right of passage

[beltsandbraces]

having moved from brighton marina to Chichester being out on the water is completely different there is a lot more going on and a lot more to watch out for. Now i know power gives way to sail and we are only allowed to do 8 knots and the small flappy things are allowed to go however fast they like, we have to look out for them when they hide behind there sails, I know all that but we had an incident at the weekend, we where doing about 6 knots keeping behind a sailing boat heading between way points when this 4 metre sailing thingy was coming up very fast on our port side we could not see them as they were hiding we had no where to go so we sped up with a view they would go behind us all of a sudden they saw us and tacked out of the way, while hurling abuse and upsetting my wife. where we in the wrong surely they have to take some responsibility. this is not a rant at sailing boat owners but some do seem to just aim for you and expect us to move, I don't get it surely we are all just there to enjoy the joys of boating.

 

[Firefly625]

having moved from brighton marina to Chichester being out on the water is completely different there is a lot more going on and a lot more to watch out for. Now i know power gives way to sail and we are only allowed to do 8 knots and the small flappy things are allowed to go however fast they like, we have to look out for them when they hide behind there sails, I know all that but we had an incident at the weekend, we where doing about 6 knots keeping behind a sailing boat heading between way points when this 4 metre sailing thingy was coming up very fast on our port side we could not see them as they were hiding we had no where to go so we sped up with a view they would go behind us all of a sudden they saw us and tacked out of the way, while hurling abuse and upsetting my wife. where we in the wrong surely they have to take some responsibility. this is not a rant at sailing boat owners but some do seem to just aim for you and expect us to move, I don't get it surely we are all just there to enjoy the joys of boating.

moving around Chichester harbour in a motor boat can be tricky. You do need keen eyes and to take care. It sounds like that is exactly what you have been doing. You attempted to avoid a situation, perhaps your call to speed up rather than slow down was correct, however to the dinghy racer you could probably have done no right whatever you had done. I have dinghy sailed in Chichester and I know the joys of irritating motorboats (at the time I knew no better), what I would say is a visible display that a Motorboat is actually stopping to let you pass generally goes down better than you speeding up, as in a dinghy you probably wont be able to tell if the Mobo you are on a collision course with has speed up from 6 knots to 8 knots... you will just see it carrying on regardless.

 

[ricky_s]

having moved from brighton marina to Chichester being out on the water is completely different there is a lot more going on and a lot more to watch out for. Now i know power gives way to sail and we are only allowed to do 8 knots and the small flappy things are allowed to go however fast they like, we have to look out for them when they hide behind there sails, I know all that but we had an incident at the weekend, we where doing about 6 knots keeping behind a sailing boat heading between way points when this 4 metre sailing thingy was coming up very fast on our port side we could not see them as they were hiding we had no where to go so we sped up with a view they would go behind us all of a sudden they saw us and tacked out of the way, while hurling abuse and upsetting my wife. where we in the wrong surely they have to take some responsibility. this is not a rant at sailing boat owners but some do seem to just aim for you and expect us to move, I don't get it surely we are all just there to enjoy the joys of boating.

I'm moving to Gosport to get away from this issue and to get away from the 8 knots restriction for Mobos, very unfair and frankly pointless in most of the very wide harbour.

 

[gjgm]

having moved from brighton marina to Chichester being out on the water is completely different there is a lot more going on and a lot more to watch out for. Now i know power gives way to sail and we are only allowed to do 8 knots and the small flappy things are allowed to go however fast they like, we have to look out for them when they hide behind there sails, I know all that but we had an incident at the weekend, we where doing about 6 knots keeping behind a sailing boat heading between way points when this 4 metre sailing thingy was coming up very fast on our port side we could not see them as they were hiding we had no where to go so we sped up with a view they would go behind us all of a sudden they saw us and tacked out of the way, while hurling abuse and upsetting my wife. where we in the wrong surely they have to take some responsibility. this is not a rant at sailing boat owners but some do seem to just aim for you and expect us to move, I don't get it surely we are all just there to enjoy the joys of boating.

Yep, sounds like my experiences of some dinghy sailors in Chichester harbour. I wouldnt worry that they didn't manage to hit you. That will come. However, bear in mind that most of these dinghies are extremely manoeuvrable. Their shouting is usually bevause they didnt see you, not that you did something wrong. It IS irritating. Take a sail number and report it to HM. Maybe it gets back to the club, because I dont think the HM likes any bad behaviour on the water, whatever boat is your choice.

 

[[2068]]

I'm moving to Gosport to get away from this issue and to get away from the 8 knots restriction for Mobos, very unfair and frankly pointless in most of the very wide harbour.

Hmm, I'm not sure I'd agree with that.
For a small inflatable, maybe.

But 4500kg of S28 going fast past a moored boat would end up with flying teacups and a consequent loss of popularity.
Kayaks would be practicing their capsize recovery drill.
Windsurfers used to "waves" would be fine. Beginners would be swimming underneath their sail.
Dinghies would be gybing without meaning to.

It would be chaos.

 

[ricky_s]

Hmm, I'm not sure I'd agree with that.
For a small inflatable, maybe.

But 4500kg of S28 going fast past a moored boat would end up with flying teacups and a consequent loss of popularity.
Kayaks would be practicing their capsize recovery drill.
Windsurfers used to "waves" would be fine. Beginners would be swimming underneath their sail.
Dinghies would be gybing without meaning to.

It would be chaos.

Yeah, but its 10 knots in Portsmouth and I think the same in Langston? You can still have consideration for other boats whatever the limit though I appreciate some wouldn't.

 

[beltsandbraces]

ty for the replies, I can see how accelerating might look more aggressive than slowing down but instinct kicked in, to be honest if he had not turned he would of hit us, and yes they turned on a dime, who would have been liable if he had t boned us. my wife was more upset at the abuse and hand signals received from these people and next time I will take details and report.

 

[[2068]]

They are both a bit different.

Portsmouth is more about commercial traffic (ferries, etc.).
Langstone is mostly deserted apart from concrete lumps and wrecks.
Chichester is full of many different types of water users, especially between East Head and HISC.

But you're right that the speed limit is a blunt instrument. People can still cause chaos at 8kts...

 

[Firefly625]

depends on your boat and the wash you create, I tend to go 6 knots in Chichester as at 8 knots I cause far too much wash to be reasonable.

........but as every other mobo owner tends to overtake me I know I'm the odd one out. (nothing new there...)