Is it rude to tack in a channel?

[MissFitz]

We were coming out of Chichester on Saturday, wind dead on the nose, everyone motor-sailing decorously out - & we nearly got pushed onto the beach by some guy who insisted on tacking his way out under sail.

Is it unreasonable of me to be cross about this? Is it acceptable to tack up/down a narrow channel on a busy Bank Holiday? Or am I being a miserable git? Or both?

(No question that he had an engine, was in a modern 30-footer, & presumably as he was on his way out it was still working.)

 

[Poignard]

Why weren't you sailing? Something wrong with your rig? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[BAtoo]

Oh my God - a sailing boat actually sailing on the South Coast!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Scillypete]

Fair play to him, thats what sailing boats are for . . .sailing. Just 'cos he has an engine does not mean he has to use it, That would just make him a motor boat with a mast. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Poignard]

It's boring going in and out of Portsmouth since they introduced the Small Boat Channel. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[[2068]]

Technically, that harbour channel isn't a "narrow channel", and (unlike Portsmouth) there aren't any local harbour regs that says he should use his engine...

... but ... on a busy day, it does cause chaos, both to motorboats and yachts motorsailing that are just trying to get out into open water.

Some reading these threads might think that the Solent is like the M25, but that isn't the case at all. There are a few hotspots, e.g. off Cowes, plus some of the harbour entrances & channels (hamble, chichester, portsmouth) but it doesn't take long to find somewhere a lot quieter, if that's what you want.

dv.

 

[sighmoon]

He's as much within his rights to sail there as you were to motor.

IMHO, had you kept a better lookout, you could have seen him earlier, and so your avoiding action would have been less chaotic, in which case, you would not have got cross.

 

[jimi]

Depends how busy. If busy, it may well have been inconsiderate ..

 

[ChrisE]

I suggest that whilst he was well within his rights,

it was bad manners. A bit like the cruisers that insist on sailing through a racing fleet (which to my shame I used to do...). As another poster said there are a few pinch points on the Solent a Chi entrance is one of them, a bit of commonsense and understanding for others would not have gone amiss.

I'll bet a pound to a penny that he was an ex dinghy sailor......

 

[ChrisE]

Ahah, an east coast sailor that can read and write!

 

[fireball]

OH dear ...

are you going to chastise me for tacking in the same stretch of water yesterday around lunchtime? ... really - we don't take up that much (more) room ... and if you're any sort of sailor you could have anticipated his course fairly easily..

and - ok - it was a modern 30'er - but who said he didn't have a problem with his mech propulsion? could be a rope wrapped round his prop and sailing over to sparks for a lift out ...

btw - don't ever go the norfolk broads will you ...

 

[[2068]]

>He's as much within his rights to sail there
Agreed, but is it courteous at peak times?

If everyone did it, I suspect the channel would resemble the start line at Cowes week for the Sunsail class (with about the same number of collisions) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[cliffordpope]

Anyone ever sailed on the Norfolk Broads? Try Wroxham on a Saturday morning.

 

[sighmoon]

Just how busy was it? Do you have a picture?

 

[[2068]]

I can't find any pics that show it well.

I think we're only talking about a couple of hours in the morning on even the busiest days. e.g. Coming back Sunday evening about 7:30pm, it was deserted.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Yes, it is unreasonable for you to be cross. Frankly, as a yachty, you should be able to anticipate when he will tack, and how hard is it for you to turn your wheel or slow down or increase your speed.

This is really a Positive attitude of mind thingy..... which should add to the fun of sailing, so perhaps you need to look at the positives rather than the negatives, and you will enjoy yourself that much more!

Now for the guys coming out of Portsmouth and don't know the rules of the road....... GRRRRR

 

[snowleopard]

It is one thing to sail across a boat under power and force him to alter course. Unfortunately some raggies take the 'power gives way to sail' a bit too literally. A stand-on boat is required to maintain course and speed so crossing a mobo's bows then tacking straight back across them is not allowed.

 

[TiggerToo]

[ QUOTE ]
Or am I being a miserable git?



[/ QUOTE ]

Title: no
Message Q: yes
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jb2008]

[ QUOTE ]
It is one thing to sail across a boat under power and force him to alter course. Unfortunately some raggies take the 'power gives way to sail' a bit too literally. A stand-on boat is required to maintain course and speed so crossing a mobo's bows then tacking straight back across them is not allowed.

[/ QUOTE ]
Once he gets to the side of the channel though, he becomes "constrained by draught" and is forced to alter course himself.

 

[KevB]

Just for the record...

Under the Chichester Harbour Conservancy Local Notice to Mariners there is Byelaw 10 which states..

3/00 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions
Under Byelaw No. 10, these regulations apply to the harbour and to vessels navigating therein. The maximum fine for contravention is £1000. Because of the considerable traffic in the harbour, mariners are to pay particular attention to:-
a) keeping to the starboard side of the channel
b) reducing speed and if necessary altering course in plenty of time if the giving way vessel;
c) if under power and sail displaying a black cone point down.