Summer's here! Boatrage in the Solent

[jimi]

Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Sigh ... after the nice peaceful winter where the Solent was quiet and peaceful and everybody was nice to each other, summer and rudeness have returned ... beam reaching from Cowes to Calshot just clearing the Brambles, slowed down to let 2 large vessels clear the shipping lane, an my port quarter about 100yds away, yacht beating, I'm the windward boat so I'm keeping an eye on it .. all of a sudden all hell breaks loose on it in the shape of a woman perched on the windward rail screaming "windward boat give way" followed by a torrent of abuse .. I thought "sod it" and stood on as the relative bearing had been changing anyway and I had estimated it would pass behind anyway! Torrent of abuse continued and by this time our little one was in tears and other two girls wondered what the hell was going on. Nearest & dearest then woke up from her doze thinking there'd been an accident and they wanted rescueing! Thinking I can't let her get away with this, I'm ashamed to say I responded in kind. I then gave chase to get the boat name (which was in very small letters) and the sail numbers (so I am in a position to name and shame although I'd be loth to). Was then subjected to further abuse.
How would you react in that situation bearing in mind the torrent of abuse started from about 100 yds away when in my opinion the bearing was changing and I was comfortable that I'd pass ahead or be able take the necessary avoiding action in plenty of time?




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[bedouin]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Well, technically you were in the wrong. As give way vessel you are required to take early and obvious action to avoid collision, and avoid crossing ahead of the stand on vessel. In saying you "estimated it would pass behind" suggests that you had done neither of these things. And the fact that the crew on the other boat (a) were close enough to shout at you and (b) felt the need to do so; suggest that they too felt you were not complying with colregs.

Sailing is supposed to be a relaxing sport, rather than entering into a game of chicken with the stand on boat, I would take early and obvious action to avoid collision

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[max_power]

How close is close ?

I think it costs nothing to give a little ' dink' on the tiller to let the other boat know whats what. Many sad bastards on the water love to cut things fine - probably because their dick never developed properly.

These days of 'wraparound' dodgers and sprayhoods tend to make life difficult these days.

I think sailors who drive BMW's should indicate this fact on sail areas. We can then ram the bastards to get our own back for living with them on the roads.

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[Birdseye]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

"How would you react in that situation ?"

by sailing on, happy smile on my face, ignoring all the noise. you just lowered yourself to her level - you're a matched pair!


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[bigmart]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Making a post like this here is a hiding to nothing. You just get a load of opinions from people, who know nothing of the intimate details of the incident, based on a perfect situation.

The way I deal with these people who seek to make you look incompetent on the water, by the volume of their insults, is to smile sweetly at them & show no emotion. I find it most satisfying as their rage overflows. To know that I have ruined the peace of their day out on the water & the major cause of this was their over inflated ego's just makes my day.

Some have called me a Bastard & they might be right.

Who cares.

Martin

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[Observer]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Mmmm. I may be an unlikely obvious advocate on Jimi's behalf (in view of spats he and I have had on other subjects) but I consider that he, as a very recently qualified YM, must be a very competent yachtsman and was correctly confident of his reading of the situation.

On the other hand, I would observe that it is quite possible (even likely) that skipper of the other yacht may well have been less experienced/competent and may not have had Jimi's confidence that Jimi would pass comfortably ahead of him. If that was the case, his (or his crew's) reaction is undertandable, even if it was an over-reaction.

I somtimes find a similar argument (against myself) on the road when I observe drivers making a manoeuvre, in relation to me, which I find, on inital reaction, as "aggressive". I then think "I sometime do the same, in that position". I am a reasonably experienced driver and, if such a manoeuvre appears to me, at first take, to be a bit on the aggressive side, it's not unlikely that it would appear to be "extremely aggressive" to a less experienced driver.

The skipper who guided me on my delivery trip back to UK from Holland 6 years ago insisted that, in any give way situation, one should "show the other light". It seems, at first take, a bit extreme, but there is no doubt that it will leave the other fellow in no doubt.



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[jimi]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Did say it was 100yds and a very explosive contribution from the 'lady' in question ..

