Whats the hurry?

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Debennut

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Is it my imagination, or is it me perhaps getting a touch of the "Meldrews"? I have been aware this season that some of my fellow boaters are becoming less considerate of other sailors. Twice in the last month I have had to take avoiding action when I have been the stand on vessel. Then, coming out of the Walton Backwaters, a power boat came up behind me at speed, only altering course at the last moment passing me at about 20 meters with a bow wave like a destroyer and a wake to match. I'm afraid I was churlish enough not to return his cheery wave! Entering round the dog leg at Stone Point I was overtaken by another yacht, obviously going flat out passing me by about 2/3 meters. The helmsman had a look of grim determination on his face, not acknowledging me. Why the hurry? I wasn't going abnormally slowly. Why are some people on the water in such a hurry now days, or has it always been the case? Surely, being on the water is the antedote to the rush of normal life?
 
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Personally I would consider it poor seamanship to over take another yacht in the stone point dogs leg, it's so narrow theres no option but to passs uncomfortably close as the OP mentions, why not hang back for five minutes and then pass safely in the wider channel?
 
Leighb said:
It can be exciting enough just meeting someone coming the other way, the idea of overtaking there is scary!!
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I was not commenting on the seamanship, or lack of it. Just that there seems a growing trend by a few people of a lack of consideration. (I might be wrong!)
Besides, what's the hurry?
 
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Leighb said:
It can be exciting enough just meeting someone coming the other way, the idea of overtaking there is scary!!
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Well the obligation is on the overtaker to avoid you. Absolute obligation under CR. I had an issue couple of days ago with an idiot crew when I was coming into Harwich from the north. I was motorsailing in the entrance and following the contour round at cruising speed when another crew also motorsailing and in a smaller boat (UFO 34) at max revs tried to overtake me inside at about 2 m distance, I was on autopilot and kicked it off not being comfortable with the situation, boat swung towards them as I took manual control and they were'nt happy and started quoting made up rules and sayingI was closing them out!!! I gave them a peice of my mind indicating that they should grow up, go back to school, get some commonsense and learn CR before venturing back on the water. What I have noticed is that many of the "problem" crews seem inexperienced with big boat sailing and have a background of dinghy racing where CR does'nt exist, racing rules apply and close quarter situations are the norm.
 
A typical rxample of some twit dawdling happened today in the dutch canals .
An old tatty british boat was approaching a narrow section where a lock gate had been removed. He proceeded at a sedate 2.5 kts so that everyone ( about 5 yachts and 2 mobos and a fishing boat) backed up behind him unable to pass. This caused a difficult steering situation and everyone had now to avoid each other. If he had maintained 6 kts it would have been easy and the convoy would have proceeded in an orderly fashion. As a result several boats passed him as soon as they cleared the cut even though he speeded up at last. This caused a bot of mayhem until an orderly convoy was established again. At the lock he was in the middle & instead of getting on with it he backed up some boats who had to reverse and mess about whilst he blocked the entrance even though the way was clear. The twit then took the first set of bollards and others had to pass him to moor. The other boats , apart from me, were dutch so generally are well versed in such matters
He seemed to have the attitude that everyone was pushing but really he was being an absolute pain.
 
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Daydream believer said:
A typical rxample of some twit dawdling happened today in the dutch canals .
An old tatty british boat was approaching a narrow section where a lock gate had been removed. He proceeded at a sedate 2.5 kts so that everyone ( about 5 yachts and 2 mobos and a fishing boat) backed up behind him unable to pass. This caused a difficult steering situation and everyone had now to avoid each other. If he had maintained 6 kts it would have been easy and the convoy would have proceeded in an orderly fashion. As a result several boats passed him as soon as they cleared the cut even though he speeded up at last. This caused a bot of mayhem until an orderly convoy was established again. At the lock he was in the middle & instead of getting on with it he backed up some boats who had to reverse and mess about whilst he blocked the entrance even though the way was clear. The twit then took the first set of bollards and others had to pass him to moor. The other boats , apart from me, were dutch so generally are well versed in such matters
He seemed to have the attitude that everyone was pushing but really he was being an absolute pain.
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The incident that you describe probably came about through lack of knowledge/experience where Jimi's incident
is just unacceptable behaviour. The darker side of yacht racing regrettably often produces adrenaline fuelled , todger swinging stupidity which overflows on the rest. I too have suffered the same type of incident at Stone Point.

