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

[benjenbav]

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?

Not really, because as you make your way along the relevant river you will be looking ahead at the possibilities for another vessel to emerge from a marina on your starboard side and adjusting your course and speed accordingly.

And the relative movements will be at walking pace so you don't exactly need fighter jock reactions.

 

[benjenbav]

Not really, because as you make your way along the relevant river you will be looking ahead at the possibilities for another vessel to emerge from a marina on your starboard side and adjusting your course and speed accordingly.

And the relative movements will be at walking pace so you don't exactly need fighter jock reactions.

Like priorite a droite, as used to apply to French road junctions - where, as one progressed along the thoroughfare at a constant 45km/h, it was necessary to give way to anyone joining the road from the right.

 

[Alan ashore]

FWIW Most replies seem to be seeing these guys as coming from the OP's right, but surely if they turned to their port side from mid channel then they are coming from his left, and the OP is the rule 15 stand-on vessel.

In any case I am quite prepared to believe that accelerating could have been the best action available to the OP, if already so close to the mark in question that he couldn't turn to starboard when (as I read it) these two boats veered sharply towards him, apparently not looking where they were going.

Of course much depends on the exact geometry, just how close everything was, etc.

 

[Jurgen]

FWIW Most replies seem to be seeing these guys as coming from the OP's right, but surely if they turned to their port side from mid channel then they are coming from his left, and the OP is the rule 15 stand-on vessel.

In any case I am quite prepared to believe that accelerating could have been the best action available to the OP, if already so close to the mark in question that he couldn't turn to starboard when (as I read it) these two boats veered sharply towards him, apparently not looking where they were going.

Of course much depends on the exact geometry, just how close everything was, etc.

That's pretty much it lol

 

[l'escargot]

...There is nothing in the Cowes Harbour regs that I am aware of that gives special priority to traffic in the main channel...

General Directions 3.7: http://www.cowesharbourcommission.c...s_April_1st_2013_as_amended_14th_May_2014.pdf

The vessels entering the channel were at fault.

 

[crazy4557]

Not really, because as you make your way along the relevant river you will be looking ahead at the possibilities for another vessel to emerge from a marina on your starboard side and adjusting your course and speed accordingly.

And the relative movements will be at walking pace so you don't exactly need fighter jock reactions.

OK, so taking a look at the Cowes Harbour Commision General Directions it quotes:

3.7. Departing Marina or Moorings - The Master of a vessel leaving a marina
area or moorings within the Harbour shall give way to vessels navigating within a
fairway

To me if you are in the river you are 'in the fairway' so you must abide by the above rules.

Am I a numpty and got this all wrong or am I correct?

 

[Elessar]

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

What you should have done. Slow or stop. 5 hoots then 1 hoot. Repeat if necessary.
What you shouldn't have done. Ask the question on here!

 

[epervier]

General Directions 3.7: http://www.cowesharbourcommission.c...s_April_1st_2013_as_amended_14th_May_2014.pdf

The vessels entering the channel were at fault.

Nothing new there then, the habit hasn't changed in eons, they just plough out into the fairway, most times with scant regard to what may or may not be coming, it's life on the water, although Cowes has a worse reputation for this type of behaviour, due in part to racing and cowes week, the former because they think everything should get out of their way, the later because it's just mayhem, too many pubs fuel too many young sailors.

As always, just MHO

And in answer to the OP's question, No your were not, there are prats everywhere.

 

[benjenbav]

OK, so taking a look at the Cowes Harbour Commision General Directions it quotes:

3.7. Departing Marina or Moorings - The Master of a vessel leaving a marina
area or moorings within the Harbour shall give way to vessels navigating within a
fairway

To me if you are in the river you are 'in the fairway' so you must abide by the above rules.

Am I a numpty and got this all wrong or am I correct?

Looking back at my original comment, it says:

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.

(Emphasis added).

Here special rules do apply as per the Cowes Harbour Commission General Directions, as quoted.

I would, however, hold my hand up to not having previously been aware of those particular special rules.

Every day's a school day, eh?

