forward and reverse and eventually it was cut free. Two days later on our return to Yarmouth we heard on the VHF a yacht with a long net caught on the prop. They were also on the edge of the shipping lane. Could have been the same bit of netting. Eventually, after other boats had tried to help, he had to call the French coastguards who sent a diver to free it.
If you get free of a net should you:-
1. try to pick it up or tow it to land where it can be disposed of.
2. tie a fender to it and warn the coast guard that it is there.
3. or leave it for the next unfortunate soul
What is the correct action in this situation?
Tony

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[bob_tyler]

Re: Etiquette and Fishing Net

So much depends on the circumstances.

Years ago, halfway accross Lyme Bay in a flat calm I got a net round my prop (no cutters then nor did I have a VHF radio. That would have been very unusual in a 24ft sailing yacht. The net stretched as far as I could see and there was no way I could have heaved it on board, it would probably have sunk me.

I managed to cut it free at the transom and haul most of the remains, still round my prop, and secure it to a cleat.

I then motored into Lyme Regis by lashing my inflatable alongside and using my 1 1/2hp Seagull. I had to keep it running as it would never start when hot so refuelled carefully and regularly under way.

It took me about 12 hours at about 1/2 kt. If I had tried to tow the whole net I reckon I would still be out there!

A photo of my entangled prop later appeared as the front cover pic on PBO. I didn't keep a copy. It was about 1970. If anyone has one I would love to receive it.

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[nicho]

Personally, I would go for option 2 - it would cost me a fender, but that would be worth it, in my view, to save another poor unfortunate suffering the same fate. Having done so, a call to the CG with a position and time for the offending object would also be in order I think. I guess this would really only apply to a very large piece of netting - it would get very expensive to use a fender for every bit of disposed rubbish seen!!

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[Twister_Ken]

Netiquette

May I advise in favour of your proposed fendering initiatiive. The are many sailors, a few of then Scuttlebutters, who would gladly sail 10 miles upwind in a F7 for the chance of 'winning' a free fender. And there they all would be, moored by their stern gear while Nicho Diving Services was negotiating a quantity discount to cut them free.

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