But what can you do ? I think all you can do is make choices where possible. I no longer visit Burnham or West Mersea
at weekends. In other places , I just take the sails down and motor.

Personally, I don't think it is getting any worse, but maybe more frequent because due to the heavy winds this summer I have done more inshore stuff and hence more traffic.

During the week it's just bliss..........................
 
jimi said:
Well the obligation is on the overtaker to avoid you. Absolute obligation under CR. I had an issue couple of days ago with an idiot crew when I was coming into Harwich from the north. I was motorsailing in the entrance and following the contour round at cruising speed when another crew also motorsailing and in a smaller boat (UFO 34) at max revs tried to overtake me inside at about 2 m distance, I was on autopilot and kicked it off not being comfortable with the situation, boat swung towards them as I took manual control and they were'nt happy and started quoting made up rules and sayingI was closing them out!!!
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Loosing control when disengaging autopilot suggests a little lack of experience. Perhaps you need a little training to give you some confidence in such situations before you go much further
 
Daydream believer said:
Loosing control when disengaging autopilot suggests a little lack of experience. Perhaps you need a little training to give you some confidence in such situations before you go much further
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Don't be a tw@t, I did'nt lose control merely lurched between auto and manual. If I had lost control there would have been a collision the eedjeets were that close. However I suspect you knew that and are just being argumentative for the sake of it. I'll also add that they were attempting to overtake at full revs but were creeping past at the rate of a foot a minute. I got fed up and extricated myself by increasing revs marginally and got TFAFTI.
Perhaps you have'nt the experience, despite your age and mileage, to know that the autopilot is not to be absolutely relied on in very close quarter situations?
 
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Keep calm everybody. 'tis a hot day. Now yesterday, by dint of Reg 27(g), I did not hoisted any shapes aloft to indicate my intentions. Well the inconvenience! When I am crossing the river channel at right angles repeated it doesn't mean I am crazy and I claim rule 18(a)(ii) and 18 (b)(ii). I did comply with 18(d)(i) even though the Viking Saga did not have any shape other than grockles and the need to do three trips on the top of the tide. But the three Thames Barges didn't need 18(d)(i), nor did the two sailing race starts nor did yachts coming home to their moorings. Stand on, stand on..... Difficult decision though: when I need to go at that place, should yachts exiting the lock at that time, wait until I have cleared from the area?

Hey ho

:( or :p?
 
PaulRainbow said:
Do you practice being rude and offensive, or does it come naturally ?
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On the contrary. I made an observation ( rightly or wrongly) based onthe information given & followed it up with some sensible advice.
You in return have issued the insult - not me

But if you want me to be offensive i can be a lot better at it than you any day of the week i am sure ��
However as Tillergirl suggests , perhaps it would be wise to leave it there
 
Some go slow and enjoy the journey, some go fast and enjoy it too. Some people are never happy unless everyone is doing what they're "supposed" to do.
 
Daydream believer said:
On the contrary. I made an observation ( rightly or wrongly) based onthe information given & followed it up with some sensible advice.
You in return have issued the insult - not me

But if you want me to be offensive i can be a lot better at it than you any day of the week i am sure ��
However as Tillergirl suggests , perhaps it would be wise to leave it there
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No you did'nt, you made a crass comment in the hope of provoking a reaction and now you are attempting to gain some high ground. The relevant facts were: a boat was overtaking and leaving inadequate room whilst doing so. That was clear in my post. Any other information is incidental. CR makes it clear that there is an absolute obligation on an overtaking boat to stay clear. A vagary of the current , a buoy in the water, a bit of wake, gust of wind, attraction of two hulls etc etc renders a close overtaking or passing manouvre an act of folly.
 
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