Jet ski again but my mistake?

[EASLOOP]

On the Medway on Sunday travelling up river under motor alone. Crossing to the north side if the river where I pick up the stbd bouy line to be on the right side of the channel. A jetski crossed my bow from my stbd side which, if I understand it, I had to give way turning to my right if needed. The jetski was so quick that he had crossed my bow before I could respond. Suddenly one of my crew notice a small child on a inflated inner tube type thing. I looked and noticed that the child/inner tube were connected to the jetski by a length of rope of about 50m. It was too late to turn to stbd so I had to turn sharp to port in order to avoid running over the rope and/ or hitting the child and his/her inner tube. The jetski driver looked over his shoulder and carried on.
This was clearly a very dangerous situation. How can this sort of thing be avoided. seas were light but bouncy enough that the innertube vansihed and re-appears again making it very easy to miss seeing it. Should this be treated as a towed vessel and towing vessel situation? Should appropriate signals be shown to warn other users of the river? Or did I create the situation by not being observant enough?
Comments greatly appreciated, critical or otherwise.
Still on a learning curved.

 

[EASLOOP]

Will this put my post to top of list? I seem to be slipping south very quick.

 

[Chris_Robb]

On the Medway on Sunday travelling up river under motor alone. Crossing to the north side if the river where I pick up the stbd bouy line to be on the right side of the channel. A jetski crossed my bow from my stbd side which, if I understand it, I had to give way turning to my right if needed. The jetski was so quick that he had crossed my bow before I could respond. Suddenly one of my crew notice a small child on a inflated inner tube type thing. I looked and noticed that the child/inner tube were connected to the jetski by a length of rope of about 50m. It was too late to turn to stbd so I had to turn sharp to port in order to avoid running over the rope and/ or hitting the child and his/her inner tube. The jetski driver looked over his shoulder and carried on.
This was clearly a very dangerous situation. How can this sort of thing be avoided. seas were light but bouncy enough that the innertube vansihed and re-appears again making it very easy to miss seeing it. Should this be treated as a towed vessel and towing vessel situation? Should appropriate signals be shown to warn other users of the river? Or did I create the situation by not being observant enough?
Comments greatly appreciated, critical or otherwise.
Still on a learning curved.

I don't know if special signals for towing water skiers etc are appropriate, however, I do not think you were at fault. The Jet ski was at fault with his dangerous driving. Perhaps you should have reported him to the river authority. The driver of the jet ski was acting totally irresponsibly, and very dangerously. How can a yacht at 6 knots hope to keep out of the way of a craft travelling at 20knots?

Just put it down to experiance and recognise that therer are some complete idiots out on the water.

I would however like to know the colregs postion on towing. Note that it not just the give way boat that is required to avoid a collision, but the responsibility of the stand on as well. I note that the navigation of the river comes under the environment agency, so do they have special rules????

 

[RIB_imposter]

Even if technically he is towing - practically he is unable to show shapes etc to indicate that. Whether he was towing or not it sounded like you were the giveway vessel. However common sense says you don't tow water skiers or toys across people's bows, or in narrow channels/rivers. I don't know the Medway - but it wouldn't be uncommon for their to be either speed limits (which make it impractical to tow such things) or local byelaws restricting or limitting towing skiers/toys in stupid places.

I wouldn't lose sleep over it - next time you see a PWC (or a RIB or small speedboat) you will make a specific effort to check behind him for a tow.

 

[RIB_imposter]

How can a yacht at 6 knots hope to keep out of the way of a craft travelling at 20knots?

Actually its quite easy! And nowhere in the colregs does it say the fastest vessel gives way.

 

[EASLOOP]

The stretch of the Medway to which I refer has a speed limit of about 4 to 5 knots. Most boats obey the limit, especially the big boats. Jet skis however have their own speed limit exclusive to them, or so it seems judging by the speed these things go between the moored boats!
Thsnk for your input. I dont'w feel quite so daft anymore

 

[tillergirl]

Yesterday on the Blackwater there was a speedboat - 888 was the number on the bow - doing some speed watersking - you know the really fast stuff. We were between Thirstlet Spit and Stone plugging against the ebb under Mr Volvo when he came up river over by the Spit. He then did a wide 180 and headed for us, crossing our bow very fast - the real speed skiing stuff - diagonally, so close that spray from his wake came on board and we had to turn to Starboard to allow the skier to live. We did - we think - get a 'sorry' from the skier. It was all so quick that the turn to starboard was not dramatic (we don't turn quickly however much that might be desireable).

