had my first close collision encounter today

oGaryo

oGaryo

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drift fishing with my youngest lad off Calshot this afternoon after a fantastic couple of days with him on the water and spied 'a boat' heading straight for us a few hundred yards off.. sat there for a minute or so expecting him to alter course but ended up having to ask the lad to reel in at the same time as I started the engine to motor off out the way.. passed him on his starboard side to see him with his backside in the air mucking about with something on the cockpit floor and his missus looking down in to the galley area.. they were completely oblivious to the near miss:rolleyes:
 
The 'autopilot' thing is the one thing about boating that really worries me! Even with my limited experience I've spotted a few 'un-helmed' boats - both power and sail where the skipper has been doing something else and is oblivious to surroundings. To me this is akin to hammering down the M5 eating breakfast and reading the paper... :eek:
 
If that is true i would of chased after him and some how stopped the vessel and then knock 10 bails out of his head and body, if my son was with me and that happend i would go mental,:mad: my children are the most precious things to me and nothing will take them away from me with out a last stand fight.:mad::mad:and if they are taken from me, die i will for revenge

I would try and find them, careless b..t..ds
 
sorry guys, irrelevant as to what type of boat really but no, I didn't get his sail number nor report them to VTS... will be more astute in doing so next time.. I did throw my arms in the air as they passed to my port side in a 'wtf' gesture but they weren't looking of course:rolleyes:
 
BrendanS said:
That thought went through my mind too. I'd have hooted horn, called on radio, rather then beat **** out of him though.
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thought of that at the time Brendan but thought the safest option was to high tail it out the way rather than muck about trying to get their attention risking leaving it too late to move
 
5 toots on horn - uncertain of your intent, type of thing...then follow them, and gesticulate rudely. They won't have any idea why you upset though.

Moving was the best idea
 
rbcoomer said:
To me this is akin to hammering down the M5 eating breakfast and reading the paper... :eek:
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Not many boats capable of 70 though :). Also not many boats on autopilot with hundreds of others careering past a foot or two away.

If you were trundling at 5mph across a vast expanse of concrete (airport or something) with very few other vehicles or obstructions around, you might be able to break out the cornflakes and the Times without too much trouble as long as you look around from time to time. That's more like what most boats under autopilot are doing.

Obviously not keeping a lookout in busy areas or when going fast isn't a good idea.

Pete
 
Makes me mad when I read of things like this. All should know the requirement to keep a good lookout at ALL times. Why O why do they not do so ?
 
prv said:
Not many boats capable of 70 though :). Also not many boats on autopilot with hundreds of others careering past a foot or two away.

If you were trundling at 5mph across a vast expanse of concrete (airport or something) with very few other vehicles or obstructions around, you might be able to break out the cornflakes and the Times without too much trouble as long as you look around from time to time. That's more like what most boats under autopilot are doing.

Obviously not keeping a lookout in busy areas or when going fast isn't a good idea.

Pete
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:D Agreed - it was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it does surprise me the number I see who are clearly not paying any attention to where they are going. They're probably not using any kind of autopilot, but that aside, my view is you should really be looking where you're going - if only for pots/debris! The o/p was obviously keeping a good lookout even though he wasn't under way - and a good job too by the sound of it...
 
oGaryo said:
passed him on his starboard side
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Interesting case for yet another colreg debate.
Based on your sentence above, I suppose the runaway boat was approaching you on your stbd side, otherwise by motoring out of the way you should have passed him on his port side, right?
Because if so - and if as I understand you weren't anchored, hence you obviously didn't display an anchor ball - in a case of collision he might have argued that he was the stand-on and you were the give-way vessel...! :eek:

Well done, anyway. :)
 
Assassin said:
Try a flare up the stern next time, that would get their attention.
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A Flare ??? !!!! Far to dangerous as many on here will tell you. Far better to rely on VHF.

.............................................................even if he don't have a radio.
 
MapisM said:
Interesting case for yet another colreg debate.
Based on your sentence above, I suppose the runaway boat was approaching you on your stbd side, otherwise by motoring out of the way you should have passed him on his port side, right?
Because if so - and if as I understand you weren't anchored, hence you obviously didn't display an anchor ball - in a case of collision he might have argued that he was the stand-on and you were the give-way vessel...! :eek:

Well done, anyway. :)
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I wasn't underway mappy, he wasn't under sail (was motoring), I didn't display any fishing markers though but was on lookout whilst Caley was fishing (to spot waves more than anything). I was pointing towards the hamble and he was heading for Hythe.. Maybe I should have displayed something but I don't think it would have made a difference in this instance as he wasn't looking;) 5 hoots on the horn may have got his attention but I wasn't taking any chances and took avoiding action instead. btw, we were well outside the channel, Calshot side of the green channel marker.
 
seen as he was motoring.
next time drag a rope behind your boat,then drop it off in front of them.
as he was'nt looking he wont no it was you..!!
 
oGaryo said:
I wasn't underway mappy, ..., I didn't display any fishing markers though.
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My point exactly: I'm afraid that from a colreg viewpoint you actually were underway.
Or that's what the @rse-in-the-air helmsman could have argued, anyway.
Mind, I'm not defending him at all. Quite the opposite, in fact: I'm just worried that in the event of a collision he might have had some formally correct argument in his favour.
You know, the fact that he wasn't on lookout is much harder to prove than the collision dynamic, if he would have crashed - heaven forbid - his bow against the stbd side of your boat... :(

PS: "mappy", I like that! :)
 
rbcoomer said:
The 'autopilot' thing is the one thing about boating that really worries me! Even with my limited experience I've spotted a few 'un-helmed' boats - both power and sail where the skipper has been doing something else and is oblivious to surroundings. To me this is akin to hammering down the M5 eating breakfast and reading the paper... :eek:
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Silly sod! Hammering down the M5 - at 4-5 kts? Having a speedboat on autohelm & wandering off is a lot different than for a yacht. I often nip below to put the kettle on or use the loo or check a chart. Sometimes I rely on the boat holding her own course, sometimes I use the Autopilot, but I always have a good look around first. Boat might cover a 100m in the time I'm below, if anyone is anywhere near that distance I don't go.

OP shoud have hollered at them, the shock would have taught them to keep a better lookout. But then, anchoring (or drifting) in a channel does put one at risk & the sails can restrict the view a lot.
 
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