guyward
New member
The following is a report of an incident which may be of interest to others who may find themselves in a similar situation:
There seems to be prevalent a misinterpretation of the collision rules. Some people who are under sail are mistakenly applying to a collision situation Rule 15 – Crossing Situation “ When two POWER DRIVEN vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep clear, and should if possible avoid crossing ahead of the other.” instead of Rule 12 - Sailing Vessels “(a) When two SAILING VESSELS are approaching one another, so as to involve risk of collision, one of them shall keep out of the way of the other as follows: (i) when each has the wind on a different side, the vessel which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other.”
I was sailing my ketch “JO-LENE” up the coast from Harwich towards the Ore Bar with wind from ESE and on starboard tack when a small sloop on port tack approached 45degs on my stbd bow. I naturally thought that he would go round my stern, but no, at the last moment when I was about to luff up to avoid collision, he tacked and in passing me mouthed all sorts of invective including “ ignorant b*****d” and “you should learn how to sail”.
If we had both been UNDER POWER then Rule 15 would, of course, have applied and I would then have been the “give way” vessel.
Similar situations have occurred in the past, both to me and to others with whom I have talked!
(Yachtmaster Offshore 16797)
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There seems to be prevalent a misinterpretation of the collision rules. Some people who are under sail are mistakenly applying to a collision situation Rule 15 – Crossing Situation “ When two POWER DRIVEN vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep clear, and should if possible avoid crossing ahead of the other.” instead of Rule 12 - Sailing Vessels “(a) When two SAILING VESSELS are approaching one another, so as to involve risk of collision, one of them shall keep out of the way of the other as follows: (i) when each has the wind on a different side, the vessel which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other.”
I was sailing my ketch “JO-LENE” up the coast from Harwich towards the Ore Bar with wind from ESE and on starboard tack when a small sloop on port tack approached 45degs on my stbd bow. I naturally thought that he would go round my stern, but no, at the last moment when I was about to luff up to avoid collision, he tacked and in passing me mouthed all sorts of invective including “ ignorant b*****d” and “you should learn how to sail”.
If we had both been UNDER POWER then Rule 15 would, of course, have applied and I would then have been the “give way” vessel.
Similar situations have occurred in the past, both to me and to others with whom I have talked!
(Yachtmaster Offshore 16797)
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