Sunken yacht in Solent

[seeSimon]

Are the Torpoint and other chain ferries 'at anchor'? Should they be displaying black balls?

No.

Strictly speaking they are "floating bridges"....yes really.

Surveyed by MCA on behalf of HSE.

 

[DFL1010]

King Harry Ferry displays RAM IIRC.

 

[seeSimon]

I saw a very old and abused small beach ball in a dark recess of my garage, and seized the opportunity to spray paint it black from a redundant old can of Halford's paint, and created my very own anchor ball, for a net cost of virtually eff all.
Satisfying enough on its own, but the feeling of smugness that I have for 'doing the right thing' when I've anchored and raised it is priceless.
Says a lot about me.

Similarly a black spherical fender "buff" does double duty on my boat.

 

[Cerebus]

A tv programme called “Below Decks” shows inflatable anchor balls.

I assume they are of correct size; certainly visible as an orb of appropriate size on tv.

 

[wonkywinch]

We're going to need a bigger ball.

 

[Tomahawk]

It is the god-given right of all right-minded sailors to point to the faults of others in order to show their bitterness.

corrected your typo for you…

 

[finestgreen]

I think i see the ColRegs as a suite of rules to which we should adhere. We can't pick and choose which rule to ignore as we so desire. If we did there would surely be chaos. "I've decided that I'll ignore the turn to starboard, port to port rule". Hmmmm..... I think my GJW premium would sky rocket.

Presumably if one plays golf one has to adhere to the rules. We play sailing, why is it different for us?

Do you also make the required sound signals when turning or operating engines astern?

 

[GEM43]

Do you also make the required sound signals when turning or operating engines astern?

No.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Do you also make the required sound signals when turning or operating engines astern?

Thats not something large ships do routinely.

 

[finestgreen]

No.

But the colregs say you must!

 

[wonkywinch]

But the colregs say you must!

No they don't. They say shall. Big difference between shall and must in legal terms.

There's also the bit "when manoeuvring as authorised or required by these Rules" which could mean "not all the time".

Rule 34 (Manoeuvring and warning signals)

(a) When vessels are in sight of one another, a power-driven vessel underway, when manoeuvring as authorised or required by these Rules, shall indicate that manoeuvre by the following signals on her whistle:

 

[finestgreen]

There's also the bit "when manoeuvring as authorised or required by these Rules" which could mean "not all the time".

Rule 34 (Manoeuvring and warning signals)

(a) When vessels are in sight of one another, a power-driven vessel underway, when manoeuvring as authorised or required by these Rules, shall indicate that manoeuvre by the following signals on her whistle:

Sure, but if you (say) steer to starboard for a vessel on a reciprocal course I think unequivocally you're required by the colregs to make the sound signals.

I just think it's funny that people argue about strictly following the colregs for anchor balls but nobody does this.

 

[ylop]

w

No they don't. They say shall. Big difference between shall and must in legal terms.

I think you might be confusing should and shall/must. The later is not normally considered discretionary.

There's also the bit "when manoeuvring as authorised or required by these Rules" which could mean "not all the time".

? Slightly oddly it does imply if you are ignoring another colreg you don’t need to make a sound signal - when ironically it would be most useful.

I have once encountered a situation where a sound signal from a yacht would have been helpful. The skipper appeared to think she was riding a bike and used some hand signals to indicate she was going to turn across my bow!

 

[Mark-1]

No they don't. They say shall. Big difference between shall and must in legal terms.

Rule 30 also says 'shall':

Rule 30(a)(i): A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen: in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball

The sound signal I'm hearing right now is a mike drop.

 

[GEM43]

But the colregs say you must!

It was very obvious that you would respond in that vein. I prefer to separate the practical from the pedantic. Can you imagine the din if every yacht made sound signals for every action? Any one signal would not be discernible from any other. But if you make me aware when you are in my locality I will happily make the sound signals if it makes you feel better.

 

[Mark-1]

I think i see the ColRegs as a suite of rules to which we should adhere. We can't pick and choose which rule to ignore as we so desire. If we did there would surely be chaos. "I've decided that I'll ignore the turn to starboard, port to port rule". Hmmmm..... I think my GJW premium would sky rocket.

Presumably if one plays golf one has to adhere to the rules. We play sailing, why is it different for us?

I prefer to separate the practical from the pedantic. Can you imagine the din if every yacht made sound signals for every action? Any one signal would not be discernible from any other.

 

[GEM43]

Yes the contradiction is obvious. I'm not going to try to explain it as it is evidently a no-win discussion. However, in my little brain, the distinction in common sense and practicality is also obvious.

 

[NormanS]

If you go into a recognised anchorage (for example for those in the know, Puilladobhrain), and you see 20 boats strangely motionless, with chain or sometimes rope, going down into the water from their bows, do you really need them to exhibit their balls? No not those balls, - anchor balls.

 

[awol]

If you go into a recognised anchorage (for example for those in the know, Puilladobhrain), and you see 20 boats strangely motionless, with chain or sometimes rope, going down into the water from their bows, do you really need them to exhibit their balls? No not those balls, - anchor balls.

No, but I do put my anchor light on to find my way back from the Troosers.

 

[ylop]

If you go into a recognised anchorage (for example for those in the know, Puilladobhrain), and you see 20 boats strangely motionless, with chain or sometimes rope, going down into the water from their bows, do you really need them to exhibit their balls? No not those balls, - anchor balls.

Need no. But if there was a boat sitting at a different angle from the rest (long keel, lots of windage) it would be quite nice to be able to see at a glance that it was anchored rather than arriving or leaving. With boats yawing around in gusts they often aren't 'strangely motionless'.

To be honest what would actually be useful in there is if there was a number written on the ball for all to see so you can estimate their swinging circle!

Puilladobhrain is probably an extreme example - head across to loch spelve for the first time and you'll find a mix of anchored and moored vessels with quite different swinging characteristics (once you know it, they are obvious). Head north to Oban bay and you'll find lots of moored boats in regular places but sometimes a boat anchored off Kerera marina beyond the moorings - from 200m away is she anchored or slowly motoring towards you?

Compared to leaving your AIS transmitting as underway whilst you are anchored it is insignificant. That should be punishable by sinking! ;-)