 

[[2068]]

General Directions 3.7: http://www.cowesharbourcommission.c...s_April_1st_2013_as_amended_14th_May_2014.pdf

The vessels entering the channel were at fault.

Thank you!
I was hoping something like that might exist ... boats exiting marinas are a hazard in the busy season.

 

[[2068]]

Rule 9d flower power? (As mentioned above, it annoying conflicts with rule 15)

I thought 9d more applied to a vessel that could navigate outside a channel, impeding a vessel that can only navigate within the channel. Sounds like the Cowes General Directions are more relevant here.

 

[jfm]

5 hoots then 1 hoot.

M, I get the 5 rapid hoots but are you saying 5 hoots, then a pause, then 1 hoot? What is the 1 hoot for and how does it fit with Colregs?

 

[crazy4557]

Looking back at my original comment, it says:



(Emphasis added).

Here special rules do apply as per the Cowes Harbour Commission General Directions, as quoted.

I would, however, hold my hand up to not having previously been aware of those particular special rules.

Every day's a school day, eh?

No problem, I thought I was losing the plot but my sanity's all restored..

 

[jfm]

I thought 9d more applied to a vessel that could navigate outside a channel, impeding a vessel that can only navigate within the channel. Sounds like the Cowes General Directions are more relevant here.

On its terms, 9d applies to all vessels. There is no restriction in its application. Mind you I'm not defending it; as I've said before Colregs is a book of anomalies. I agree re CGD - they weren't in this discussion at the point I posted

 

[benjenbav]

No problem, I thought I was losing the plot but my sanity's all restored..

Will you change your username, now?

 

[[2068]]

M, I get the 5 rapid hoots but are you saying 5 hoots, then a pause, then 1 hoot? What is the 1 hoot for and how does it fit with Colregs?

A turn to Starboard?

 

[l'escargot]

...due in part to racing and cowes week, the former because they think everything should get out of their way...

Well, CHC do publish this: "...Racing yachts are required to comply in full with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. However, it is good seamanship that vessels that are not racing keep clear so far as practicable from starting and finishing areas and avoid impeding racing yachts."

Ok, no status as in bye laws or General Directions but you can see where expectations may be created.

The boats being complained about in the OP were motorboats though, weren't they? In which case you can't really blame racers or young sailors can you...

 

[jfm]

A turn to Starboard?

Dunno! I didn't think OP was turning to stbd because he was too close on that side. I thought he went slightly port-ish and zoomed across the other boat's bow, leaving the other boat on his stbd side. But I'm not sure!

 

[[2068]]

The boats being complained about in the OP were motorboats though, weren't they? In which case you can't really blame racers or young sailors can you...

Absolutely not, these are Brooms we are talking about: Bone China tea sets, Earl Grey, flowery curtains, and most probably a cat on board.

 

[superheat6k]

Sounds like the vessels leaving the marina / quay were not aware of the special rules, but also you say they then turned to port in front of you / towards you, worsening the situation, when by their (presumed) interpretation they were stand on vessel, so should not have so manoeuvred.

The rules do require you as stand on vessel to make whatever manoeuvre is necessary to avoid a collision if the give way vessel alone cannot avoid it, or is acting like an idiot and is more concerned with his lines and fenders than the wider world around him, and in this situation thinks he might be stand on vessel, who is allowed to turn to port at the same time. I think d1ckhead is the word.

You seem to have complied properly with 8a & b & 17a (ii) & b.

However, we do not know what your speed was nor traffic density, so whether or not you have disobeyed rule 6 your opening post does not describe. Safe Speed is not just the harbour limit, just as driving past a school at 30MPH may not always be safe.

However, you made a decision which avoided the collision, and nothing I can read prevents you opening up both barrels to get yourself safe, and sounds like it was the only option available in the circumstances. Having powerful engines and sometimes having to use them is in my view perfectly correct. I assume that once the danger was past you immediately slowed down to observe the harbour limit. The fact that the other boat got annoyed shows his lack of understanding of these rules and his flagrant ignorance of the local rules - " ... just look at that idiot blasting past ..."