What now, skip?

[Danny Jo]

Freestyle finished her Hebridean cruise last week with a brisk sail down the Sound of Mull to Oban. Crossing the Sound of Lismore in a southwesterly F7 (gusting 39 knots) we were making 7 knots flying only a partly rolled genoa. Approaching the narrow Northern entrance to Kerrera Sound I looked behind and saw the Mull ferry on the same course.

Charlie chartplotter had his cover on because one of the crew was honing his pilotage skills. By popular demand, however, I removed said cover in order to access Charlie's interpretation of the AIS data. "Freestyle" was 1 Nm from the narrows, travelling at 7 knots. The "Isle of Mull" was 2 Nm from the narrows, travelling at 14 knots. The CPA seemed redundant in the circumstances, but was fluctuating between 30 and 60 feet (Charlie's so bloodyminded, I cannot get him to talk to me in metres unless I settle for km instead of Nm for longer distances).

Pretty cut-and-dried case, I'd say. What would you do?

 

[FullCircle]

Roll away a bit more, get under 5 knots. When you have a decent gap, open it up again. Robert is your fathers brother.

 

[Kawasaki]

Do I percieve the Mull ferry is the overtaking vessel.
Therefore you are the Stand on Vessel?

Or av I missed summatt.

Be gentle.
In me mobo I just blast past everyone!

 

[dt4134]

It's classed as a narrow channel.

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
Do I percieve the Mull ferry is the overtaking vessel.
Therefore you are the Stand on Vessel?

Or av I missed summatt.

[/ QUOTE ]


That's what I thought. Carry on McDuff!!

 

[EdWingfield]

Get on the radio and ask which side she'd prefer to overtake. Then say you'll move over a little.

That way we all stay friends. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[machurley22]

I have lots of experience with crossing/overtaking/head-on situations with Isle of Mull/Clansman/Isle of Arran/Loch Linnhe/Eigg etc. They are invariably courteous when possible but the north entrance to Oban Bay is a "narrow channel" and "small vessels must not.." so my strategy usually involves slowing down (occasionally making a large course alteration) to put the matter beyond doubt, as suggested by FC.

 

[FullCircle]

[ QUOTE ]
I have lots of experience with crossing/overtaking/head-on situations with Isle of Mull/Clansman/Isle of Arran/Loch Linnhe/Eigg etc. They are invariably courteous when possible but the north entrance to Oban Bay is a "narrow channel" and "small vessels must not.." so my strategy usually involves slowing down (occasionally making a large course alteration) to put the matter beyond doubt, as suggested by FC.

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, thort I'd blown it wiv a rong ansser then.

 

[machurley22]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have lots of experience with crossing/overtaking/head-on situations with Isle of Mull/Clansman/Isle of Arran/Loch Linnhe/Eigg etc. They are invariably courteous when possible but the north entrance to Oban Bay is a "narrow channel" and "small vessels must not.." so my strategy usually involves slowing down (occasionally making a large course alteration) to put the matter beyond doubt, as suggested by FC.

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, thort I'd blown it wiv a rong ansser then.

[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, that came over a bit pompous. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[FullCircle]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have lots of experience with crossing/overtaking/head-on situations with Isle of Mull/Clansman/Isle of Arran/Loch Linnhe/Eigg etc. They are invariably courteous when possible but the north entrance to Oban Bay is a "narrow channel" and "small vessels must not.." so my strategy usually involves slowing down (occasionally making a large course alteration) to put the matter beyond doubt, as suggested by FC.

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, thort I'd blown it wiv a rong ansser then.

[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, that came over a bit pompous. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Ooh no, I meant it!

 

[Sgeir]

Yes.
<ul type="square"> 1. Vessels navigating in Oban Bay and Approaches
should be aware of the existence of a voluntary
code for safe navigation within the area. The area
is bounded to the north by a line joining Rubh’a’
Bhearnaig (56° 25&#8242;·52N., 5° 30&#8242;·02W.) and Maiden
Island (56° 25&#8242;·93N., 5° 29&#8242;·57W.), and to the south
by a line passing east-west through Sgeirean Dubha
light (56° 22&#8242;·82N., 5° 32&#8242;·19W.), and includes
Oban Harbour. Vessels navigating in this area
should be considered to be in Narrow Channels
within the meaning of Rule 9 of the International
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (1972).
For further details see Admiralty Sailing Directions.

