Near Miss with Fishing Boat

[DJE]

Beating out of Chichester on Sunday about 12:00 we came across a fishing boat about 40 foot long coming in on the reciprocal course. Being under sail and him under power we stood on. (Close hauled on Starboard tack I don't give way to anything.) He did nothing but yaw about a bit in the swell. One minute he was pointing to starboard of us one minute to port. We stood on until he was about 50 yards away and then had to crash tack to avoid him. As he went past there we could see there were 2 men on deck but nobody in the wheelhouse. One of the men on deck was just putting his hand in through the wheelhouse window presumably to adjust the autopilot. I got his licence number but not his name. Solent coastgaurd were busy on 16 and 67 so we didn't bother reporting it by radio. Spoke to MCA today and they have asked me to report it by letter. Does anyone else have experience of reporting such an incident? Is it worth it? Will he remember my name and run me down next time?

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[snowleopard]

"a sailing vessel shall give way to ... a vessel fishing ..."

of course fishing vessels leave their basket/cones up and assume right of way at all times even when not fishing but if they are displaying the daymarks i think the onus would fall on you to show that they weren't actually fishing if a dispute arose.

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[Benbow]

>Close hauled on Starboard tack I don't give way to anything.

Excellent strategy, can I have your worldly goods when you are done with them ?

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[tome]

Welcome to the forum

I wouldn't make too much of this - it's the sort of close quarter situation you should easily handle without a big fuss. I expect he'd have cleared you if you hadn't tacked. Was he showing fishing cones or other shapes? If so, you should keep clear, even if they often display these without any gear in the water.

Put it down to experience and forget about it.


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[DJE]

Thanks for those. Must admit I hadn't noticed the presence or absence of fishing cones. But I can't believe he was fishing on Chichester Bar on a Sunday afternoon. Your right not worth the fuss.

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[tcm]

oh dear

um, you need to learn a bit more than "power gives way to sail". Sailing boats give way to boats engaged in fishing, and for the purposes of the collision regulations, going fishing or returning in a specially-designed fishing boat will probably be seen as "fishing". You could hasitly rig day shapes to show that you are fishing as well, perhaps, but in fact, the fishing boat seems to have acted correctlty and you didn't.

Not to worry, you aren't alone. I am thinking of hving lumps of rule 9 emblazoned on the side of the hull, just where small sailing and other boats will likely whizz into us, unaware apparently that all boats under 20m in a narrow channel mustn't impede boats over 20m. Unfortunately, the stupid UK system permits us all to go to sea oblivious of all this, and plenty more...

Close hauled on stbd tack or not - you do have to give way, or do -anything- to avoid a collsion - so you can't pile along well aware of the developing situation and "blame him" for the resulting collision and cite rules - especially erm... the wrong rules...

The MCA were probably trying to get you off the line.



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[bedouin]

Re: oh dear

For the purpose of Colregs a vessel "Engaged in Fishing" is one that has fishing gear deployed. A trawler which does not have it's nets out is not a "Vessel engaged in fishing" whether or not they are displaying the correct shapes, they are a power driven vessel.

However in this case I imagine the reason that no one was in the wheelhouse is that they were actually working at the time - so they probably were a genuine fishing vessel.

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[Cobra]

A VERY brave strategy!

<Close hauled on Starboard tack I don't give way to anything>

I could imagine you as the subject of a Peyton cartoon!

It is VERY fortunate for you that you do not sail the East Coast, I would hate to see the outcome of your confrontation with the HSF coming out of Harwich!!

<hr width=100% size=1>When God invented time he didn't give me enough of it. ND!

 

[Magic_Sailor]

Not entirely sure what a crash tack is.

But discretion can be the better part of valour especially with a fishing boat.

Magic

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://practical-business.co.uk>Click for website!</A>

 

[Bergman]

Re: Er

Is there a relationship between the name of your boat and your collision avoidance strategy?

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[pcv]

(Close hauled on Starboard tack I don't give way to anything.)

This reminds me of a Jasper Carrot joke

Er the pedestrian didn’t know witch way to run, so I ran over him.

We all share the sea... Start sharing not owning.

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[extravert]

I stay well clear of all fishing boats as much as I can. If there looks like there may be a possibility of a close encounter, I steer away while still far off. Compared to me fishing boats are big, tough, and able to do a lot of damage to our relatively flimsy plastic boats. They often steer erratically, and many don't appear to keep much of a lookout.

Who was the stand on boat in your encounter, and the rights and wrongs of the situation, I don't know. However dubious we find the manner in which some fishermen operate their boats, it is the way that it is, and is not going to change. I reckon complete avoidance of these situations is the safest, calmest way for us.

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I want to be a real sailor. In the mean time I'll just keep tri-ing.

 

[DJE]

Re: OOPS

One for the confessional perhaps.

The "Starboard Tack" part was intended to be tongue in cheek. I am aware of the rules regarding vessels constrained by their draught, narrow channels, etc. -Honest.

Looks like I need to check the definition of fishing though.

The name came with the boat. It has grown on me since but I knew it would be a hostage to fortune. When we just missed a boat called “Melodrama” once it occurred to me that we would make a good Peyton cartoon.


<hr width=100% size=1>Better to keep one's mouth shut and be considered a fool than open it and remove all possible doubt.

 

[tcm]

Re: OOPS

not to worry, I failed to notice a large ship was actually a minesweeper a few weeks ago. Fortunately no explosions...

Wise to keep clear of fishing boats, and if there was an accident they would liklel ybe related to everyone up and down the coast incl the investigator, have done four zillion miles at sea and possibly actually born on board the very fishing boat in question. Whereas ornery boaties will likely be less experienced...

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[Nick_Pam]

Or........

He was all over the place - I had to swerve several times before I hit him!!!!!

N

<hr width=100% size=1>Is it really 42???

 

[Ubergeekian]

Re: OOPS

I've only once seen a shipping displaying the "I'm sweeping mines" lights. Since it was on the Upper Clyde (off Helensburgh) and she was anchored, it seemed unlikely, and I ut it down to over exuberence on the part of the man with the light switch. However, it did lead me to wonder what the correct response would be if I saw it for real. I decided that it would be "Sail away from him, exactly down the middle of his wake"

Ian

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[cameronke]

Re: OOPS

I did my RYA Coastal skipper about ten years ago at Toward sailing Club. I remember thinking how unlikely it would be that I saw the lights designating a minesweeper. Was amazed to see it less than a week later in the Clyde!

Regards
Cameron

<hr width=100% size=1>Work to live, live to sail