Single handed look out? Collision in transat

[DFL1010]

Both of those confirm my interpretation that single-handed long distance sailing must necessarily break IRPCS R5, as it is not possible to at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing.

 

[Foolish Muse]

None of us singlehanders have ever denied that it breaks the rule in the strictest sense. There is no doubt that I break the rule every time I go out for an afternoon's sail and duck below to change my foulies. But what's to be done? Is the ship going to press charges for their scratched paint? Is the racer going to press charges against the ship? Is France, the home of singlehanded sailing, going to levy fines every time their racers head out on the water in an IMOCA 60?

I can tell you that singlehanded sailors have learned to live with the risk, and the ships just don't care. So it's a rule looking for a problem.

 

[pyrojames]

The Atlantic might be a big place, and we met 3 yachts in a full Atlantic circuit, two on the way to the Caribbean about 200 miles short of Barbados and one on the way back about 100 miles off the Scillies.

The one off the Scillies, was one we encountered off Barbados 7 months earlier.

 

[Birdseye]

Errr, yes.

It'd be interesting to see how well the yacht was maintaining course and speed (I suspect not so much).

I really do thing it's time to change the whole power gives way to sail thing, as it is no longer supported by the general assumption of how the rules work

According to our local VTS, when I was checking movement before a race, the rule has been changed . It is now "plastic gives way to iron". And he was serious!

 

[oldbilbo]

According to our local VTS, when I was checking movement before a race, the rule has been changed . It is now "plastic gives way to iron". And he was serious!

And the ColRegs permit such local variations/aggravations/complications, made and published by Local Authorities....

Part of the problem becomes that of reading Local Notices To Mariners without an internet connection.

 

[Lyndsey Doyle]

According to our local VTS, when I was checking movement before a race, the rule has been changed . It is now "plastic gives way to iron". And he was serious!

To extend that heirarchy, iron must give way to wood

 

[Georgio]

To extend that heirarchy, iron must give way to wood

Iron normally gives way to concrete.

 

[oldbilbo]

Iron normally gives way to concrete.

...and granite.

 

[DownWest]

Neil, believe it or not, the main "coping strategy" is just plain luck. The ocean is a REALLY big place and other ships only take up a tiny, itsy-bitsy, minuscule portion of that really big place. The odds of hitting a a ship are unbelievably small. I'm sure you have better odds of getting run over while walking on the sidewalk in any city.
.

Two recent cases. One friend was on a transat and came up the hatch to talk to the on watch guy. Right behind them was a large ship. The Watch had not looked behind for a while and had not seen it. He got it on the radio and was convinced that they had not been seen, despite what the ship said, as they should have altered course some time before. This was the first vessel seen in two weeks. AIS? The ship had it turned off and the yacht an RX only.

Other friend coming back solo from Madeira, looks around and goes below. Around 15mins later is struck a glancing blow by a large reefer, causing extensive damage. He elected to abandon and was picked up by another ship. The one that hit him did not stop, despite radio contact. He had no AIS, as engine less and limited electrics. Again, he had not seen a ship for a couple of days.
So it is a risk.