I guess the helm or it a driver in those things, misjudged the angles but I really don't understand why they have to/want to go so close.

 

[EASLOOP]

Me again!

If I were towing under those condition I would be incilined to tie coloured flags to the rope to make it easy to see.
I would not tow under these conditions unless it was a safety/rescue issue. I don't have a power vessel other thatn a small o/b for my tender.

 

[tillergirl]

Dear RIB Imposter. I like the way your profile says you haven't made any friends yet! Mine just says I haven't got any. The problem is when a 20 kt vessel decides to turn and close on a 6kt vessel unexpectedly. My encounter went from having no vessel approaching me to one having past me within 30ft in well less than a minute and probably less than 20 seconds. The Regs are for sensible seamen at sea whose regular passage on a course brings them into a potential collision situation with another vessel. I think nothing could cope with a prat deciding deliberately or making a misjudgement to create a potential colision situation.

 

[fireball]

Actually its quite easy! And nowhere in the colregs does it say the fastest vessel gives way.

No - but common sense says that you have to give the giveway vessel adequate time and opportunity to give way.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Actually its quite easy! And nowhere in the colregs does it say the fastest vessel gives way.

So if there is a speed limit, what then? Also take note of the Colregs that even the stand on boat is required to avoid a collision. I would hope that your reply could be more helpful, as I assume you would agree that dangerous operation of a boat in restricted waterways is not a good idea.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Yesterday on the Blackwater there was a speedboat - 888 was the number on the bow - doing some speed watersking - you know the really fast stuff. We were between Thirstlet Spit and Stone plugging against the ebb under Mr Volvo when he came up river over by the Spit. He then did a wide 180 and headed for us, crossing our bow very fast - the real speed skiing stuff - diagonally, so close that spray from his wake came on board and we had to turn to Starboard to allow the skier to live. We did - we think - get a 'sorry' from the skier. It was all so quick that the turn to starboard was not dramatic (we don't turn quickly however much that might be desireable).

I guess the helm or it a driver in those things, misjudged the angles but I really don't understand why they have to/want to go so close.

I worked in the Bahamas in 1970's. There it was an offence to pull a water skier without an observer on board. Indeed if you were caught, and it was enforced, you went straight to Jail, until your case came up some weeks later.

I think this should be the case in the UK.

 

[tillergirl]

Yes, I agree. There was a second speed skier out as well and he had a backward facing observer.

 

[Elessar]

Should appropriate signals be shown to warn other users of the river?

what would they be then?

 

[Malish]

Presume you are talking about the Strand stretch of the Medway. It is a great pity that Medway Ports do not police this reach a little better - would sort out the jetskis, errant mobos and yacht club safety boats, all of whome tend to nip along a little quicker than the prescribed speed limit

 

[laurance]

It is about time somebody took it upon themselves to start lobbying local PM's to have the police do their job, on the water. Or perhaps they have?
Or will we, as usual, need to wait for a fatality or two before measures are taken.

 

[EASLOOP]

what would they be then?

I don't know, hence my question.

 

[elton]

Interesting story of some relevance in the news today, here

 

[Chris_Robb]

Interesting story of some relevance in the news today, here

And probably would have it still if there was an observer in the tow boat - but Sea scooters are too small to carry an observer.

As a matter of interest, what do the insurance companies say in terms of an observer in a boat when waterskiing?

 

[Elessar]

I don't know, hence my question.

Good answer.

Nirdy answer is there isn't a day signal for a tow less than 200 m. (unless the thing being towed is semi submerged or "inconspicuous"). Perhaps your ribbon idea should be part of the colregs.

Real answer is if a good sailor like yourself (obviously good because you're conscientious enough to want to learn from a near miss) doesn't know what the signal is then there's probably no point using it anyway!