Really practical ColRegs problem

bilbobaggins

bilbobaggins

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There are about 3 months to hammer this out, before it 'goes live'.

Situation: It is 0830hrs on Saturday 23 June 2007, and you are motor-sailing inbound, over halfway up the Needles Channel, against the ebb and a light north-easterly. Visibility is about 1 mile, in patchy fog. Your vessel is a 42' AWB, on delivery from Cardiff to Chichester, you are two-handed, and quite tired after a slow non-stop leg from Plymouth. You want to make it into Yarmouth for a shower, breakfast at the 'greasy spoon' cafe, and some kip.

You've just been passed by some big 'Class One' racers outbound, and looking ahead you see a solid wall of spinnakers emerge from the mist, completely filling the channel from Hurst to Fort Albert. There are suddenly 5 helicopters milling about in the overhead - one of them the yellow-painted Coastguard 'IJ' - and two lifeboats.

You have a sudden, overwhelming feeling of foreboding. What do you do.......?

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
well - proper answer keep out of the way (you are motoring)- improper answer motor up close to them - if it's really light winds (like last year) - get involved and hurl abuse everywhere
 
stop.....drop enough chain to put the anchor under water...hoist anchor ball ....then they need to avoid you but if reqd. you can still move!
 
Hmm - day of the RTI Race.

I could be cynical and say just carry on -most of the boats won't notice that you are in the way, and they wouldn't know the colregs if your were....

However, for the real answer you can choose from

1. Get into Alum bay or somewhere nearby and anchor for a while until the fleet have gone past.

2. Make sure you have a cone up and proceed with extreme caution.

3. Turn the engine off and start tacking up the channel - and put your ear defenders on.
 
Forget breakfast, showers and shelter (you won't get in anyway). Turn and go with the flow approaching Chichester from the Eastern Solent. Oh, and have a quiet word with yourself about taking into account scheduled local events with your passage planning in future!
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Been in this situation twice now, or very close to it...

I found that as you approach there will be gaps in the wall (we know a song about that) and by keeping over to the IOW side you'll be able to cross the least amount of RTI ers..
 
You have a perfect right to complete your passage through an accepted shipping channel. You are engaged in a purposeful activity while they are just going round in circles. My usual policy is to give lots of room to the leading boats and to hell with the tail-enders. Doesn't work with handicap races. Send women and children below.
 
[ QUOTE ]
There are about 3 months to hammer this out, before it 'goes live'.

Situation: It is 0830hrs on Saturday 23 June 2007, and you are motor-sailing inbound, over halfway up the Needles Channel, against the ebb and a light north-easterly. Visibility is about 1 mile, in patchy fog. Your vessel is a 42' AWB, on delivery from Cardiff to Chichester, you are two-handed, and quite tired after a slow non-stop leg from Plymouth. You want to make it into Yarmouth for a shower, breakfast at the 'greasy spoon' cafe, and some kip.

You've just been passed by some big 'Class One' racers outbound, and looking ahead you see a solid wall of spinnakers emerge from the mist, completely filling the channel from Hurst to Fort Albert. There are suddenly 5 helicopters milling about in the overhead - one of them the yellow-painted Coastguard 'IJ' - and two lifeboats.

You have a sudden, overwhelming feeling of foreboding. What do you do.......?

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Colregs ???? Inthink they may get abandoned by many that are approaching you ... so damn the torpedos and forge on ... "Scotty I seem to be in a bit of bother here ... Beam me up "

Honest ... I'd just plough on through and as long as the shout STARBOARD was loud and strong enough - alter only for that .... oh - Id have engine on but no cone ... and full sail !! But I'm like that ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
"Don't panic! Don't panic!"

Well, it didn't take you lot long to suss out how to deal with >1500 mad-cap frenzied racers wall-to-wall, and out of any form of control.

Perhaps 'one of our number' would do a 'snatch' on a couple of the ring-leaders..... or then again, perhaps not.

"Beam me up, Scottie!"

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
RTI isn't really a racing fleet.

It is mainly mom and pop cruising boats out for a sail in company or corporate heroes on a "team building" bollox. Neither sections of the fleet know any of the up to date racing rules. The RTI is the one race guaranteed to have hails of "mast abeam". They might have an inliking of the colregs if you are lucky.

I value my boat too much to risk her with so many numptys in such a small area.
 
I think, get the sails down asap to make it patently obvious that you're not to be mistaken for a sailing vessel. The majority of the fleet won't even have seen your sails yet.
Then pick your way through. Should be easy enough if they're all stationary like last year.
I've never understood motor-sailing, anyway.
 
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you are motor-sailing inbound, over halfway up the Needles Channel, against the ebb and a light north-easterly

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In those famous words " I would not have started from here!"
I would go in from the west around N Head buoy, because there is less current until you get to Hurst point.
Then you will miss the solid wall of spinnakers /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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Who says a racing fleet is "out of any form of control"

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Hee!Hee! T'was me.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Anyone with an almanac handy, willing to post what the tide-stream will be making down through there at that date/time?

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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Anyone with an almanac handy, willing to post what the tide-stream will be making down through there at that date/time?

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HW Pompey 0548 BST. Range 2.1 m (neaps range is 2.0)

3hrs after HW stream in Needles Channel is about 1.5 knots outward.

My bet would have been to take the North Channel anyway, tides are weaker. Poor passage planning!
 
I would much rather be faced by a sea of spinnakers than a fleet that was tacking through Hurst!

If they are running down the Solent then the fleet will be sticking to the strong current (which is with them - against you), you can just go near one shore (as you would anyway) and creep through unmolested.
 
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