iangrant
Well-Known Member
ah is it ok if they get that close, should I tell someone? do they have that ASI thing so i don't have to worry?
Giving Way to Ferries, advice please
- Thread starter iangrant
- Start date
ah is it ok if they get that close, should I tell someone? do they have that ASI thing so i don't have to worry?
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
I'm not familiar with ASI. Something to do with Artificial Insemination is it? In which case you only need to worry if you spot one of the ferry crew putting on long rubber gloves.
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
Either keep going as they are out to get you whatever you do or play safe and go round the back of the Island.
If you get the chance get down to Lymington and have a play with the new ferries there as well - they are no longer the gentlemen of the Solent they used to be since they have upsized.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
I don't think Ian goes as far as Lymington. Not unless it's as part of a rally.
Giblets
Well-Known Member
Having recently crossed to the Island on the bridge of a Wightlink ferry I was impressed that the skipper, on FIVE seperate occasions, altered course to clear yachts under sail. In mid-Solent they prefer the yachtie to hold his course (if COLREGS dictate) rather than faff about with strange manouveres so the ferry doesn't know what is going on.
BTW they can crash stop in just over their own length if need be (causes a bit of upset with the passengers/chief engineer and much tidying up and mending things afterwards but it can be done!)
BTW they can crash stop in just over their own length if need be (causes a bit of upset with the passengers/chief engineer and much tidying up and mending things afterwards but it can be done!)
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
If it is the ferry out of Portsmouth, they are lost - expect anything.
lw395
Well-Known Member
Around the harbour entrance, you must stay in the small boat channel and out of the main channel. Similarly in Wootton.
North of Spit Bank Fort, they generally use the swashway, and treat this as a narrow channel at its eastern end. At LWS they go around the fort.
In the wider solent, they will tend to go around you, but when there are many yachts about, they may get close to you as they pick their way through. Particularly in the case of the passenger cats, they have an evil wash, so best to try to avoid them.
The cross channel jobs stick to the buoyed channel and treat it as narrow, LNTM's suggest you should keep clear too!
The Hovercraft will go around you, but still best not to alter course into its path as I have seen done!
It's less of a problem than the Red Funnels around Cowes, they tend to appear when you've been fixated by a huge tanker or container vessel!
dt4134
Well-Known Member
iangrant
Well-Known Member
yes i'm looking forward to gaining the confidence to go a little further afield, perhaps a rally is a good suggestion, thank you.
iangrant
Well-Known Member
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Think it's about time you learnt to handle Wightlink and others ! No good throwing things at them and saying - Go away nasty ferry ! 
So if you are asking questions like this - means Strawberry Helm is not avilable anymore ? At least she knew what she was doing !!
I love the reply that reckons ships doing 15 - 20 knots in Solent ... I think VTS would have something to say to any ship doing 20 knots in Solent ....
Having brought ships in big and small to Soton water ... through Solent I seem to remember a speed of max 12kts until reaching the just before turn to enter Soton water ..then it's reduce more. Most Merchant ships pull telegraph back from full sea speed to manouevring speed for any approach to port or such areas as Solent ....
So if you are asking questions like this - means Strawberry Helm is not avilable anymore ? At least she knew what she was doing !!
I love the reply that reckons ships doing 15 - 20 knots in Solent ... I think VTS would have something to say to any ship doing 20 knots in Solent ....
Having brought ships in big and small to Soton water ... through Solent I seem to remember a speed of max 12kts until reaching the just before turn to enter Soton water ..then it's reduce more. Most Merchant ships pull telegraph back from full sea speed to manouevring speed for any approach to port or such areas as Solent ....
iangrant
Well-Known Member
oh my mistake - i think i should have said AIS?
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
Is that open water? I thought it was the Solent
You will be wanting to make a passage plan next
iangrant
Well-Known Member
Think it's about time you learnt to handle Wightlink and others ! No good throwing things at them and saying - Go away nasty ferry !
So if you are asking questions like this - means Strawberry Helm is not avilable anymore ? At least she knew what she was doing !!
I love the reply that reckons ships doing 15 - 20 knots in Solent ... I think VTS would have something to say to any ship doing 20 knots in Solent ....
Having brought ships in big and small to Soton water ... through Solent I seem to remember a speed of max 12kts until reaching the just before turn to enter Soton water ..then it's reduce more. Most Merchant ships pull telegraph back from full sea speed to manouevring speed for any approach to port or such areas as Solent ....
What a worry that ships do 20kts in the solent, what is VTS?
iangrant
Well-Known Member
Is that open water? I thought it was the Solent
You will be wanting to make a passage plan next
I'm going to radio the coastguard and tell them my passage plan. is the solent not open water?
bobgoode
Well-Known Member
In my experience they will give way if you are under sail, but they come pretty close.
