Which is stand-on vessel?

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bobgarrett

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Sailing (racing actually but that's not material) in the Solent today in very light airs and with calm sea we were on collision course with a yacht (motoring) towing another yacht close behind. We were close hauled and they were approaching from our starboard bow.
I felt that as they were motoring they should give way and they could have done so by turning a few degrees early on to pass behind us. Instead they started waving and gesticulating that they were towing. When close they shouted they were "restricted in their ability to maneouvre and we must give way" then "check you collision regs". As we got closer we decided to tack as although I still felt they're restriction to maneouvre was not that great (not much worse than a yacht towing a tender) but valued my boat more than a couple of charters did. Then they shouted "be a sport"!

Was I right that I was the stand-on vessel? Opinions, please.
 
They may have been hampered by the tow, but not 'restricted in ability to maneouvre' in open water.
No shapes displayed?- nothing in the colregs about shouting or gesticulating to show your status.
Stand on.
 
If the yacht was less than 12m in length then the skipper would not be required to show any shapes.
 
Towing doesn't automatically confer on a vessel the status of it being restricted in its ability to manouvre. It is only restricted in its ability to manouvre if the tow really does restrict its ability to manouvre, in which case the tug would show the ball diamond ball dayshapes & corresponding lights at night.

A yacht towing another in open water just isn't at all likely to be restricted in its ability to manouvre. Sounds like they were just taking the p.
 
IRPCS Rule 3.g Vessels restricted in ability to manoeuvre shall include....
(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.

I would suggest that it was them that needed to check the ColRegs.
 
Just ram him and employ a marine expert barrister at many thousands per hour to figure it out whilst you retire to the pub.
 
It's not really like towing a tender is it? If I slow down or go astern, the rubber tender bounces off my stern. A towed yacht carries a lot of momentum & will simply smash into my stern with little or no chance of avoiding a collision.

The tower could easily change course, but not slow down safely. It makes sense to understand the other guy's problems before posting thsi sort of stuff. Did you explain to him that you were competeing in a race? He may then have been prepared to turn to go astern of you. Basically, did you try asking nicely?
 
"It is only restricted in its ability to manouvre if the tow really does restrict its ability to manouvre, in which case the tug would show the ball diamond ball dayshapes & corresponding lights at night."

Yer know what, I hope that one day you are in need of a tow, and get told......

Sorry can't help you we don't have the correct shapes and lights! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I Sail in the Solent all the time
I often give way, showing a large altererration to course to convey my intentions.
I work on the principle, lets not give them a hard time .
Be they racing, towing or just having a good day!!
its a small stetch of water that we are all trying to use!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
When close they shouted they were "restricted in their ability to maneouvre and we must give way" then "check you collision regs".

[/ QUOTE ] Not in the Colregs, but there should be an addendum to the effect that communications such as these define the source as an arrogant banker; the proper course of action when faced with one of these is to make the appropriate hand signal and give way.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I Sail in the Solent all the time
I often give way, showing a large altererration to course to convey my intentions.
I work on the principle, lets not give them a hard time .
Be they racing, towing or just having a good day!!
its a small stretch of water that we are all trying to use!!

[/ QUOTE ]
<span style="color:white"> if you can read this your are cheating - LOL </span> <span style="color:red"> SECONDED! </span>
 
Few yachts carry enough shapes for the correct day shapes that could have been shown.

On seeing a tow, I'd watch like a hawk & avoid if I thought they were not avoiding me. Point is that you have no idea why the yacht is being towed. Could be the motor just died. Or, the rudder could be jammed hard over. There may be an unseen drogue stabilising the whole lot.

But driving the tow, I'd also try to keep clear of yachts if I could.

Sounds by the "be a sport" comment the tow could have kept clear.
 
I've towed other boats and been towed myself.

Have a look at commercial tugs. Most aren't RAM because they're not sufficiently restricted in their ability to manouvre but they have the lights etc because some of their tows will severly restrict them.

Just towing another yacht doesn't restrict you sufficiently unless there's something else wrong with the boat (such as no steering or jammed steering).

Anyway, aren't you one of those trolls I've been warned about. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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