Was I right to shout and wave my fist at a fellow Motorboater

Jurgen

Jurgen

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Went to Cowes on Friday afternoon with SWMBO and my nephew.

Approached the Starboard marker buoy keeping it around 15 feet to starboard, as we got to about 20 feet from the buoy I noticed 2 Brooms leaving the town quay berths.

These 2 boats were cutting across the channel while sorting out fenders and heading straight for us. We were closing with the other boats and I felt it was unsafe to turn to Port to avoid them, stopping was not an option either so decided the safest option was to increase speed to avoid them.

We passed within 10 feet of the lead boat to see the crew gesticulating and telling us to slow down!

Had this incident happened while we were 50 plus feet away from the channel marker I could have done things differently but this was not the case.

I believe I made the safest decision in the circumstances but am happy to be corrected.

Wont tell you the words that SWMBO said to the occupants of the Broom but now see that her very expensive private education was wasted lol
 
So you couldn't slow down, you couldn't stop, you couldn't turn round, you couldn't turn to starboard and you couldn't give a sound signal? And you thought about turning to port??

Going faster had the chance to endanger you and the other boat but you got away it and were miffed that they didn't like it?

Rethink your actions and take responsibility. Sorry if that sounds harsh.
 
Jurgen said:
Went to Cowes on Friday afternoon with SWMBO and my nephew.

Approached the Starboard marker buoy keeping it around 15 feet to starboard, as we got to about 20 feet from the buoy I noticed 2 Brooms leaving the town quay berths.

These 2 boats were cutting across the channel while sorting out fenders and heading straight for us. We were closing with the other boats and I felt it was unsafe to turn to Port to avoid them, stopping was not an option either so decided the safest option was to increase speed to avoid them.

We passed within 10 feet of the lead boat to see the crew gesticulating and telling us to slow down!

Had this incident happened while we were 50 plus feet away from the channel marker I could have done things differently but this was not the case.

I believe I made the safest decision in the circumstances but am happy to be corrected.

Wont tell you the words that SWMBO said to the occupants of the Broom but now see that her very expensive private education was wasted lol
Click to expand...

Still a little confused as to the reason you couldn't stop?
 
Couldn't stop as they were closing too quickly and heading straight for us.

They left the Town quay, headed to mid channel then turned to Port (toward me) very quickly.

We were positioned in such a way that even if I had of stopped and went full astern this would have not been a safe choice.

I could not turn to Starboard as this would have had the potential to hit the starboard channel buoy.

My concern with the other boat was that he was leaving Cowes on the Port side of the Channel without any regard for other boaters.

Had I seen hi intent further out I could have slowed or changed course to avoid him
 
Are you constrained by your draught? If not, and they were crossing from starboard, I think they would be the stand-on vessels. Unless there is some local harbour regulation favouring boats already in the channel.

All part of the hell afloat that is Cowes!
 
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parsifal said:
Are you constrained by your depth? If not, and they were crossing from starboard, I think they would be the stand-on vessels. Unless there is some local harbour regulation favouring boats already in the channel.
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Not constrained by depth but was constrained by my ability to manoeuvre.

The other boat was crossing the channel to take a short cut so that when he reached the starboard marker he would have a shorter westward journey.

The other boat could see my position in advance as I was approaching Cowes harbour entrance from the Solent with the Starboard channel buoy on my starboard bow.

The Broom turned to port as I closed on the channel marker hence restricted in my ability to manoeuvre
 
This comes back to the situation that I was previously flamed for saying "would not happen" and was ridiculous.
i.e. I could lurk in West Cowes or some other marina, then fire up both engines when I'm ready and join the main channel, causing the existing traffic to scatter because I am the boat to starboard. Of course, I would never actually do this ... I have played "Frogger" and am very aware what could happen :)

There is nothing in the Cowes Harbour regs that I am aware of that gives special priority to traffic in the main channel: the only correct action would have been to crash stop, then put in a claim against the boat that subsequently rammed into your stern.
 
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ricky_s said:
Still a little confused as to the reason you couldn't stop?
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There isn't enough info in the question to judge whether this is a rule 9d (Broom in the wrong) or 15 (you in the wrong)

I also don't understand why you couldn't slow down or stop

Of course Colregs themselves don't contain a priority rules as between the potentially conflicting 9d and 15, but don't get me started again on how badly written the Colregs are :D

Note also that if you are in rule 15 (crossing situation) and on collision course, speeding up contravenes rule 15 unless you have no alternative. You are required to slow down or steer to stbd, if either is possible.
 
