Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
Of late I have come across numerous boats motor sailing but only once have I seen a yacht with a motoring cone up.
How often do you use one?
How often do you use one?
Motoring Cones
- Thread starter Nostrodamus
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Except when motor sailing a short distance to a destination (marina approach, for example), then I will hoist it forward of the mast.
Rigger Mortice
N/A
I don't think I've ever used it. FWIW I can't recall seeing one in use on another boat.
Terrible I know.
Terrible I know.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
only in Holland.
PilotWolf
Well-Known Member
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Not since I did my YM and even then, as we came back into port and I put the cone up, the examiner was heard to mutter " he's not putting that damn thing up again, is he?"
Rigger Mortice
N/A
Heckled by the examiner? I like it!
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Also known as the RYA burgee.
Pure laziness to not rig it. Except never seen outside the Solent! Perhaps relevant if you are motor sailing with both main and headsail (rare) otherwise a tad pointless in my very humble opinion.
I keep one complete with lines already rigged easy at hand and ready to go so I have no excuse....except perhaps no one where I usually sail would know what is was anyway. Think Moroccan fishermen!
Pure laziness to not rig it. Except never seen outside the Solent! Perhaps relevant if you are motor sailing with both main and headsail (rare) otherwise a tad pointless in my very humble opinion.
I keep one complete with lines already rigged easy at hand and ready to go so I have no excuse....except perhaps no one where I usually sail would know what is was anyway. Think Moroccan fishermen!
westernman
Well-Known Member
If you are motor sailing with both main and headsail, where do you rig it so that it is visible from both sides????
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Makes my point exactly. From lots of angles it cannot be seen, therefore a tad under useful!!!
I have never been in a ;risk of collision' situation where the thing was relevant. Ever.
Perhaps someone from the Mentally Challenged Agency can clarify this for me.
ancientsailor
Well-Known Member
I know I've mentioned this before ... [allegedly] a few years back a skipper formally complained to the Teignmouth harbour master about their lack of use.
A substantial fine was handed handed down to the first offender prosecuted*. It was said to be about £1,500. The local chandlers had to re-stock.
I almost invariably use it - except when raising sails and keeping the boat head to wind to do so ...
saves awkward conversations with insurers if the worst happens.
Less likely to use it out of sight of land or well offshore.
I had to add them to the photos after they were taken - and I'm in one of them! http://www.sailskills.co.uk/colregs/sailskills_definitions_power-driven.html
*the first person prosecuted was the person who made the complaint
A substantial fine was handed handed down to the first offender prosecuted*. It was said to be about £1,500. The local chandlers had to re-stock.
I almost invariably use it - except when raising sails and keeping the boat head to wind to do so ...
saves awkward conversations with insurers if the worst happens.
Less likely to use it out of sight of land or well offshore.
I had to add them to the photos after they were taken - and I'm in one of them! http://www.sailskills.co.uk/colregs/sailskills_definitions_power-driven.html
*the first person prosecuted was the person who made the complaint
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RichardS
N/A
I've never seen one in either the Med or the Caribbean!
Richard
Richard
westernman
Well-Known Member
I have.
Myself and another yacht were approaching a zone which had been closed off.
Not that they (whoever they may be), had told anybody. It was not on the Navtex, nor on the sheet the marina puts out each day either. No obvious red line in the water either.
Anyway the other yacht was flagged down by a Gendarmes cutter who said hailed them on VHF 16 and told them they were about to infringe on a closed off area. They then asked him whether he was under power. He said yes - it was kind of obvious - no wind and he was doing 6 knots. They then asked where his motoring cone was. One appeared quickly.
So did mine!
Coaster
Well-Known Member
Never seen one, in Wales, Ireland or South West England.
So the answer to the OP's question seems to be never, for the overwhelming majority.
So the answer to the OP's question seems to be never, for the overwhelming majority.
Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
Sail around Cowes and you will see alot (UKSA students)
We never use ours. Too much hassle putting it up and here in the Med rules are rarely adhered to from the charter fleet.
Tidewaiter2
Well-Known Member
Of Course, there is the Solent motoring cone..
... mainsail up, stern dug well in, flat out- must be 16.00 on a sunny Sunday!
Previous owners had one permanently ready for deployment on inner forestay.
We've kept it going, cos Emsworth Channel very narrow/shallow in places, and can be full of trainee/macho dinghy helms, unaware of transiting vessels constraints. Then there are the French, as mentioned above.
Following one or two "5 blasts from us" incidents in the shallow top end of Channel, and an enforced grounding to avoid collision, we now also deploy a length of black drainpipe "constrained" cylinder on stbd halliard if any suspicion of dinghy sails in/near Channel. This states the clearly very obvious for the inquest.
Harbour Clubs have agreed a new 2011 Code of Conduct for their Race and dinghy fleets, and are doing their best, but lots of weekend warriors/ testostrone bunny visitors on summer weekends, who don't read their Club SI's before launching.
Roll on February
... mainsail up, stern dug well in, flat out- must be 16.00 on a sunny Sunday!
Previous owners had one permanently ready for deployment on inner forestay.
We've kept it going, cos Emsworth Channel very narrow/shallow in places, and can be full of trainee/macho dinghy helms, unaware of transiting vessels constraints. Then there are the French, as mentioned above.
Following one or two "5 blasts from us" incidents in the shallow top end of Channel, and an enforced grounding to avoid collision, we now also deploy a length of black drainpipe "constrained" cylinder on stbd halliard if any suspicion of dinghy sails in/near Channel. This states the clearly very obvious for the inquest
.Harbour Clubs have agreed a new 2011 Code of Conduct for their Race and dinghy fleets, and are doing their best, but lots of weekend warriors/ testostrone bunny visitors on summer weekends, who don't read their Club SI's before launching.
Roll on February
Rosey
Member
We have just completed our first cruise from UK south coast to Portugal via the Channel Islands, Atlantic Coast of France, Biscay and into coastal waters Spain and Portugal. We must have seen 10's of boats motor sailing (had to explain why they were gaining on us) and can honestly say never saw a single motoring cone. We were well within 12 miles of the shore. Have to own up, we only used ours once and we soon decided as no-on else bothered..................
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
I keep one handy as I motorsail quite often. I have a spare halyard that clips to the pullpit and it hangs on there ahead of the forestay so can be seen on either tack.
Ex-SolentBoy
Well-Known Member
Does it actually serve any really useful purpose?
Imagine you are sailing along, on main only with the engine ticking over. According to the rules you should have the cone up. Flick the engine off (2 seconds) and you are now legal. Absurd in my opinion.
Yes, I know the argument about manoeuvrability but I think it is one of those silly conventions with little practical value and that's why the vast majority of sailors don't bother.
Of course there will be those who do. That is their choice, but unless everyone does it you cannot rely on it, so it is worthless, and if you are single handed in rough weather the idea of leaving a safe cockpit to hoist a cone is ridiculous and dangerous potentially.
Imagine you are sailing along, on main only with the engine ticking over. According to the rules you should have the cone up. Flick the engine off (2 seconds) and you are now legal. Absurd in my opinion.
Yes, I know the argument about manoeuvrability but I think it is one of those silly conventions with little practical value and that's why the vast majority of sailors don't bother.
Of course there will be those who do. That is their choice, but unless everyone does it you cannot rely on it, so it is worthless, and if you are single handed in rough weather the idea of leaving a safe cockpit to hoist a cone is ridiculous and dangerous potentially.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
En route from Chichester Harbour to Portsmouth this morning I was overtaken by a large catamaran displaying a motor-sailing cone. However, it had no sails set.