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[Cornishman]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Once had a similar situation in France. French yachtsman bellowed in broken English something intelligible. One of our crew replied
"Solly, no speaka da Engleesh".
Exit fat Frenchie stage right, perplexed.

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[jimi]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Many thanks, but what I was really referring to was not so much the rights and wrongs of the CR but someone's appallingly rude behaviour. If there's much more of that I'll move the boat elsewhere.

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[Cornishman]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

You'd be welcome in Cornwall me 'andsome. We might get round to dealing with the situation drekly. Drekly? Same as manyana but not quite so urgent.

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[Gunfleet]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

100 per cent right big mart. The more apoplectic, rude and bossy they are, the more a cheery wave and 'thanks for the advice' sticks it to them.

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[jimi]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Think you're right .. it does stick in my craw though that such behaviour is'nt punishable by death!! I've done a wee bit of research into the boat in question ... and yes it is a racer .. I've given up dinghy racing now because of that very attitude! Shoukld we cruisers be allowed torpedo tubes to sink the rude racers that behave in such a fashion even when not racing?

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[jimi]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Funnily enough we were just considering that in the pub tonight, but it would restrict us as evening/day sails would not be possible .. would love to though

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Boatrage in the Solent

Last season we got close enough to another yacht that I actually took quite a nice photo of it with my 1000mm telephoto lens. I think he saw us wave through his bins before we sailed off in different directions in the sun.

Col regs on a weekend cruise, how crude /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

You should come away from the Solent and learn to enjoy the peace and why we actually go sailing.

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[bedouin]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

I don't mean to be critical, I know how annoying that sort of behaviour is. Are you sure about that 100yds? I would struggle to make myself heard in still air over 100ft - given that you were 100yds upwind, and there was a reasonable wind - that woman must had an incredible set of lungs on her to make enough noise to disturb your children at that range.

Let me ask you a couple of questions -

(a) would you have acted that way had you had a yachtmaster examiner on board?
(b) what was the distance of closest approach, and did you cross ahead or behind?

You do need to make allowance for the crews (as opposed to the skippers) on other boats

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[Chris_Robb]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Come down to Plymouth

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[Chris_Robb]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Jimi - We moved to Plymouth last year from Chichester. SWMBO hates the solent and wouldn't organise the weekends - so we ended up going as far as East Head most weekends. Now we organise ourselves and friends several months in advance. She now has no excuse not to go and we used the boat last year every other weekend for proper sailing.

The long drive is worth it. Great sailing area - almost better than brittany.

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[jimi]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Absolutely certain it started from 100 yds away! When everybiodywas upstairs and awake, boat was still 25yds off. Would I behave in same way with YM examiner on board, course of action would have been the same, language may have been a bit more restrained. Reason lumpy seas, gusty wind ran risk of gybe to alter course sufficiently to pass behind safely.. and that was from a beam reach! Skipper is in charge of boat and responsible for actions of crew. Boat passed 5yards behind despite making no change of course. 100% confident that I had correct course of action both interms of common sense an collision regs. What I do find frustrating is that in many walks of life such rudeness, which I find unthinkable, is becoming almost commonplace.

I suppose, though, there really is no other way apart from ignoring them becase nothing you do will affect such peoples future behaviour ... might start a name and shame website of people that have pissed me off... and change my monicker to Richard Meldrum... I've got the flat hat, so I might start keeping pigeons as well!

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[whisper]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

NO,NO,NO NO,NO ! Stop trying to get more boats in the South West. There are more than enough visitors already so further local berth holders will make the situation even worse.
Anyway there's little protection from the Prevailing Wind, lots of rocky Lee Shores, Atlantic Swell and Big Waves there, I don't suppose the Solentees would cope/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[whisper]

Re: Summer\'s here! Boatrage in the Solent

Probably showing my ignorance (again) but isn't passing by just 5 yds cutting it "rather" fine ? Surprised you didn't jump across and have a drink with them while you had the chance. You weren't a "racer" yourself when you were younger were you ? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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