Near miss

[alanch]

I was seriously impeded yesterday by a motor sailor under power, who thought it wise to cross port to starboard at a fine angle and disappear under my bow. Trying to put 62240 hp (yes that is correct) into full astern from 12 knots is not good for my blood pressure or my ulcers, and causes vast ammounts of adrenaline to run down the back of my legs. His excuse when apprehended was that he thought we were at anchor. Is there any chance in the near future that we can have a compulsory basic boat handling qualification that covers common sense? Please do not put your 10m pride and joy anywhere near the bow of my 272m Container ship in confined waters where I have nowhere to alter course to.

 

[sarabande]

OK, so I guess that you used the appropriate sound signals, but isn't there a call for a directional loudspeaker or modified laser to attract the clots's attention before you get into a close quarter situation.

A bigger version of this ?
http://www.audionation-uk.com/directionalsound.html?gclid=CMPvu4L-p5wCFc0B4wodAXtCjg


I don't believe that even making training compulsory will prevent Grade One foolishness, so some form of outside-Colreg action is needed.

BTW, was that "apprehended" as in stopped by the HM's accompanying launch, or "came to realise" when s/he was lifted on the bow wave ?

 

[epervier]

I was seriously impeded yesterday by a motor sailor under power, who thought it wise to cross port to starboard at a fine angle and disappear under my bow. Trying to put 62240 hp (yes that is correct) into full astern from 12 knots is not good for my blood pressure or my ulcers, and causes vast ammounts of adrenaline to run down the back of my legs. His excuse when apprehended was that he thought we were at anchor. Is there any chance in the near future that we can have a compulsory basic boat handling qualification that covers common sense? Please do not put your 10m pride and joy anywhere near the bow of my 272m Container ship in confined waters where I have nowhere to alter course to.

witnessed a similar incident on southampton water this Friday a yottie tacking in front of a container ship, 5 blasts from the container ship and the idiot tacked back across for a second go, another 5 blasts and he got the hint and kept going until he was clear of the main channel, it does make me wonder if they DO really believe that old tosh about washing before power. never mind actually reading any publications on navigating southampton water as put out by the harbourboard, or even listening to VTS.

 

[John100156]

Frightening - Are you sure they were not displaying this day shape:

 

[tinkicker0]

I was seriously impeded yesterday by a motor sailor under power, who thought it wise to cross port to starboard at a fine angle and disappear under my bow. Trying to put 62240 hp (yes that is correct) into full astern from 12 knots is not good for my blood pressure or my ulcers, and causes vast ammounts of adrenaline to run down the back of my legs. His excuse when apprehended was that he thought we were at anchor. Is there any chance in the near future that we can have a compulsory basic boat handling qualification that covers common sense? Please do not put your 10m pride and joy anywhere near the bow of my 272m Container ship in confined waters where I have nowhere to alter course to.

If a collision had occurred, you would have been able to dicuss the finer points of COLREGS etiquette right up the point that the water came up to the other skippers mouth.

How much would it have cost in paint to do the necessary repairs to your ship?

I had a very similar incident on a very much smaller scale on the river last year. Sailing dinghy turns sharply and crosses my path about 6 feet in front of my bow, then turns 180 degrees and nearly hit me amidships.

No sorry or even the faintest comprehension of what he had done crossed his glazed expression. Good job he was on the river, I felt like tearing him a new bodily orifice.

 

[wp1234]

Trying to put 62240 hp (yes that is correct) into full astern from 12 knots is not good for my blood pressure or my ulcers, and causes vast ammounts of adrenaline to run down the back of my legs. .

Noticed your a Marine Pilot - How was the ships Master feeeling , has he recovered yet !!!

 

[oceanfroggie]

Near miss? I think you meant near hit, as near miss implies the two vessels did in fact collide, as opposed to just missed each other (ie nearly hit). It's a common mistake used by the media who report "near misses" instead of "air misses" which is what they are in aviation.

PS: Just back from a spint on a 311m long, 150,000 ton cruise liner and watched with amazement a yacht and a small sports cruiser cross right under her bows as she left port, ship's horn blaring x x x x x!

 

[PEJ]

Near miss? I think you meant near hit,

I thought this was a shooting/military term that had been hijacked. When shooting a near miss is a miss that was very close to being a hit. So when a bullet whizzes past your ear you are pleased that it was a "near miss". Although I concede in the shooting case one person was hoping for a hit and the other was hoping for a miss. In the OP's case both should have wanted a miss.

 

[gandy]

Is there any chance in the near future that we can have a compulsory basic boat handling qualification that covers common sense?

You only have to see what goes on on the roads to see that compulsory qualifications have nothing at all to do with common sense. Or look at some of the silly mistakes made by professionals in a number of fields where qualifications are compulsory.

 

[John100156]

You only have to see what goes on on the roads to see that compulsory qualifications have nothing at all to do with common sense....

Not a realistic comparison though! Compared with a 272m long container ship with 62,240 hp travelling at 12 knots in confined waters!

I did my day skipper in Gibralta and was taught very quickly to recognise day shapes and other tell-tale signs. These skippers are professionals going about their business, us leisure boaters really should respect them when out to play, most of us do I hope! Perhaps the OP can enlighten us, good to get his perspective!

 

[oldrib]

seriously making me reconsider my future career choice