Giving Way to Ferries, advice please

[ianat182]

Giving way to ferries......

Further to Woozlehunter's comments above .Wherever you are in the Solent and particularly near to the Cowes,Wootton and Lymington and Yarmouth entrances the giving way becomes more complicated by the very strong tidal streams in the main channels when Approaching Prince Consort buoy and exiting or approaching Cowes,Lymington or Yarmouth,particularly on Spring flood and Ebb tides.
The ferry master ,like you ,will have to overstand his objective or rhumbline course in order to 'ferryglide' across the stream. Leaving Cowes for instance on the flood tide the ferry will be motoring a Westerly angle across towards Calshot,on the Ebb the angle will be to the East to allow for the tide. You as a sailing boat will have to also try to do the same in order to make your intended waypoint. As the tidal stream can be as much as 4-5Kts in these areas it is up to you to understand his problem and avoid crossing him.
As mentioned before the most important thing is to be aware, and act earlier rather than Accidents between ferries and yachts are rare, and often caused by inattention of the skippers/crew on yachts to developing situations. Not intended as a preach but friendly advice. Enjoy Cowes!

ianat182

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Suggested alternative course

I will probably be sailing down to Cowes from Chichester and I'm not sure about the the regulations with regard to the commercial ferries that go from Portsmouth to the IoW.

If i'm sailing do I give way to them in open water or do I keep going?

Thanks

From west pole, leave the following to starboard:
Bembridge Ledge ECM
St Cats Light House
Bridge WCM
All Green buoys as far as Gurnard, and the one just off RYS.
Enter the Medina river
Find parking place in Cowes
crack open beer, feeling no stress

 

[jimi]

Count the rivets, mate ;-)

 

[DJE]

The cross channel jobs stick to the buoyed channel and treat it as narrow, LNTM's suggest you should keep clear too!

Oh no they don't! Not once they're past No Mans Land Fort. I've seen them cutting between West Princessa and Bembridge Ledge and charging past St. Helens Fort with their wash breaking in the shallows!

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I'm going to radio the coastguard and tell them my passage plan. is the solent not open water?

Make sure you do a radio check first. Most common practice is direct to Solent CG on CH16.

 

[TamarMike]

But if you see the Waverly heading your way then you should really panic (even in VERY open water). Also I am not sure you're safe even if you're on your mooring, I have seen her crew cutting and dragging some poor souls mooring buoy and tackle out of one of her paddle boxes.

 

[Boomshanka]

Make sure you do a radio check first. Most common practice is direct to Solent CG on CH16.

Especially on a weekend

 

[l'escargot]

Make sure you do a radio check first. Most common practice is direct to Solent CG on CH16.

And it seems also to be local custom to call up Cowes marinas on 16 too.

 

[Refueler]

When you get to Cowes ... don't bother with average mooring places ... there's much better.

Just inside entrance to the right is a concrete block seawall, has nice flagpoles and some 'ornamental' cannons lined up along it. At inside end of it is a nice landing quay - sometimes has a nice marquee over it for visitors, keeps the rain of the hair-do's ...
Tie up there and say Hi ti the toffs who will visit to say 'Hello" !!

Just tell them Refueler said to use ... sure they'll understand !

 

[Moodyjim]

If wun of them girt big b#ggers don't git you thems wash will!!!

 

[bobgarrett]

I think they are all winding you up now. I have sent a PM.

 

[oldharry]

4 basic rules which have kept me afloat in 20 years of sailing up and down Spithead (no - not all the time!)

If there is anything big moving:

1. They are a whole lot bigger than me, so they go first.

2. They are a lot faster than me, so will likely go past sooner than I expect and some of them make very big waves.

3. If they are getting too close, and I want to shift, make a clear course change so they see what I am doing.

4 Dont assume they can/will change course - the OOW may have gone for pee, be talking to his GF/SWMBO on his mobile, or trying to get that darned radar set to settle down... in other words: how do you KNOW they have seen you?

And remember the really big container ships have a blind spot up to half a mile or more ahead of them when loaded.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

4 basic rules which have kept me afloat in 20 years of sailing up and down Spithead (no - not all the time!)

If there is anything big moving:

1. They are a whole lot bigger than me, so they go first.

2. They are a lot faster than me, so will likely go past sooner than I expect and some of them make very big waves.

3. If they are getting too close, and I want to shift, make a clear course change so they see what I am doing.

4 Dont assume they can/will change course - the OOW may have gone for pee, be talking to his GF/SWMBO on his mobile, or trying to get that darned radar set to settle down... in other words: how do you KNOW they have seen you?

And remember the really big container ships have a blind spot up to half a mile or more ahead of them when loaded.

in the Clyde:

5) They are doing the same shortish run zillions of times and are probably bored out of their skulls. Though to give them their due they do avoid yachts.

6) The Waverley is a special case! I reckon that she could give lessons in stealth to the nuclear submarine people, and she's not very manoeuvrable (the paddles are on the same shaft, with no differential!).

But my policy is to avoid them, making my intentions very clear. They are doing a valuable job; I am out to have fun. I can afford to lose 10 minutes without it bothering me very much!

 

[john_morris_uk]

(the paddles are on the same shaft, with no differential!).

As a piece of useless information and thread drift, I believe that it is illegal to build a paddle steamer WITHOUT the paddles being locked together on one shaft. In the early days of paddle steamers, they had some nasty accidents with paddle steamers turning themselves over when they reversed one paddle wheel.

 

[iangrant]

still worried

i'm still a little worried about these ferries trying to run me down, i've heard they do aim at yachts, and weave around and if you change course they get cross

 

[Boomshanka]

i'm still a little worried about these ferries trying to run me down, i've heard they do aim at yachts, and weave around and if you change course they get cross

In the nicest possible way... if you're still worried as you say, are you really capable to undertake that trip?... perhaps you could get a professional instructor to come out for the day on your boat to ease your concerns... it really is money well spent. Good luck.

 

[iangrant]

capable

i've done a bit of sailing, but those ferries are scary, even that big one in cherbourg can have it's moments.

i think i might take someone with more experience if i can find someone but may just chance it

 

[jellyellie]

Sorry, but this is brilliant - it's not a wind up!

I would give you a few tips but they have mostly been covered by previous posters, and I also agree that if you are really as unsure as you say you are, you need to undertake some more training, whether that be a theory course containing colregs and/or practical own-boat instruction.

A tip that wasn't mentioned: look at your charts. Study them closely. Make sure you are aware of things like the Moving Prohibited Zone, which exists around ships over 150m LOA around the marked area in the approach to Southampton Water; small craft under 20m LOA - i.e. YOU - can't come within 1000m ahead of the vessel or 100m on either beam. Things like this may sound daunting at first, but use your charts, almanac, your eyes, watch what ships are doing in the area - from a safe distance! - and you will soon get the hang of it.

Don't chance it. I'm one for the whole 'just get out there and try it' approach, but if you don't even know your basic colregs, well...

And really, suggestions to sail round the back of the IoW to go from Chichester to Cowes?! Seriously???

This is a brilliant thread.

 

[iangrant]

charts

do i need to take paper charts i've got a raymarine r90 (i think that's the number) that shows quite a lot of markers and things, and the entrance to cows

 

[fireball]

I've got a stuffed ships cat you can take ... doesn't worry about anything getting close and calmly sails on ... power does give way to sail see ...
If your quick you can come with us as far as portsmuff 2nite ... we can leave you at the main passage - from then on you're on your own ... we're going into stealth mode to get into Pompey harbour ... hopefully the witelynk will be blinded by the flashing lights from the nightclubs along the seafront and won't see us coming ....