Question of Seamanship

[rhinorhino]

Am I missing something in this month's question of seamanship? The answer seems to be quite wrong.
Ignoring the photograph which shows a channel with enough room to pass a supertanker, the question is this; you are tacking up a narrow channel, a coaster (which you haven't seen till then) signals from close astern that it doesn't understand your intentions (5 short blasts) what do you do?
Suggested answer is bear away back down the channel.
Several thoughts occur; you are stand on vessel (assuming you both must remain in the channel for reasons of draft, coaster (as passing vessel) should keep clear.
If there is room for you to pass him going down the channel there is room for him to pass you going up. If not where are you going to bear away to? To bear away will put you right across his bows.
Am I missing it?

 

[Guest]

I thought that was wierd as well. My first thought was to heave to - to save losing too much ground whilst maintaining control of the vessel (certainly, looking at the picture I reckon there's enough room). The coaster is the overtaking vessel and he is under power so at first sight he is the give way vessel - but he is very limited in his ability to manouvre (as slowing down means no steering and he is headed by a strong wind so would presumably drift dangerously in a narrow channel).

Geoff W

 

[Jacket]

Am I missing something?Lets say the coaster is doing 7 or 8 knots. If you're doing 5 knots or so, its going to take the coaster a reasonable while to get past you. If the channel is fairly narrow (or even the width of the channel in the photo) you'll have to do several tacks in the time it takes him to get past, so it is not really practical to keep going. Heaving to's a possibility, but only if you're confident over your drift speed and direction - and don't forget that the current could push you into danger.

Bearing off and passing the coaster by sailing downwind seems to me the only real possibility. I don't understand your comment 'If there is room for you to pass him going down the channel there is room for him to pass you going up.' Because you don't need much room to pass him if you're running, but for him to pass you while you're beating requires far more room as you're zig-zagging all over the place. What am I missing?

 

[AndrewB]

Yes, that was my first thought, too.

Make for one side and either heave to or roll up the headsail and sling an anchor. But few yachts will stop dead on heaving to and you'd tend to forereach into the bank. Anchoring would leave you dangerously unmanoevrable if the yacht should end up in the wrong place.

I guess bearing away, knocking off most of the sail so as not to go too fast in the wrong direction (but still be manoevrable), is the safe option.

 

[Guest]

Matter of judgement

From the picture and description (50 yards way I think) then IMHO you'd only have to heave to for a very short period - you wouldn't even have to let him past before you set off again - the channel wasn't that narrow. Besides the bastards left it a bit late to warn you of his presence bearing in mind he is the over taking vessel.

Incidentally, I think anchoring was out due to the nature if the bottom.

Geoff

 

[rhinorhino]

Re: Yes, that was my first thought, too.

The question seemed to suggest that the coaster was a couple of cables away and had no room to pass. Bearing away would take you back to the centre of the channel, wouldn't it?
Heaving to (for a very short period of time) seemed a good idea to me.
I also considered a quick word on VHF to explain the problem to him.
Also I don't know what the channel markers were but, you could consider tempory use of one as a mooring, if it were a smallish post and there were room to get underway again afterward.
Also unseamanlike not to have anchor ready to run in this type of situation. If bottom too rocky to anchor, how about 50m of chain, that should keep you still for a while.

 

[Guest]

I don\'t think so

Remember, the wind was right on the nose with our vessel on a starboard tack. The overtaking vessel was on our starboard side also. So to bear away from the wind would take you away from the vessel.

However, I thought therefore, closer to the side of the channel and therefore risk of grounding - hence heaving to as the lesser of 2 weavils (as my mate Jack Aubrey would say).

Geoff

 

[Mirelle]

I agree

There is another factor here - interaction. As the smaller vessel, being overtaken in a narrow channel, you will be pushed away from the coaster's bow, sucked in to him amidships and, if you are lucky, shoved out again by the stern wave. If you are not lucky you will be drawn into his propeller.

This effect is quite real, as a young man I was involved in the investigation of the loss of the Lowestoft tug "Barkis" which was rolled over by the coaster "Jupiter" - the two vessels were al low speed and they never touched.

So I would prefer to keep speed up, so as to have control of my vessel. I would also turn and run past the coaster so as to minimise the time the two vessels are close together, and then harden up again.

 

[andy_wilson]

\'Questionable Seamanship\' rather than \'A Question

Any channel which can take a coaster that would be severly limited in it's ability to etc. would also have clear sailing (or not) instructions and 24hr Port Control.

Somebody forgot to call the HM then and find out what traffic was due, and seek further advice.

Anyway the way out of the 5h1t is to run downwind with sails sheeted hard enough to provide minimum steerage way (save losing ground), thus minimising time spent abeam of each other.

Wouldn't be too keen lassoing a channel marker with the swell arriving imminently.