Invisible in Portsmouth Harbour?

[TeamSpirit]

Not one for bleating but......... shame on the MOBO who tried to take us out with his wash whilst approching the SBC in Portsmouth Harbour today hopefully harbour patrol caught up with him and his behaviour advised. Totally gobsmacked at his response to my channel 16 when gently reminded of his obligations re his wash 'I'm travelling at the max speed permitted in harbour ..... sadly just didn't really wear with us as he passed within 5 mtrs (with not another boat within 150 mtrs of us. We surfed up..... and then down his considerable wash created by his not insignificant 'small ship' He waved which I guess made him feel all warm and cosy inside, whilst my crew were hanging on for grim death!
My son who is 12 soon is fast becoming a solid and reliable 1st mate, didn't enjoy his white knuckle ride and his studious comment - 'is he blind or stupid dad' summed it up really.
And for all of you travelling through SBC in Portsmouth if you see a big blue hull of a semi displacement MOBO approaching either send a white flag up, break out your missile defense systems or simply hang on..... it's your turn.
on a serious, but possibly contentious note isn't about time we had a basic qualification / licence to opperate small boats, although I would hate the concept of regulation - it will prevent accidents, death and serious injuries in the future perhaps my friend today would perhaps then understand his actions today. But perhaps it would be easier to submit my application for our ship to ship missile licence before my summer cruise next year.

 

[BrendanS]

for fuchs saek, just live with it. We get these comments all the time, and pwc and raggies get it in the neck too, depending on which forum you're reading

 

[WAFOO]

had the same problem in plymouth, a mobo flying past 2 small rowing boats while under instruction, what the mobo didn't realise that the rowers were trainees from the navy and the safety boat with them was a jet driven 140 hp rib driven by a very unhappy Chief! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[thomshap]

The old license argument again, I reckon the best way to resolve this one is for the insurance company’s to insist on a RYA qualification before insuring a boat, who's going to have a load of money uninsured..... but then I'd rather my boat damaged by an idiot with insurance than one without, oh well back to the drawring board.

 

[tillergirl]

Could I point out that an examination system and licensing process has been singularly unsuccessful in keeping poor and inconsiderate driving off our roads. And it ain't no good without someone to enforce it and that costs money.

 

[Joe_Cole]

I'm no enthusiast for legislation or licencing but to say it has failed on the roads is patently unsupportable. For all we know the roads would be far worse if we didn't have the existing testing/licencing/enforcement regime. FWIW there is a very strong case for saying that safety on the roads has improved over the last 20-30 years, though many factors (including more stringent tests) have contributed to this.

 

[Joe_Cole]

A bit out of order there, Brendan. You usually have something helpful to say.

 

[plombier]

Although he may have been proceeding at the max. speed permitted in the harbour he was in contravention of Rule 9 of the The Dockyard Port of Portsmouth Order 2005 viz:

Vessels to be navigated with care and caution
9. The Master of a vessel navigating the Dockyard Port shall navigate the vessel with care and caution and in such a manner as shall not cause annoyance to the occupants of any other vessel or cause damage or danger to any other vessel or to any moorings or other property.

A call to QHM with the vessel's name would have been appropriate or complete an Incident Report on the web site

[Note to self: Must stop this - getting almost as bad as Brendan /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif]

 

[[2068]]

Whinge.

On a similar note, why do sailing yachts under power exiting the small boat channel feel the need to be three abreast, and on the wrong side of the channel, forcing mobos either into the main channel (not advisable), or to the "wrong" side, which causes even more confusion as the boats behind them then get to see a mobo heading directly towards them.

Tempted next time to hold course, use 5 short blasts and some arm waving to see if point can be got across. Either that, or accelerate to 10knots to improve manouevrability in a developing close quarters situation /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It would all be so much easier if boats exiting stuck to the starboard side, and single file for the two minutes it takes to get thru the narrow bit.

dv.

 

[BrendanS]

Don't people have anything better to do than continually bleat about perceived slights and misdemeanours. There are idiots out there in many camps, but strangely enough, I seldom seem to encounter them. Maybe I'm lucky, more tolerant, or just keep out of their way on the whole. Just get a bit fed up of the whole them and us attitude that seems to prevail here on occasions.

 

[[2068]]

It's unfortunate, 10-15knots is "max wash" speed for many planing motorboats. Even my comparatively puny 24footer generates a fairly impressive wake at 10 knots.

Mobo skippers should know this, and modify their actions as appropriate! Even a bit of extra distance at higher speeds can make a real difference, because the wake wave closest to the stern is steep, deep, almost a breaking wave, but runs out of energy after 40-60 feet. The waves behind travel much further, but aren't as steep. Not much we can do about those, sorry, the sea isn't normally flat anyway.

dv.

