Is it rude to tack in a channel?

Oh dear oh dear! Here we go again, everyone in Chichester harbour wanting their own way. The sailing clubs setting courses across channels, mobos going too fast, a lot of 'new' sailors not knowing that the correct side of a channel is not the side you drive your car on. Small trailer stored fishing boats plonking themselves in the entrance to the harbour, people actually wanting to sail out the harbour. Just relax guys, you'll get out of the harbour fast enough even if there is a boat tacking in front of you, you are all experienced enough to be able judge, and plan ahead if there is a boat sailing.

And sailors, the guy in the mobo is busting to give his KADS some welly, he's been holding back since he left the lock, so if there is some wash as you make your way out (local bye laws and common sense being respected of course) don't get upset, we will all get out of the harbour soon enough, turn West and enjoy.

Soon enough you will be dueling with Brittany Ferries, tankers, container ships, IOW ferries, Sunsail boats, racing fleets, blood hell why do you want to leave Chi at all! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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. . . .everyone motor-sailing decorously out . . .

. . . Is it acceptable to tack up/down a narrow channel on a busy Bank Holiday? . . .


[/ QUOTE ] The introduction to the question suggests that most if not all the boats on their way out were sailing boats, sailing in pursuit of leisure. Another poster has pointed out that if everyone was proceeding under sail alone, they'd all be tacking decorously out. (OK, so there'd be the odd crossing on port and starboard as a faster boat overhauls a slower one, but isn't that what sailing's about?)

So the lone purist sailor's misdemeanour was being an irksome reminder to all the motorsailors that they are, in a small way, frauds. Like me - I do a lot of motorsailing.
 
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Ok, just to clarify - I agree it's not that narrow there, but when there's a long queue of boats going out & a few coming in, several of them mobos overtaking, it can get a bit crowded.



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It sounds to me as if the mobos overtaking were being even more discourteous if its that congested there.
 
interesting comments - certainly we sail out and in of chi entrance if possible be it a beat or not - in fact last time we sailed in made us smile as we made same vmg as other yachts motoring in . question posed reminds me of an experience we had once in chi of sailing up the channel towards chichester marina - not a beat (that would have been a challenge) but a reach - when we got near to chi marina we took down sails and motored last bit to chi marina and whilst checking in as visitors was criticised by another yottie who had seen us sailing and said it was unseamanlike to sail and that we should have motored like he had as how could we have stopped if someone had come out from the moorings in front of us - didn't and still don't see anything wrong with sailing that stretch but clearly he felt differently
 
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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...).

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I race sometimes but I dont see a problem with this.

It may be antisocial to tack out of a narrow harbour entrance but what's the issue with sailing through the racing fleet? Its just another factor that a racing skipper should be able to cope with, like a ferry coming in or one of the harbour tugs moving. And in the case of dinghy fleets, its often the only practical alternative to turning round and going home.

Racers have to follow colregs anyway.
 
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It sounds to me as if the mobos overtaking were being even more discourteous if its that congested there.

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criticised by another yottie who had seen us sailing and said it was unseamanlike to sail and that we should have motored like he

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Chi conservancy byelaw No. 2

c) furling spinnakers in plenty of time in adverse weather conditions, before reaching the moorings - this is particularly applicable to large vessels, which should be under power at busy periods
 
Well, I would have thought that, if heading for Chichester Marina, it would be pretty normal to keep the sails up most of the way up the harbour and certainly beyond Itchenor Reach.

Mind you, some years ago I had occasion to sail all the way up and through the lock. I had a problem with the engine and called the marina who gave me permission to sail through and met me with a work boat inside to help me onto my pontoon.
 
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criticised by another yottie who had seen us sailing and said it was unseamanlike to sail and that we should have motored like he

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Chi conservancy byelaw No. 2

c) furling spinnakers in plenty of time in adverse weather conditions, before reaching the moorings - this is particularly applicable to large vessels, which should be under power at busy periods

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Chi conservancy byelaw No. 2

c) furling spinnakers in plenty of time in adverse weather conditions, before reaching the moorings - this is particularly applicable to large vessels, which should be under power at busy periods
 
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criticised by another yottie who had seen us sailing and said it was unseamanlike to sail and that we should have motored like he

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Chi conservancy byelaw No. 2

c) furling spinnakers in plenty of time in adverse weather conditions, before reaching the moorings - this is particularly applicable to large vessels, which should be under power at busy periods

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Chi conservancy byelaw No. 2

c) furling spinnakers in plenty of time in adverse weather conditions, before reaching the moorings - this is particularly applicable to large vessels, which should be under power at busy periods

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c) furling spinnakers in plenty of time in adverse weather conditions, before reaching the moorings - this is particularly applicable to large vessels, which should be under power at busy periods

So - you only need to furl your spinnaker in adverse weather conditions before reaching the moorings .... applying more so to large vessels ...

