Safe Distance

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What exactly is a safe minimum distance between boats?

Ignoring racing, there must be a reasonable distance depending on the circumstances. My belief is that yachting is a non-contact sport but I have been "just missed" by varying degrees including one yacht that left his life ring attached to my yacht while I was at anchor.

Example categories:
1. Solent on a busy weekend?
2. Head on yachts 12 miles from a coast?
3. Overtaking in an overfalls while rounding a headland?
4. Ships and yachts crossing in the Channel?
5. Open Ocean: 1 yacht overtaking another?
6. Open Ocean: ship and yacht
7. Passing yachts at anchor?

What is acceptable? At what distance do you take note? At what distance do you worry? When do you take action?

Any ideas?
 
IMHO.


1. Solent on a busy weekend? 20ft
2. Head on yachts 12 miles from a coast?50ft
3. Overtaking in an overfalls while rounding a headland?100 ft
4. Ships and yachts crossing in the Channel? 1 cable
5. Open Ocean: 1 yacht overtaking another? shouting range
6. Open Ocean: ship and yacht 0.5 nm
7. Passing yachts at anchor? 3 ft /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
a bit more?

1. Solent on a busy weekend? 20ft and one inch
2. Head on yachts 12 miles from a coast?50ft and one inch
3. Overtaking in an overfalls while rounding a headland?100 ft and one inch
4. Ships and yachts crossing in the Channel? 1 cable and one inch
5. Open Ocean: 1 yacht overtaking another? shouting range and one inch
6. Open Ocean: ship and yacht 0.5 nm and one inch
7. Passing yachts at anchor? 3 ft and one inch
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ships and yachts crossing in the Channel? 1 cable

[/ QUOTE ]

The cable I have on my extension lead is 5 meters, thats a bit close?
 
...................... taking Talbot's >


<span style="color:blue">
1. Solent on a busy weekend? 20ft</span> ok - but would prefer more !!
<span style="color:blue">2. Head on yachts 12 miles from a coast?50ft</span> ...... far too close for me to feel comfortable - small error would be problem.
<span style="color:blue">3. Overtaking in an overfalls while rounding a headland?100 ft</span> far far too close unless channel is too narrow .... with overfalls anything can happen ...
<span style="color:blue">4. Ships and yachts crossing in the Channel? 1 cable</span> This is def. not on as a ship has great difficulty seeing yachts when close as the overhangs of deck etc. obscure the yacht ... you should try to pass with greatest dist possible ... and anyway - as a yacht - I would turn away from a ship early so no misunderstanding of intention.
<span style="color:blue">5. Open Ocean: 1 yacht overtaking another? shouting range</span> ... ok as you probably need a chat !!
<span style="color:blue">6. Open Ocean: ship and yacht 0.5 nm</span> Anothert ship / yacht situation that calls for far greater distance ... 1/2 nm for ship is near collision dist. and is to be avoided at all times ... make that at least 1 nm or more ... even ship meeting ship is expected to be more than 1nm in fact most capt's require a lot more ... as one of my first capts at sea put it - why with all the ocean do you have to get so close ??
<span style="color:blue">7. Passing yachts at anchor? 3 ft</span> mmmmmmmmm normally dictated by channel width !!

Honestly - passing distances are not set and really boil down to circumstances such as geographic limits, weather, visibility of each vessel etc. etc. Remember you on the yacht can see a lot and distances seem more ... to a ship your safe distnace may pass in his obscured area and then he has serious problem and worry that you re-appear ... imagine hoiw far ahead you need to be so that he can see you over the bow ?

As that Capt said - why pass so close when you have so much water to play in ?
 
Unless you are plotting very accurately I don't see how you can predict the point of closest approach in a yacht. I tend to just point the boat at his stern as soon as it seems there's going to be a problem then keep pointing at his stern until I am back on my original course.
Safe distance to large ships? 1 mile under his stern or 5 miles across his bow in open water. 1/4 mile and 1 mile in the Solent.
 
Did the chap depositing a life ring come back and collect it (and apologise)?

We had a similar issue in Ramsgate once - we were moored to the last finger at the end of a pontoon when some racing chap decided to make a flying pass in order to collect a late crew member from the end of the pontoon (fenders? don't even ask) on the first pass he glanced off our sides but missed the crew member (rousing us from below) and, without a second thought he came round again, bounced off us, collected his missing crew, who was looking distictly embarrassed and legged it out of the harbour (apology from the skipper? don't even ask). Our saving grace was a couple of fenders placed on that side of the boat on a just in case basis
 
But the initial requirement called for minimum distance. Under normal circumstances I would allow more room, but not less than minimum.

I have spent a (worrying) 4 hour watch as the centre ship of a formation with 6 patrol boats all within 400 yds cruising along the malay peninsular.
 
Are there any other views? It amazes me the variation in what is thought normal. Why should an overtaking vessel in open ocean cause the stand on vessel to hold its course for so long when they could easily have passed at a considerate distance.

Under the assumption of an uncontrolled gybe or autopilot error by the stand on vessel.

Assuming 6 knots which is 6 * 0.51m/s or 10ft/s

1. Solent on a busy weekend? 20ft -- an alarming 2 seconds

2. Head on yachts 12 miles from a coast?50ft -- 5 seconds not enough time to get back from the Radar.

3. Overtaking in an overfalls while rounding a headland?100 ft -- 10 seconds and there was no one in the cockpit for the whole time.
 
Unless I am much mistaken, instructors teaching the practical aspects of the collision regulations in ship simulators suggest that a minimum CPA (closest point of approach) for vessels closing each other in the open sea should be two miles, with three miles much preferred.

In other words, when the ARPA (these days!) or your manual plot (in the ?good? old days) indicates a CPA of less than this, you should alter course early, before the other vessel is in sight, so as to give this CPA.

This is obviously impractical in confined waters, hence separation schemes.
 
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