Geaographic scope

[tony_brighton]

Is this limited to the UK???

Wrapped a pot around the keel off St Vaast during the RORC race this year.

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[hlb]

Well I got tangled up in Greece a couple of times but. Even though Kim is very good and does his best. Bless him. I dont think he has time to take on the Greek Governement at this moment in time. Letts see how he goes on round here. Before we send him international!!

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[Escapeii]

Rightly or wrongly I have similar feelings for fishing boats as I do for taxis.
Internationally most taxi drivers seem to believe they should have exclusive rights to the highways and any other users are just amateurs blocking their way.
The crews of most fishing boats seem to hold similar views of other users of the seas, especially yachtsmen.

Over the years and in various European waters I have had to take avoiding action with fishing vessels who were clearly not fishing and equally clearly were not the stand on vessel. On one occasion in Cardigan Bay the reason became clear as the stern of the boat came into view. The wheel house was empty and entire crew were gutting fish on the aft deck. No one had seen us!

They overtake yachts at uncomfortably close quarters. Something you do not see them do to supertankers or other larger vessels.

In my experience British fishing boats do tend to respect the regulations when it comes to showing lights. Last year I was horrified by the large majority of Spanish fishing boats showing either the wrong lights or no lights.

As for their use of VHF, well that just beggars belief.

Their misdemeanors not only affect yotties, but other fisherman too.
As a teenager I once spent a miserable day searching rocky coves on the Scottish west coast for survivors/bodies of a collision between two fishing boats. The crew of the offending boat were drunk and below deck at the time of the collision. So drunk that it was only later when their own boat began to sink that they realised something was wrong.

Of course there are exceptions, and I am sure there are many who behave in a professional manner at sea.

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[tcm]

Well, I had a rope around my prop in the British Virgin Islands. I bet RYA mite have some sway there, no? I think Kim shd go and check it out, I would. I mUst say I am sick of floating bits of rope and it all be banned. The rope in question was from the dinghy I was towing, and I reversed over it when anchoring, if that helps.

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[kimhollamby]

What would be helpful

It would be helpful if we could get more of a feel for the ways in which fishing marker incidents balance up overseas against UK waters.

For example, hardly overseas but I remember being very impressed in Braye Harbour Alderney quite a few years back when a local fisherman explained that, although he used polyprop it was weighted by lead and its spare length did not float on the surface at low water. Think the view expressed was that CI fishermen had self interest in minimising the risk as the potential for a snag causing a pretty ugly incident was that much greater again.

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[tcm]

Re: ok, seriously

Every Single fishing pot marker/whatever in western med I have come across has shown up on radar. Spain france, corsica all the same. They all have radar reflectors. The fishing boats have a stack of them which you can see in harbour- all the raflectors. I think that would pretty much sort it in uk.

Admittedly tho, there aren't as many, prhaps cos they are forced to have radar refelectors - and not little hiding-behind- the-waves ones either - these float with submerged counterweight somehow so they are 2metres high in the water. I felt safer coming into antibes at planing speeds in the dark than I would do in daylight in west country

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[tony_brighton]

Re: ok, seriously

Last time I did any sailing in the med the nets were all lit - never seen a lit net in the UK

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[davel]

Had one in Thailand last year. Polycontainer type that had a flag attached at some point (most do in the area) but had lost it (v. strong swell which made going over the side to free it a bit hairy - fortunately SWMBO didn't object).

Strongly agree with tcm about need for independant verification of these posts. I suggest he verifies my claim whilst I verify his. Kim, can you please arrange flights, charters and suncream.

<hr width=100% size=1>Dave L.

 

[zephyrsailor]

i have trouble with nets/pots in biscay. not caught one yet but i'm sure it's just a matter of time! round la rochelle is bad. all black flags. also encontered a lone persaine fisherman couldn't spot his partner anywhere tryed to get him on vhf with no success. fortunatly for me he wasn't as i suspected pursaine fishing, just showing the wrong lights. not had a problem with fishing boats over here, but some of the pots are badly marked. the local diver seems to make a living untangleing them from boats in the marina after they've limped home.

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[alant]

All the way down the Spanish/Portugese coasts from La Coruna to Tarifa, is like a minefield, particularly close to most harbours.

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