Carry on Sailing .....
 
I have to comment that many sailors are the first to criticise MoBo when they go past fast yet many have trouble maintaining a course when off the plane YET in other circumstances in restricted waters/channel that are often busy you want to insist on the sailing right of way and tack across potentially an incoming and outgoing traffic stream.

As I said before if only 1 boat does it is easy to go round under power but if a couple do it especially different sailing boats with different speeds and tacking angles it can and I have often seen it cause mayhem.

I will stick to what I consider the more polite way of entering beaulieu /hamble/poole/chichester/portsmouth under power and leave it to people like yourself to act in a manner insisting on their sailing rights to cause the harbour authorities to pass bylaws requiring us to enter under power as Poole and Portsmouth have already done.
 
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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.)

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Must have been same b*******d that caused me to crash-stop astern my engine one time in Chich. channel - similar with loads of boats going in / out and this idiot with sheets hardened up tacking coming out of Chich. Hbr .. no regard to anyone else ... I steered clear to find him tack early right in front of me negating all I'd done to keep clear ... 43HP in a 25ft Motor-Sailer crashed astern makes a mess in the cabin ! He then had nerve to pass so close down my side that I really thought he was going to hit. Totally ignored my vocal appraisal of his actions ...

I was not only one he did it to ...

So IMHO - in narrow channels with plenty of traffic - you don't act like a maniacal racing dude in a boat ... you adjust your actions to suit conditions and take care that others wish to enjoy their time on water as well.
 
Poole and Portsmouth are a little different. Poole you have car ferries plus the chain ferry, here it would be dangerous to sail. Portsmouth you have ferries (lots), pilot boats and the grey funnel line, all of which are very influential commercial traffic. Chichester traffic is just a bunch of people enjoying themselves, there are no commercial pressures.
 
There are lots of little skiffs (sp) moored around itchenor which don't have engines, anything bigger I would class as large and certainly anything you can sleep on. You wont get the grand turk up to chi marina /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
If your boat handling is so poor that you can not comply with Colregs without getting your knickers in a twist then you have a responsibility not to put to sea, especially in busy areas.
 
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If your boat handling is so poor that you can not comply with Colregs without getting your knickers in a twist then you have a responsibility not to put to sea, especially in busy areas.

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/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

However, the offensive tacker might also have shown more consideration. It is quite simple to alter course and speed on any point of sail to avoid panicking the nervous or less able among the boating fraternity.

It is absolutely fine to tack in a congested channel so long as you have the common sense and ability. Locally I have tacked into Oban Bay through the North channel on more than one occasion when LOTI or the Clansman was coming the other way and have never given the ferry any cause for concern - but I have seen people attempting it who have nearly hit the ferry and who should undoubtedly have acknowledged their limitations, put the engine on and furled the genny - it only takes a few seconds.

To summarise - it is rude for idiots to tack in a busy channel - but then as they are idiots they probably have no social skills either.

- W
 
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If your boat handling is so poor that you can not comply with Colregs without getting your knickers in a twist then you have a responsibility not to put to sea, especially in busy areas.

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You'd make a great politician. I suppose you agree with their expenses claims cause they were mostly done within the letter of the rules. And where have I said I get my knickers in a twist? I assume you don't like the byelaws I've quoted.
 
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I assume you don't like the byelaws which I've misquoted. .... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

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Which one and I'll correct it?

As an aside I believe anyone who sails out of the CYC dinghy club agree that they give way to vessels in the approach to the marina regardless if power or sail.
 
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If your boat handling is so poor that you can not comply with Colregs without getting your knickers in a twist then you have a responsibility not to put to sea, especially in busy areas.

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You'd make a great politician. I suppose you agree with their expenses claims cause they were mostly done within the letter of the rules. And where have I said I don't get my knickers in a twist? I assume you don't like the byelaws I've quoted.

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Well it's funny you should say that actually.

But seriously, your post seems to suggest that people have a responsibility to stay out of your way. It is utter rubbish. Yes, there are some places where sailing is irresponsible but Chi Harbour entrance is not one of them. I do think it irresponsible of ISC and HISC to lay their courses through the channel but that is slightly different.

The rules about larger vessels and their kites approaching the moorings are fine as the moorings are in much tighter areas.

I just dont see that the chap sailing out has done anything wrong. You can see he is sailing, you ought to be able to anticipate where he will tack. If you can't, you seriously should not be there. Okay, so he may tack somewhere daft and he has a responsibility to make sure he has room to tack when he does. After all, he must stand on in such circumstances, but watching out and anticipating what other vessels might require to do is part of skippering, nobody but nobody can simply expect others to just not use the same bit of water as it is a personal inconvenience.
 
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