It's the big container ships you will need to keep well away from.
It's the big container ships you will need to keep well away from.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Of course its not open water. It's closed at the bottom.
BrendanS
Well-Known Member
I suspect from his question, that Ian has never found the half ton neodymium-iron-boron magnet we hid in his keel
Carribean Blue
Member
VTS-check your Reeds Almanack . When I go out and about in the Solent area the radio is continually scanning ch.12 ,14 ,11 ,67 +16 ie, VTS, Southampton, QHM Portsmouth ...Local vessel information notices,and of course Solent Coastguard. Then we don't get any unwelcome surprises,and if you keep a good look out and have observed the COLREGS you should keep out of trouble.
If there are large vessels in your path, change course, run parallel at a respectable distance, then pass astern .
Only a fool would a expect a bus to give him priority when using a scate board
If there are large vessels in your path, change course, run parallel at a respectable distance, then pass astern .
Only a fool would a expect a bus to give him priority when using a scate board
wooslehunter
Well-Known Member
Simple question with lots of replies. The Solent is not open water. It full of channels. Big jobs like container ships are restricted by their draft & you keep clear. In fact you should be aware of the moving exclusion zone mostly in front of them. Get in between the guard pilot boat & the big job & you will know about it quickly with angry pilots closing on you.
Ferries, coasters & hovercraft should give way to you. But don't put yourself in that position. Give way very early & make it obvious.
Ferries are far more difficult to anticipate as they don't stick to the channels although they will have a defined route. If you can, keep out of their way too. Watch for the hovercraft & fast cat to/from Ryde. Best not to put yourself in any situation where the IRPCS will come into force. Then you need no decisions. Be prepared to give a blip of motor. The ferries between Pompy & Wooton will cut it fine.
Really not as difficult as it may seem though. It's down to picking the right route. Pick you route as far as you can to avoid anything big. Big jobs in/out of Southampton will stay in the channel. So, stay on the edge. IMO, the safest route is to stay south of the channel channel watching out for Ryde Sands. Big jobs will pass north of you. Ferries at Wootton will cross you. Spot if there's one's approaching & if one's in Wootton it will come out. As you pass Ryde, the cat & hover will cross you. Once through the forts, you can cross the channel & then you're save. This way you don't have the confusion of the approach to Pompy.
An alternative I've done many times, is to cross to the north side of the channel & skirt so the south of the Brambles & the Ryde Middle bank. Once past North Sturbridge you can go through the forts or aim for Main Passage through the barrier. This bit is the crazy bit. Once passed the forts , you're OK. Watch out though as vessels bound for Portsmouth will come through the forts & then turn north across you. You won't necessarily know which will & which will continue to Southampton. If you recognise them, cross channel ferry's will turn, cruise liners will not. Just because it's grey, it doesn't meen it's bound for Pompy although probably so. Big jobs will not but smaller coasters may or may not. Best to stay south close to Ryde sand IMO.
So plan you route, keep a good lookout & react as early as possible. 1000s of people do it every day with few problems.
Ferries, coasters & hovercraft should give way to you. But don't put yourself in that position. Give way very early & make it obvious.
Ferries are far more difficult to anticipate as they don't stick to the channels although they will have a defined route. If you can, keep out of their way too. Watch for the hovercraft & fast cat to/from Ryde. Best not to put yourself in any situation where the IRPCS will come into force. Then you need no decisions. Be prepared to give a blip of motor. The ferries between Pompy & Wooton will cut it fine.
Really not as difficult as it may seem though. It's down to picking the right route. Pick you route as far as you can to avoid anything big. Big jobs in/out of Southampton will stay in the channel. So, stay on the edge. IMO, the safest route is to stay south of the channel channel watching out for Ryde Sands. Big jobs will pass north of you. Ferries at Wootton will cross you. Spot if there's one's approaching & if one's in Wootton it will come out. As you pass Ryde, the cat & hover will cross you. Once through the forts, you can cross the channel & then you're save. This way you don't have the confusion of the approach to Pompy.
An alternative I've done many times, is to cross to the north side of the channel & skirt so the south of the Brambles & the Ryde Middle bank. Once past North Sturbridge you can go through the forts or aim for Main Passage through the barrier. This bit is the crazy bit. Once passed the forts , you're OK. Watch out though as vessels bound for Portsmouth will come through the forts & then turn north across you. You won't necessarily know which will & which will continue to Southampton. If you recognise them, cross channel ferry's will turn, cruise liners will not. Just because it's grey, it doesn't meen it's bound for Pompy although probably so. Big jobs will not but smaller coasters may or may not. Best to stay south close to Ryde sand IMO.
So plan you route, keep a good lookout & react as early as possible. 1000s of people do it every day with few problems.
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