Twit of the week?

dulcibella

dulcibella

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Portsmouth, UK
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How about this? We were close hauled on starboard tack in the western Solent on Saturday, watching a large racer (not racing) who was close-hauled on port tack and closing steadily. Despite several heads appearing round their headsail, they made no alteration. Eventually I gave in and sailed round their stern, receiving a wave from the helmsman. In response to my suggestion that he might like to try the ColRegs as bedtime reading, he replied "We're a very big boat."
 
Had a similar encounter yesterday with a rather nice Rassey, we were both motor sailing and I was stand on vessel. Occupants of Rassey cockpit were drinking wine and leaving the driving to the Autohelm, so normal Col Regs were suspended. We didn't get a cheery wave, although I'm not sure that they had even seen us!
 
Name and shame, let the world know. Get yourself some white smoke flares in the cockpit! That plus 5 blasts on an air horn for next time.
 
I think is is safest to assume that the other one's knowledge stops at which is the front ( sharp bit ) especially if it is Su**ail. Just keep out of his way, otherwise you will be upset most of the time. The more legs dangling over the side the worse it gets.
 
Wimp......were you not stand on vessel?? What would have happened if he had altered to go behind your stern at the same time you altered to go behind his and a collision occured!!! I guess as stand on vessel you would have proven to be in the wrong and guilty of not complying with the colregs!!!! Only food for thought I know......no harm intended!!

Paul.
 
I had a similarish experience recently with a German yacht, a Halberg Rassey. She was motoring on an exactly reciprocal course. We were sailing goosewinged. They were standing there watching us over their sprayhood. At the last moment we gybed to get out of their way. They motored serenely on with a wake as straight as a ruler, waving as they passed.
 
PHEW!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I thought this was going to be about me.... No idea how relieved I feel.

.......

After a cracking sail on Saturday, absolute blast, it took 3 goes to pick up my mooring on my own (not pretty), moved tender from mooring buoy to back of Pippin. While tidying things away, I notice this rope going from the stern cleat at quite a steep angle downwards.

Strange, I think....

What does that one do, then....

Colour looks familiar....

Seem to think there should be something near it...

Follow line of rope in water to fuzzy end fluttering in the current...

Brain wakes up with a 10,000volt jolt... [--word removed--], that's the painter from the tender!!!

Look up a bit, and sure enough, there's the tender, about 20 feet away, and departing seaward towards moored boats on the ebbing tide....

Consider slipping mooring & following the tender in Pippin, but I'm sure I'll end up colliding with the other boats. There's nothing to grab hold of since the painter has gone, either.

Attempt to call harbour master on VHF....

Now the "twit bit"....

Select 12, not 14 (i.e. Liverpool VTS not Conwy Harbour Master).... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Make apalling VHF call with garbled message about departing tender, goes un-answered, not surprisingly.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Make same call on 16.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

again un-answered...

Gentleman from nearby boat (Whisper, I think) sees what's happened, discards lunch and gets outboard re-fitted to tender, and sets off in hot pursuit at the same time as I flag down passing harbour patrol, who skillfully retrieves tender & outboard & returns them to me before it hits anything, or sparks a S&R alert.

I express thanks to all concerned, and retire to nurse my wounded pride. Vaguely concerned over lack of response on VHF, I make a radio check.... "Loud and Clear".... Shame deepens /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

So, many thanks to Gentleman from Whisper and to Conwy Harbour patrol, and thank goodness it happened under my nose, and nobody else knows...


Andy /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
I think is is safest to assume that the other one's knowledge stops at which is the front ( sharp bit ) especially if it is Su**ail.
___________________________________________________

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifBit harsh aint it guv.

We may consider "S-----l" a pestilence when they blockbook the nearest marina to the Anchor pub & then hit the heads facilities 'en-masse' (40 boats x 6 bodies), but when sailing they can't all be painted this black surely.
 
Well - it was a Sunsail vessel, but not nessersarily a Sunsail skipper .... but there we were, minding our own business, beam reaching from Cowes to Bembridge in a F1/2, just off Wooton Creek. About 5 boat lengths to our lee a SS boat came reaching the otherway.

Wheres the problem? you ask ... well once they got below us, they tacked and headed up close hauled towards us (we're both on Starboard, but I'm windward boat) and off we go. At this point I'm just coming up from below, notice the change of course thinking "what the **ck is going on ..." ... so - not wanting to sail into WC I dumped the main, slowing us down enough for the SS boat (with indeterminate skipper) to pass ahead.

Why? you ask ... precisisly, I still don't know what that plonker was up to, because once they had past us they tacked back towards cowes, resuming their original course !!!

Now, I know there was no colregs issue, but is it nessersary on a Thursday in a largly empty solent to interupt a smaller yacht's (they are 37' we're only 30') passage by undertaking a seemingly unnessersary manouver ...

You can't blame Sunsail directly for twits like that - just the plonkers they let skipper their boats ....
 
I can imagine the conversation on board as they approached you...

"Skipper, who has right of way here?"

"Well we're on port tack and he's on starboard so he does"

"But what would happen if we were on starboard too?"

"Well it would depend on who was to windward.. hang on, I'll show you.. ready about! ... so now you see he has to get out of our way. ... OK, lets get to the pub... ready about!"
 
Snow leopard,

I find that entirely unrealistic..... I would imagine the conversation went more like...

"Skipper, who has right of way here?"

"No idea...."

"lets tack then just to be safe..."

"OK"

"great... it worked... see, he's getting out of our way now....."

"OK, lets get to the pub... ready about!"
 
With the follow up ....

"Skipper?!"

"Yes?"

"Why is he thanking us for making him change course and calling you a pillock?"

.... Silence .....
 
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