What do they teach people these days!!!

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Tiderace

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Lovely sail this weekend down to Fowey; if a bit chilly!

Coming back into Plymouth we were heading broadly on a northly heading just east of Drake's Island; under engine with no sails up.

Along comes Mr Tourist boat heading broadly in north eastly direction; to the west i.e. on our port side. We were clearly on a collision course given relative speeds and heading, but as I'm the stand on vessel, I "stood on"! Boy you should have seen the skipper of the Tourist boat when he had to back off on the engines to what looked like neutral! He was not happy...!!!! Most of the tourist were a bit perplexed as well!

Makes you question what these people are taught to get their commercial ticket! Or did he think he was driving a white van?

( I had more than enough time to manoeuvre to avoid him if needed; so it wasn't anything last minute; but I suspect he thought so!)
 
Tiderace said:
Lovely sail this weekend down to Fowey; if a bit chilly!

Coming back into Plymouth we were heading broadly on a northly heading just east of Drake's Island; under engine with no sails up.

Along comes Mr Tourist boat heading broadly in north eastly direction; to the west i.e. on our port side. We were clearly on a collision course given relative speeds and heading, but as I'm the stand on vessel, I "stood on"! Boy you should have seen the skipper of the Tourist boat when he had to back off on the engines to what looked like neutral! He was not happy...!!!! Most of the tourist were a bit perplexed as well!

Makes you question what these people are taught to get their commercial ticket! Or did he think he was driving a white van?

( I had more than enough time to manoeuvre to avoid him if needed; so it wasn't anything last minute; but I suspect he thought so!)
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Just wave your thanks for his complying and ignore the scowls. Life is too short to worry about these things.
 
john_morris_uk said:
Just wave your thanks for his complying and ignore the scowls. Life is too short to worry about these things.
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That was all he got from me!

Just amazes me the level of incompetency; especially from somebody who (should) have a commercial ticket!

I was annoyed as I wanted to get the kettle on for a cup of tea; but thought I should waite till he was done doing whatever he was doing!!!! :)
 
Sandy said:
He will have a timetable to stick to. I usually give them a wide berth and enjoy my day.
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john_morris_uk said:
Just wave your thanks for his complying and ignore the scowls. Life is too short to worry about these things.
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Sage advice....

And if yer in that neck of the woods, it’s the Mountbatten ferry you really have to watch for.... :encouragement:


Since relocating to the east coast otoh, I’ve found the old Thames barges to be the ones you need to watch... one of the damn things nearly ran me over in broad daylight coming up my backside... (he was motoring btw...). And there is a restaurant boat out of Ipswich (brown and grey, everyone will know her...) which I try to keep at least a cable away from at all times...
 
photodog said:
Since relocating to the east coast otoh, I’ve found the old Thames barges to be the ones you need to watch... one of the damn things nearly ran me over in broad daylight coming up my backside... (he was motoring btw...).
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I can't remember the name, but there is one barge which has been the subject of threads before regarding its notorious disregard for other sea users. I think you may have found it.
 
JumbleDuck said:
I can't remember the name, but there is one barge which has been the subject of threads before regarding its notorious disregard for other sea users. I think you may have found it.
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I suspect I started one of those.... ;).

And he found me btw.....
 
Just regard these people the same as lorry or taxi ' professionals ' - as said the best advice is to keep a clear path out of their way !

- I knew a chum who ' stood on ' until we could count the rivets on the Solent car ferries but they never showed any courtesy, the only people who do are the hovercraft pilots, ironically with the most awkward handling craft, I've sent them a couple of thanks for not being waffled over :)
 
I was coming into Plymouth at night once, single-handed and exhausted, and came across an unlit small motorboat suffering engine failure, two men and two women aboard, close to, and being taken by the tide towards, the nasties that lie between between Drake Island and the shore to the west (The Bridge?). I came alongside them and they passed me a pathetically short piece of thin string. I was single handed, and there wasn't time to sort out anything better before we'd both be in trouble, so took a turn round a stern cleat, hung on to the short tail, and towed them into the deep water north-ish of the island. Once we were clear of immediate danger, with plenty of space around us, I was chuffed that my separately switched nav lights allowed me to show correct lights for a towing vessel, got a longer towrope out of my locker, and was just in the process of getting that set up between us when one of the tourist boats came bearing down on us, passed horribly close, risking my boat and the tow being thrown hard against one another, and the tourist boat crew bellowed something I didn't quite hear, but certainly didn't sound like a friendly greeting.
 
We could always arrange for Drakes Island to be moved onto "The Bridge" thus widening the channel, but there might be an argument that it has become part of Cornwall and how to do a cream tea.
 
The tourist boats from Fionnphort to Staffa have a ... robust ... approach to any yachts anchored in Bull Hole. In contrast, the boats running from the pontoons at Ulva Ferry could not be more courteous and considerate.
 
I used to keep a boat on a mooring in the upper reaches of the Tamar the day trip boats always used to create a fair bit of rolling when passing but on two occasions I was up the mast they delighted in coming very close which could have had disastrous consequences.
 
So accommodating incompetent/arrogant people will lead to an overall improvement in safety and courtesy? Has the abusive Thames barge owner, about whom I have read many times on here, learnt the error of their ways? "Life's too short" is the sort of attitude that gave rise to systematic abuse of women. Life is not too short to call out bad behaviour.
 
Whatever action you chose to take to avoid the collision or near miss", can and should be reported to the relevant authorities should it not. The incident can then be investigated and the guilty dealt with as required. If you walk away and turn the other cheek you may not be in a position to take effective action to avoid collision next time it happens. They will keep doing what they are doing until they are told the error of their ways by someone in authority.
Of course to make any report stick you will need evidence, photographs, ais track etc would be useful.
Everyone can make a mistake and I'm not suggesting that we as boaters go reporting every minor incident but these people sound as they are persistent offenders and should be dealt with.
 
In one of Her Madge's Dockyard Ports, if you're really sure of yourself, call them up on the QHM channel and suggest they respect the rules.
Chances are you'll have a few people listening..
 
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