2. The earth belongs unto the Lord
And all that it contains,
Except for the kyles and the Western Isles
And they belong to Macbrayne's. [/list]

 

[Searush]

I have seen the ferries make the turn in that passage. It is a fearsome sight, they lean some 15 deg with a fearsome wash, sailyboats & small MoBos beware!

Let the b*gger play thro ahead of you. Or sail outside of the channel if you know there is enough water.

 

[bilbobaggins]

[ QUOTE ]
"...... my strategy usually involves slowing down (occasionally making a large course alteration)...."

[/ QUOTE ]

Nae kiddin', mister!

The CalMac ferry 'Isle of Mull' is credited with 4706 gross tons. 'Silkie' is considerably lighter, at around 1 ton only. It's no contest, so 'a large course alteration' is prudent.

However, one might ask the good Silkie about a certain team-stream departure from Oban, via the North Channel, around 0700 one very bright but foggy morning, when the said 'Isle of Mull' followed the local raggie heroes out, passing most of them IN the narrow North Channel.

Scary moments, scary moments..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Danny Jo]

[ QUOTE ]
1. Vessels navigating in Oban Bay and Approaches
should be aware of the existence of a voluntary
code for safe navigation within the area. The area
is bounded to the north by a line joining Rubh’a’
Bhearnaig (56° 25&#8242;·52N., 5° 30&#8242;·02W.) and Maiden
Island (56° 25&#8242;·93N., 5° 29&#8242;·57W.), and to the south
by a line passing east-west through Sgeirean Dubha
light (56° 22&#8242;·82N., 5° 32&#8242;·19W.), and includes
Oban Harbour. Vessels navigating in this area
should be considered to be in Narrow Channels
within the meaning of Rule 9 of the International
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (1972).


[/ QUOTE ] I must have a word with Freestyle's trainee pilot, who failed to remind me of that note. Not that it was necessary to do so - it's pretty obviously a narrow channel. At the point in question TP had not long taken over the helm; I asked him to luff up enough to make the course change obvious and to slow down (being too damn idle to roll some more genoa away).

TP's preferred option was to luff up enough to stop - a suggestion which prompted a vigorous debate with First Mate. (FM objected on the grounds that loss of steerage way equals loss of control, something with which one might not feel comfortable in the path of one of Mr MacBrayne's finest boats.)

 

[lw395]

Rule 9 explicitly does not over-ride rule 13, overtaking!

 

[Angele]

[ QUOTE ]
Rule 9 explicitly does not over-ride rule 13, overtaking!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. That was exactly what I was thinking. But, in deference to the other forumites who clearly have knowledge of the area (which I don't) I hadn't plucked up the courage to be the first to say that.

Admittedly we have less than 10 minutes to impact, but I prefer the approach (suggested earlier) of calling the ship's master up and asking him which side he was proposing to pass.

If no answer I would be ready to take action to keep out of the way.

If he says he would prefer me to slow down then I would also be willing to oblige. If I do get to speak to him then at least he and I will both know what the other is intending to do.

That said, I may act differently if the channel is as narrow as I infer from other posts. In the Solent it is easy to keep out of the main channel by staying to one side. I don't know whether the same is true here.

 

[machurley22]

It is only a voluntary code but it's nice to be nice. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The channel is about a cable wide at the narrows and the ferry needs to be turning there so I certainly wouldn't want to be overtaken at that point although it's probably possible with cooperation.

 

[lw395]

[ QUOTE ]
It is only a voluntary code but it's nice to be nice. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The channel is about a cable wide at the narrows and the ferry needs to be turning there so I certainly wouldn't want to be overtaken at that point although it's probably possible with cooperation.

[/ QUOTE ]
There's a grey area between being nice and giving the right of amateur navigation. If it's not safe to overtake at a certain point slow down!

What we are seeing in the Solent at the moment is the ferries being more and more bolshy as they try hard to stick to aggressive schedules. This should not be allowed to spread.

 

[Angele]

[ QUOTE ]
If it's not safe to overtake at a certain point slow down!


[/ QUOTE ]

lw395

I take it from the tone of your post that you mean the ferry should slow down, not the yacht.

 

[FullCircle]

I can see your point entirely, and I read the post as 'what you would do?' .

I would rather be sailing for another couple of decades than be recounting my tale to the Archangel Gabriel how much I was in the right to stand on.