How can you easily identify a narrow channel?

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fireball

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Which really doesn't help ... !!

There are forumulites on here who are adamant that certain channels they navigate are Narrow, but do not backup why they believe them to be so. So, although they assume to be navigating in a Narrow Channel it is very probable that others using the same stretch of water in similar sized vessels do NOT consider themselves to be navigating in a Narrow Channel. That then causes problems in itself where both are expecting the other to give way - both leave it to the last minute, both then get adjetated and generally spoil what was a nice time on the water.

If it was feasible to include a general guide for what constitutes a narrow channel without prescribing then there is less likelyhood for mis-interpretation and therefore less expectation for the other to give way.

The specific example was Hamble river where some consider it to be Narrow and others (generally those awkward buggers who sail in and out) don't ... Now, I don't know the Hamble well enough to give my opinion one way or the other, but I know it is of the size where for some it could constitute a Narrow Channel ....

Another example offered here in the past has been Chichester Channel ... I do know that area and I would argue that that would not generally be classed as Narrow unless you were of exceptional size (hence Multiple of Length suggestion).

IMO, the one thing that most helms can judge with some degree of accuracy is the length of the "other vessel" hence being a suitable variable on which to calculate.
It has been suggested that for multihulls the width should be taken into consideration, but noone has commented further on what the consideration might be...
 
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