 

[tillergirl]

Are you actually saying that you don't experience poor and inconsiderate driving where you live/work?

 

[Talbot]

Re: Whinge.

[ QUOTE ]
if boats exiting stuck to the starboard side, and single file for the two minutes it takes to get thru the narrow bit.


[/ QUOTE ]

While I agree with the concept and do try to do this. It is very difficult when the boat in front is travelling at 0.5kt above the tide speed (when going against the tide) - and if the ebb is really flowing very fast (like last weekend) I will enter right over on the port side and rock hop from beacon to beacon to stay out of the main tidal flow if safe to do so (i.e. no boats exiting)

 

[Evadne]

Re: Whinge.

"0.5kt more than the tide"
That'll be us in the Autumn, Yanmar's finest vintage 6.5hp engine pushing three and a half tons of weed infested long keel. Why some people feel the need to overtake just because you're only doing 3 knots, flat out, is beyond me. You see just the same behaviour when towing a caravan with the Morris Minor...

 

[RupertW]

Get over it

I think we should ban sailing boats which can be nearly sunk by a bit of a wave. They are clearly made for river use only.

It's unreasonable to make a wash through moorings or when there's loads of sea room on a calm day, but in a crowded boat channel then you should expect lots of different craft going at lots of different speeds. As long as there's no collision risk and you're not silly enough to be serving a meal/drinking hot coffee etc. then relax.

Oh, and no licensing please.

 

[[2068]]

Re: Get over it

It's not about being sunk: 10 knots at close quarters is too fast too close. The wakee will "fall off" what is almost a breaking wave: because one side is firm, and the other all bubbly/frothy, the resulting motion can be a quite violent rocking that you wouldn't get unless you regularly go surfing in your yacht.

Something related happened at the weekend: driving in "convoy" with another 23foot mobo on flat water at 20 knots ish, distance about 25m behind and to the side, all was fine until the other boat decided to overtake. They hit the big wave at the back, went sideways bigtime, and one passenger banged his head on the windscreen frame. A four hour wait in casualty to be glued up (one small but deep cut) wasn't the best use of the rest of the day.

dv.

 

[boatone]

Re: Get over it

Ey oop lad......we've quite enough of the odds and sods on the river already without you sending more of 'em our way /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Actually, as far as the speed/wash issue goes peeps fall in to two categories:
1. Those who are generally pretty considerate and try to do the decent thing but might once in a while have a senior moment and inadvertently cause a problem and ......

2. The others who are the real aggro merchants that dont have any consideration and should be banned for antisocial behavior.

So, its really a bit pointless getting upset cos type 1 already know how to behave and Type 2 cant be told/taught or reasoned with.

 

[Scaramoosh]

Re: Dave_White

The problem for the Mobo driver at 3knts is he has no steerageway. Its not until about 5kts in my boat that the rudders bite and even then in a fast ebb out of Pompey the tide will spin the boat faster than the rudders will hold her.

Its OK as long as your pointing straight into the flow but if you have to to to avoid 2 or 3 boats abrest coming out the bow will either spin you round broadside or you have a sweaty moment with 1 engine ahead and one astern / neutral.

Actually as I type this is sounds as it should be easy but I can assure you when you have yachts abrest, who you know even going hard astern will still be coming at you at 2knts or so driven by the tide, plus all sorts or peeps going your way at everything from 0.001knts to 10 knts over the ground. its hard to resist gunning the engines (screw the wash) and heading for the relative safety of north of Ballast pole ASAP.

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[plombier]

Re: Whinge.

[ QUOTE ]
It would all be so much easier if boats exiting stuck to the starboard side, and single file for the two minutes it takes to get thru the narrow bit.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what we try and get them to do when on patrol but I think you have hit the nail on the head regarding the time thing. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Evadne]

Re: Dave_White

I do appreciate that a boat designed to run at 10 knots is not going to have big enough rudders to steer at 3kts, and you have my sympathy. The real problem is actually the size of the channel we are all restricted to and the number of boats going through on a weekend, as you say at vastly differing speeds, coupled with the fierceness of the tidal stream.
As the slowest, it is in many ways easier as I can do little more than hold my course and grit my teeth. The peeps I was getting a dig at, not entirely fairly, are the sailing boats that are perfectly capable of steering a straightish line at 3 or 4 kts under power but who are fitted with bigger engines and seem obliged to overtake at their top speed, whether there's room to or not. And they're not all charter boats. I know comparisons with the roads are often invalid, but you wouldn't overtake someone if there was something coming the other way, however slowly. And you wouldn't move out to overtake while someone else was overtaking you, either, but you see both in the entrance to Portsmouth harbour, often at the same time.