Motoring cones - do you use one?

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npf1

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This news story from the MCGA has them reminding yotties to display a cone when motor sailing. How many routinely do this when motor sailing? When do you/don't you?

For myself, I have one in a locker but ...
 
I am not going to blow the whistle on the eminent Forumite who motorsailed most of the way to Cherbourg and back without displaying a cone last year, though I may run a small sweepstake if there is sufficient interest. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
We wouldn't bother showing a cone during the few minutes of motoring after leaving a harbour/mooring, and setting the sails. But, if it were likely that we'd need donkey assistance for more than a few minutes, we'd show one.... errrmmm, usually.

After all the ColReg discussions, any 'Butter who motorsailed across the Channel without showing a cone is obviously completely unaware of his/her obligations, and that any ColRegs advice from this person should be automatically disregarded. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Here I quote the head instructor of a leading sailing school

"Why would you bother when you just have the main up? It's obvious you're also motoring. And when you have the Jib up too, it's at least 50% obscured."

Far more important to display a steaming light at night when other visual clues are lost to the observer.

For myself I tend to put it up when on a long passage as it's something to do for a couple of minutes! But put one up after hoisting the main to motorsail out of the harbour/river? Waste of time.
 
Re: Motoring cones - do you use one?.

I've heard that the German Coastguard (What are you sinking about ?) is very strict about the cone.
In Finland 98% of yachts think that mainsail alone is enough as in the narrow routes inside the arkipelago tempt sailors to help tacking with the iron genoa.
It irritates me a bit so I try to use the cone as often as I remember though try to sail most of the time.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Motoring cone = RYA exam in progress

[/ QUOTE ]

Not just the exam. Last year we were practising mooring pick-ups under sail, wind with tide. The easiest way is to furl the jib and do the exercise under main. A power boat coming out of Levington obviously assumed that we were under power, and we escaped collision only by putting in a quick tack which took us towards one of the moored boats. Her name, if I remember correctly, started with Gu....
 
[ QUOTE ]
Here I quote the head instructor of a leading sailing school


[/ QUOTE ]

He may not approve of the regulation but I don't think he, of all people, should be advising people not to comply with it.
 
>>>
"Why would you bother when you just have the main up? It's obvious you're also motoring.
>>>

Nope, its obvious that you have only a mainsail up. To other sailors maybe, but to a motorboater maybe not. Bear in mind that the motorboater is not necessarily an inexperienced lout hooning in a sprotsboat, might be a tired fisherman on his way home, or even a chap with 10 years experience who just doesn't encounter many sailboats 'cos he's not from your area.

Its a rule ISTR, just like ColRegs overcome racing rules:-)
 
I think I have some left. Would you care for a large, or a small one?

dominator_cones_main.jpg


/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why would you bother when you just have the main up? It's obvious you're also motoring.

[/ QUOTE ]
Not obvious at all. I can make three knots with just the main with the tide under us going home up the Deben. And we can tack without moving from the wheel.

Under those circumstances I bend on the cone and keep it down near the deck to show I have one, that I can and do use it, but am not doing so just now.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Here I quote the head instructor of a leading sailing school

"Why would you bother when you just have the main up? It's obvious you're also motoring. And when you have the Jib up too, it's at least 50% obscured."

This instructor is in need of instruction.

The rule applies to vessels being propelled by sail and machinery. In that case, you may appear to be sailing but are, in fact, also under power.

That being so, it doesn't take much experience or imagination to recognise the potential for confusion and, hence, risk, the situation could involve.

If, under those circumstances, you hoist the cone on the starboard side, at least most of the people who might expect to give way to you, or find that you give way to them, whether under sail or power themselves, will gain a piece of useful information - that you intend to follow the steering rules for power vessels.
 
I certainly would use one in Belgium and Germany because the authorities there can be very pernickety. In particular we had entered Zeebrugge harbour and had been motor sailing so had the cone up. We then took the sail(s) down but left the cone up as our attention was all on finding our way to the marina in an obscure corner.
Up came a police boat and I thought "how nice! he's come to tell us where the marina is". Not at all; he'd come over specially to tell us to take down the cone.
I did of course but thought the instruction unnecessary as the cone indicated we were motoring - which without sails we certainly were.
 
three knots.... - I came up on deck once from my bunk to find we were broad reaching at 9-10 knots (in a fast ex-racer S&S 36-footer) to find my son and friend on the wheel with full main only in about 35 knots of wind.

"Why didn't you leave some headsail up and reef the main?"

"I'd have got wet going on deck...."

A tribute to S&S design that she actually steered perfectly - fingertip light - under this grossly unbalanced rig.
 
We don't do that sort of thing on the Deben, you know. They are even talking about a speed limit, so we will have to keep the big genoa in its bag!
 
I have a motoring cone but as I try to use both sails as well it is some what hidden for 70% of the time so use it sparingly. I am not sure that if the average mobo saw it would they know what it meant ? The average bit does not include those who use these forums as we are all trying to learn - I think !!
 
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