Who has right of way?

[chart5011]

A few weekends ago I was sailing west about 5 miles offshore, light winds so going quite slowly.
A number of oar powered gigs and other craft being rowed were racing from Plymouth around the Eddystone . We came quite close to a few and didn't want to impede them as they were racing, but who had right of way?

 

[Coaster]

No vessel has right of way. Some are stand-on and others are give way.

Boats propelled by oars are not directly covered by the colregs. See this thread.

Racing makes no difference to colregs, as far as I know.

Good manners may mean you would keep out of the oarsmen's way.

 

[sarabande]

If you had stand-on duty, would you really want to interrupt gigracing unless you were about to collide or allide with something else ?

 

[Bosun Higgs]

No vessel has right of way. Some are stand-on and others are give way.

Boats propelled by oars are not directly covered by the colregs. See this thread.

Racing makes no difference to colregs, as far as I know.

Good manners may mean you would keep out of the oarsmen's way.

Got to agree with most of that post - consideration is the key issue.

If you think about it, the colregs "who gives way to who" hierarchy is all about ability to manoeuvre and the ease with which you can do so. A rowing boat is just as manoeuverable as a power boats, the main difference being speed. So I would expect row boats to give way to sail ( or boats fishing or dredgers dredging etc) and I would expect the sail boat to take into account their relative speed difference when deciding if the give way boat was able to give way in time..

 

[Lakesailor]

I would expect row boats to give way to sail

Windermere byelaws are slightly different in that case.

6.6
When two vessels, one of which (whether or not fitted with propelling machinery or carrying sails) is being manually propelled solely by the use of oars, are proceeding in such directions as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which is not under oars shall keep out of the way of the other.

 

[daveyw]

Windermere byelaws are slightly different in that case.

I wonder if they had good reason to contradict col regs or did they do it purely to exert their authority

 

[Coaster]

I wonder if they had good reason to contradict col regs or did they do it purely to exert their authority

Colregs, rule 1(a):

"These rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels."

So colregs presumably don't apply to Windermere.

 

[Lakesailor]

That was pretty selective. How about 1(b)?

 

[daveyw]

Colregs, rule 1(a):

"These rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels."

So colregs presumably don't apply to Windermere.

That maybe so but why deliberately reverse an internationally recognised rule? Just because they can?

 

[peterb]

That maybe so but why deliberately reverse an internationally recognised rule? Just because they can?

There is no internatiunally recognised rule relating to the stand-on/give-way relationship between oared (or paddled) boats and other craft, presumably because they are rarely met at sea. They are met on Windermere, so the Windermere authorities have inserted a suitable rule covering them.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

That maybe so but why deliberately reverse an internationally recognised rule? Just because they can?

Perhaps the international rule is incorrect? I can assure you that when I am rowing my dinghy I am probably the least maneuverable thing on the water and really need everyone to keep well out of my way!

 

[LittleSister]

Boats propelled by oars are not directly covered by the colregs.

Boats propelled by oars are specifically provided for in the col regs ('vessels under oars'). (e.g. They have their own specific section for navigation lights.)

There is no specific provision for crossing situations with vessels under oars (except if the vessel under oars is an overtaking vessel) unlike for powered vessels or sailing vessels, but both vessels in a crossing situation with a vessel under oars have the obligations to keep a look out and to avoid a collision.

 

[Coaster]

Boats propelled by oars are specifically provided for in the col regs ('vessels under oars'). (e.g. They have their own specific section for navigation lights.)

I was trying to be brief, replying to a question about stand-on/give way.

Just being selective.

 

[Coaster]

That was pretty selective. How about 1(b)?

I assumed the term "connected" was being used in the same sense as in 1(a), i.e. the connection can be used by "seagoing vessels". So Loch Ness would be covered by the Colregs but Windermere wouldn't.

 

[Lakesailor]

Fair point.
However the Windermere Naviagtion Byelaws are largely, word-for-word, from the Col Regs.
Special consideration is made for the commercial ferries and the numerous rowing boats. Quite sensibly. The rules don't say that the rowing boat hirers are numbskulls, but the byelaws allow for that.

 

[Searush]

(snip)The rules don't say that the rowing boat hirers are numbskulls, but the byelaws allow for that.

Numbskulls? Is this a special class of racing rowboat? As in Eights, fours, gigs, sculls & numbskulls?

Gigs are normally coxed & have a small rudder so should be reasonably manouverable, but I would rather heave to & admire them passing than obstruct them in anyway.

 

[Lakesailor]

Favourite entertainment is watching hirers trying to row away from the jetty.
Many sit facing forwards and try to row like that.
They've just stood watching people rowing around whilst waiting for a boat!!
Still they get it wrong.

 

[Searush]

Favourite entertainment is watching hirers trying to row away from the jetty.
Many sit facing forwards and try to row like that.
They've just stood watching people rowing around whilst waiting for a boat!!
Still they get it wrong.

I quite often row my rubber duck facing forwards. The view is better & I can more easily judge my ferry glide angle across the river to my mooring. The action requires a little more thought tho.

 

[Lakesailor]

As you will be aware, knowing the rules and breaking them for a specific effect and just not knowing the rules are two different things.
That is why great photographers and artists can break the rules and novices can't.

 

[Searush]

(snip)That is why great photographers and artists can break the rules and novices can't.

You've seen my piccies then?