Overtaking and being overtaken...

[tillergirl]

I'm not sure whether this is the time to admit that I went the wrong side of those buoys once! I saw this buoy and thought 'that's an odd place to put that' and then came back to the world!

Swatch, I think you were expected to drive your boat onto the 'oggin. Very inconsiderate of you to want to use the channel. I mean 'who are you' to get in front of another boat. Which reminds me of a tale that is alleged to have happened in a CID office at a busy and rather run down station. Early in the evening two detectives were in the office clattering away on typewriters at either end of the long office (yes ok it's an old tale), harassed and fed up. Enters one very pompous and very senior officer on a snap inspection. He stands at the door waiting to be noticed and for the two detectives to stand up in respect. They ignore him and carry on typing. He makes a noise to draw attention to himself. They ignore him. He says 'Good evening'. It isn't so they ignore him. 'Do you know who I am' says the senior officer. The detective near the door carries on typing but calls out to his colleague ''ere John, there's some prat here who doesn't know who he is'

 

[MoodySabre]

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Superb Dan.... I'd have been incapacitated with laughter if i'd seen that!

 

[nigelm]

Perhaps there is something in that patch of water that causes aggression.
I once got a mouthful from someone who veered across my bows causing me to go hard astern. As I went to pass behind him he veered back again. He then shouted at me that you have to pass the green bouys to starboard and the red ones to port, so I was doing it wrong and should get out of his .......ing way.






We were both heading out! He must have just read part of the book.
I just waved and smiled.

Wasnt a starlight 39 by anychance was it ? .

 

[DanTribe]

Wasnt a starlight 39 by anychance was it ? .

No, can't remember the exact class but a smallish sailing cruiser, Vivacity, Alacrity type thing. It was between the Dardanelles creek/ Stone Point and mussel scarf and on a bank holiday, so lots of traffic about. He did cause a bit of mayhem at the time.

 

[photodog]

Funny thing I got a mouthfull last sunday coming in to the Backwaters as well....

Now, I will hold up my hands here first and foremost and say that technically I was in the wrong... I was on port and he was coming out on starboard...

But I was hard on the wind... trying to hold the line.... the other guy, quite a bit bigger than me... was coming out and he was on a Training run.... he was bearing down on me and a Fisher 25 who was coming out in front of him... I was aiming to go behind the fisher and in front of him... so was watching him to see if he was going to go around my stern... at about 75 meters it appeared to be the case he was going to... so I held my line... Then at about 50 meters he seemed to take offence and turned a good 20 or so degrees to stbd to cut me off... as well as take both my and the Fishers wind.... So I have to bear off and didnt make the line and had to go to my engine...

As he went by and left me wallowing... he yelled about my point of sail.... but surely he must have known that I was hard on the wind and in a narrow channel and it would have been zero problem for him to go around my stern......

I try not to impede a boat on the wind in a narrow channel if I am on a run... easy enough to do....

So, was I wrong to hope for some common manners???

 

[Leighb]

If I had been in the other guy's position I would definitely given you some room, but cautiously, as there is always a risk that if the stand on vessel alters course at the same time as the give way one belatedly does so, there is a risk of a more serious collision.

I agree that it is easy for a yacht sailing free to alter course a little to allow one hard on the wind to hold the line.

 

[LittleSister]

Now, I will hold up my hands here first and foremost and say that technically I was in the wrong...

From your account it sounds like it was actually him that was in the wrong, as the stand on vessel is required to hold their course.

 

[Leighb]

From your account it sounds like it was actually him that was in the wrong, as the stand on vessel is required to hold their course.

That is of course correct, but he may have to alter course so as not to go aground? I guess not in this instance, but it could be a factor on other occasions.

It comes down to the fact that if possible it is best to allow for "unusual" behaviour by other vessels.

 

[nigelm]

maybe i'm missing sumat here but if this other guy was up wind of the others and therefore windward boat surely he should of kept clear ? , unless constrained by draft or what ever .

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

maybe i'm missing sumat here but if this other guy was up wind of the others and therefore windward boat surely he should of kept clear ? , unless constrained by draft or what ever .

Depends which tack each boat was on as well! Port gives way to starboard. Windward gives way to leeward when boats are on the same tack. Can't tell from Photodog's account which tack he was on.

 

[photodog]

I was on port.. he was on starboard... Thats why I am wondering about manners!

 

[SilverTT]

Power gives way to sail, and also the overtaking vessel must keep clear. You have a right to be there, so they will just have to lump it.

In a channel everybody is restricted in ability to manoeuvre. Why use your sails.

 

[swatchways]

In a channel everybody is restricted in ability to manoeuvre. Why use your sails.

Indeed - but then if restricted within a channel then why overtake at the pinch point was my original point really? And what if the engine has a problem so you can't use it?

 

[johnalison]

In a channel everybody is restricted in ability to manoeuvre. Why use your sails.

I can understand asking people not to sail among moorings, but there's no reason why sailing, or even tacking in a narrow channel should not be compatible with good seamanship, let alone our freedom to go where we like. If you need practice, try sailing on the Broads without a motor.

 

[nigelm]

try sailing on the Broads without a motor.

been there done that , when i built my Pegasus 700 from a kit at the Pegasus yard on Oulton Broad i didnt have a motor straight away , didnt stop me from sailing round Oulton broad / River Waveney to the Waveney river center for dinner/drinks and back again though

it does make you stop and think about stuff alot more !!