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Jurgen said:
was constrained by my ability to manoeuvre.
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If you mean RAM in the Colregs sense then you are wrong. You were not RAM. Rule 3g

3(g) The term “vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre” means a vessel which from the nature of
her work is restricted in her ability to manoeuvre as required by these Rules and is therefore
unable to keep out of the way of another vessel. The term “vessels restricted in their ability to
manoeuvre” shall include but not be limited to:
(i) a vessel engaged in laying, servicing or picking up a navigation mark, submarine cable
or pipeline;
(ii) a vessel engaged in dredging, surveying or underwater operations;
(iii) a vessel engaged in replenishment or transferring persons, provisions or cargo
while underway;
(iv) a vessel engaged in the launching or recovery of aircraft;
(v) a vessel engaged in mine clearance operations;
(vi) a vessel engaged in a towing operation such as severely restricts the towing vessel and
her tow in their ability to deviate from their course.
 
jfm said:
There isn't enough info in the question to judge whether this is a rule 9a (Broom in the wrong) or 15 (you in the wrong)

I also don't understand why you couldn't slow down or stop

Of course Colregs themselves don't contain a priority rules as between the potentially conflicting 9a and 15, but don't get me started again on how badly written the Colregs are :D

Note also that if you are in rule 15 (crossing situation) and on collision course, speeding up contravenes rule 15 unless you have no alternative. You are required to slow down or steer to stbd, if either is possible.
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Option 1, Slow Down
Sea was pretty bumpy and Broom was closing with no indication of changing course

Option 2, Turn to Starboard
Due to our position in relation to the Starboard channel marker it would not have been safe to turn to Starboard

Option 3, Turn to Port
Potential yes but risk of the other Skipper suddenly waking up and thinking "Hell Better turn to Port" concerned me.

Shame I cant put a picture showing events as it would be much easier
 
FlowerPower said:
This comes back to the situation that I was previously flamed for saying "would not happen" and was ridiculous.
i.e. I could lurk in West Cowes or some other marina, then fire up both engines when I'm ready and join the main channel, causing the existing traffic to scatter because I am the boat to starboard. Of course, I would never actually do this ... I have played "Frogger" and am very aware what could happen :)

There is nothing in the Cowes Harbour regs that I am aware of that gives special priority to traffic in the main channel: the only correct action would have been to crash stop, then put in a claim against the boat that subsequently rammed into your stern.
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Rule 9d flower power? (As mentioned above, it annoying conflicts with rule 15)
 
jfm said:
If you mean RAM in the Colregs sense then you are wrong. You were not RAM. Rule 3g

3(g) The term “vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre” means a vessel which from the nature of
her work is restricted in her ability to manoeuvre as required by these Rules and is therefore
unable to keep out of the way of another vessel. The term “vessels restricted in their ability to
manoeuvre” shall include but not be limited to:
(i) a vessel engaged in laying, servicing or picking up a navigation mark, submarine cable
or pipeline;
(ii) a vessel engaged in dredging, surveying or underwater operations;
(iii) a vessel engaged in replenishment or transferring persons, provisions or cargo
while underway;
(iv) a vessel engaged in the launching or recovery of aircraft;
(v) a vessel engaged in mine clearance operations;
(vi) a vessel engaged in a towing operation such as severely restricts the towing vessel and
her tow in their ability to deviate from their course.
Click to expand...

Restricted in my ability to manoeuvre in the sense that had I turned to Starboard I would have hit the channel marker :)
 
Jurgen said:
Option 1, Slow Down
Sea was pretty bumpy and Broom was closing with no indication of changing course

Option 2, Turn to Starboard
Due to our position in relation to the Starboard channel marker it would not have been safe to turn to Starboard

Option 3, Turn to Port
Potential yes but risk of the other Skipper suddenly waking up and thinking "Hell Better turn to Port" concerned me.

Shame I cant put a picture showing events as it would be much easier
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I'm a bit confused now by the facts. So the Broom was in breach of 9a? Trying to tuck down your stbd side when you were already at stbd side of the channel? A bit head on?
 
Jurgen said:
Restricted in my ability to manoeuvre in the sense that had I turned to Starboard I would have hit the channel marker :)
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Fine, but if you start confusing things by using the term RAM or constrained in ability to manoeuvre, when you don't mean to use those terms in the sense they are used in Colregs, it isn't helping make anything clear
 
Surely, the rule of the road in the Medina (or other rivers, excluding narrow channels or where special rules apply or where Colregs don't) militates to vessels in the main channel being give way vis a vis anyone exiting the marinas?

Simplified: you stick to the right but give way to those coming from your right.
 
benjenbav said:
Surely, the rule of the road in the Medina (or other rivers, excluding narrow channels or where special rules apply or where Colregs don't) militates to vessels in the main channel being give way vis a vis anyone exiting the marinas?

Simplified: you stick to the right but give way to those coming from your right.
Click to expand...

Mind you, having once exited East Cowes Marina without looking properly and nearly got made to think better of it, I am not so sure that Jurgen's nearly-assailants wouldn't have had to do a bit of soul searching as to their own adherence to Rule 5.
 
benjenbav said:
Surely, the rule of the road in the Medina (or other rivers, excluding narrow channels or where special rules apply or where Colregs don't) militates to vessels in the main channel being give way vis a vis anyone exiting the marinas?

Simplified: you stick to the right but give way to those coming from your right.
Click to expand...

So you stick to the right hand side of the channel...agreed.
Give way to those coming from your right...Really ?

So, I bumbling along past any marina/harbour which would be to my starboard and anyone can come steaming out the marina and I have to give way/stop if I'm about to crash. Am I interpreting that correctly?
 
For me this is all about common sense, the other boat can see or not as the case may be me positioned nicely to starboard and he thinks short cut.

I fully accept that as a skipper it is my responsibility to manoeuvre in such a way that is safe for everyone, however this guy changed his course to Port which caused the incident.

Had I been another 50 feet out this would not have been an issue for either boats
 
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