Heard on the Solent on Sunday

[aviator]

On Channel 16 in Colonel Blimp type voice, you know the sort of thing you hear at boat shows and air shows.

'Very large tanker in Solent. Very large tanker in Solent. You are going too fast. Slow down urgently. Very dangerous wash, I repeat very dangerous wash'.

There was no reply needless to say.

 

[Powersalt]

He was most likley aground on the brambles bank, and was watching the tankers bow wave heading for him????? Ready for a quick lift up and then ...............................

 

[[2068]]

I've recently had wake from a tanker that had us listing beyond 45 degrees, and up and down about 8 feet or so.

It was great fun: the 5 year old thought it was fantastic.

More seriously, it's not an issue if you slow down and slice it at 45', but if you weren't paying attention, hitting that on a calm day at 24kts could do a bit more than spill the G&T. It's especially a bit scary near where the water shoals: we got hit near Ryde Sands...

 

[epervier]

On Channel 16 in Colonel Blimp type voice, you know the sort of thing you hear at boat shows and air shows.

'Very large tanker in Solent. Very large tanker in Solent. You are going too fast. Slow down urgently. Very dangerous wash, I repeat very dangerous wash'.

There was no reply needless to say.

Must confess I heard that shout, and dismissed it as an idiot, afaik there are no speed limits in the solent, also we tend to forget that Southampton is one of the busiest ports in the uk, merchant shipping have priority over leisure craft at all times, it still amazes me the amount of leisure craft that cross the bows of a zillion ton vessel, and are surprized when they get 5 blasts.

 

[nonitoo]

Thought these might be of interest, the first two are from the bridge of a VLCC (300.000 tonnes) and the second two from a container ship's bridge.

Gives you an idea of just what you can and cannot see.

Cross close ahead - not on your life.

Tom

 

[l'escargot]

Must confess I heard that shout, and dismissed it as an idiot, afaik there are no speed limits in the solent, also we tend to forget that Southampton is one of the busiest ports in the uk, merchant shipping have priority over leisure craft at all times, it still amazes me the amount of leisure craft that cross the bows of a zillion ton vessel, and are surprized when they get 5 blasts.

ignoring the rather silly radio transmission, you are actually wrong on both counts. There are various speed limits in different parts of the Solent dependant on which authority they come under. Merchant shipping does not have priority over leisure craft at all times in the Solent - there is the "Area of concern" off Cowes and into Souhampton water and certain restrictions in various harbours, otherwise Colregs apply which make no differentiation between commercial and leisure users. Perhaps you need to have a look at some charts and LNTM,

 

[epervier]

ignoring the rather silly radio transmission, you are actually wrong on both counts. There are various speed limits in different parts of the Solent dependant on which authority they come under. Merchant shipping does not have priority over leisure craft at all times in the Solent - there is the "Area of concern" off Cowes and into Souhampton water and certain restrictions in various harbours, otherwise Colregs apply which make no differentiation between commercial and leisure users. Perhaps you need to have a look at some charts and LNTM,

OK, I was generalising as regards this non indecent, but to be more specific about time and place, some 5 mins after the radio call the container ship came into my view, me being sat on my mooring between Ashlett creek and Calshot spit, from where I can see over the spit and view ships coming past calshot beach, therefore, I assumed the ship did a hard stb turn into the thorn channel, which is a precautionary area, according to AC 2036 and 2045 and states "vessels under 20m are prohibited from entering this zone" again I assumed if it were a sub 20m yacht, motor or sail, it shouldn't have been there, add to this, there was probably a pilot from Southampton on board, navigating this huge steel box from the other side of the world, I assumed, again, that he would be in full control and well versed in whats right and wrong, after all he does it all day every day. But maybe I made too many assumptions.

As regards the speeds, again, generalising, in the main, I can open my throttles to max starting from Hythe ferry terminal and go as fast as I like right through to and past the needles. yes there are speed limits off of beaches, river entrances, etc.etc.

And lets face it, what kind of person wants to take on a container ship? common sense tells you to get out of the way.

 

[nonitoo]

And lets face it, what kind of person wants to take on a container ship? common sense tells you to get out of the way.

There are a few who seem to want to do just that, I have seen them on many occasions over the years. I cannot imagine what gets into them, they seem intent in instigating a confrontation where there is no need other than pure pig-headedness on their part.

Off Southend, I have had a motor cruiser cross my bow from starboard to port, be washed off on the bow wave and drift down the just clear of the port side of the 20,000 tonne container ship, the crew having hysterics. This all on a sunny summer's afternoon in perfect visibility. He totally ignored all my attempts to contact him or respond to my sound signals.

He totally failed to understand what a ship doing 18 knots is able to do and, more importantly, not able to do.

It may have spoiled his afternoon but it did nothing for my day either.

What many recreational boaters fail to realise is that in many cases the commercial vessel is operating to tight operational limits and constrained by draught and tide. Not only are these vessels covered by the colregs but there are often local by-laws that reinforce these.

I have little patience with any buffoon who tries his luck based on some highly personal interpretation of the Colregs.

Tom

 

[aviator]

ignoring the rather silly radio transmission, ,

Hmm.

If you had been out in the area you would have heard Maydays in operations as an additional local concern. So the 'silly transmission' was using Ch 16 when other stuff was going on and in any case, as has been pointed out, should have avoided rather large and unwieldy bits of kit which just cannot 'slow down' instantly.

 

[l'escargot]

Hmm.

If you had been out in the area you would have heard Maydays in operations as an additional local concern. So the 'silly transmission' was using Ch 16 when other stuff was going on and in any case, as has been pointed out, should have avoided rather large and unwieldy bits of kit which just cannot 'slow down' instantly.

What's your point? Yes the transmission was silly and uneccesary and I was ignoring it so that no one would think I was in any way supporting it when I was raising the other points in my post. I am probably more familiar with the area than you are.