Dyflin
Well-Known Member
Taken from the excellent MARS reports:
http://www.nautinst.org/mars/mars06/200630.htm
I was inbound towing a loaded 21,000 dwt petroleum barge. The tide was ebbing with winds at approximately 30 kts and a 6 ft ebb ‘chop’. There was a rather large motor-sailer yacht outbound in front and slightly off to my port hand. As the motor yacht got within half a nautical mile she started veering to port converging on our track line/course. I immediately sounded the danger signal once, then again and the yacht changed course to starboard bringing with that an opening bearing. After just a minute or so on that course, the yacht abruptly changed course again, bringing her on a collision course with my ocean tug with less than a quarter of a nautical mile between us. I sounded the danger signal again, went to hand steering, slowed the tug and altered course 45 degrees to starboard to avoid a collision. The yacht did clear my tug, but the loaded barge was another matter... I had my chief engineer let out two layers of towing cable to insure the yacht’s keel did not catch on the cable as she passed down and between the tug and tow. I could do very little more as the barge’s momentum and the close proximity of the yacht meant we would have to hope the yacht was not run down.
Ultimately, the yacht more or less cleared the barge by 10 ft. There was obviously some kind of problem going on with her control as she had sails flapping combined with multiple course changes etc. We contacted the port authority and had them send out a boat to check out the situation on the yacht. We also faxed a report of the incident to port state control.
I was contacted the next day by the port authority’s investigating officer who informed me that the yacht was escorted back to port and the operator was given a breath test which came out at .125! Intoxicated indeed.
Yachts are always an issue, but usually more worry than actual threat...nonetheless, a good lesson for all.
<span style="color:blue"> Editor’s note: Although most yachts are operated responsibly, it must be continually borne in mind that yachting and the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs are sometimes culturally associated. Professional mariners must also remember that many leisure craft operators are not trained, may lack boat handling skills and may have little or no knowledge of the Colregs. This is particularly prevalent in coastal waters, at weekends, and near marinas.
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http://www.nautinst.org/mars/mars06/200630.htm
I was inbound towing a loaded 21,000 dwt petroleum barge. The tide was ebbing with winds at approximately 30 kts and a 6 ft ebb ‘chop’. There was a rather large motor-sailer yacht outbound in front and slightly off to my port hand. As the motor yacht got within half a nautical mile she started veering to port converging on our track line/course. I immediately sounded the danger signal once, then again and the yacht changed course to starboard bringing with that an opening bearing. After just a minute or so on that course, the yacht abruptly changed course again, bringing her on a collision course with my ocean tug with less than a quarter of a nautical mile between us. I sounded the danger signal again, went to hand steering, slowed the tug and altered course 45 degrees to starboard to avoid a collision. The yacht did clear my tug, but the loaded barge was another matter... I had my chief engineer let out two layers of towing cable to insure the yacht’s keel did not catch on the cable as she passed down and between the tug and tow. I could do very little more as the barge’s momentum and the close proximity of the yacht meant we would have to hope the yacht was not run down.
Ultimately, the yacht more or less cleared the barge by 10 ft. There was obviously some kind of problem going on with her control as she had sails flapping combined with multiple course changes etc. We contacted the port authority and had them send out a boat to check out the situation on the yacht. We also faxed a report of the incident to port state control.
I was contacted the next day by the port authority’s investigating officer who informed me that the yacht was escorted back to port and the operator was given a breath test which came out at .125! Intoxicated indeed.
Yachts are always an issue, but usually more worry than actual threat...nonetheless, a good lesson for all.
<span style="color:blue"> Editor’s note: Although most yachts are operated responsibly, it must be continually borne in mind that yachting and the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs are sometimes culturally associated. Professional mariners must also remember that many leisure craft operators are not trained, may lack boat handling skills and may have little or no knowledge of the Colregs. This is particularly prevalent in coastal waters, at weekends, and near marinas.
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