Yachtie confusion

[wheneverIcan]

Yarmouth this time of year is a bit like an over crowded car boot sale with boats tied 6 or 7 abreast and so whilst entering and departed (for fuel) extra care needs to be taken.

So last weekend I am leaving the correct way and find the exit narrowed to one boat width or two at a squeeze - I politely wait for two yachts to come through and then seeing a gap gently ease forward. Another yacht appears from nowhere and we are about 30 metres away - pleny of room at low speed to avoid any mishap. I go to starboard so as to pass port to port and expect him to do the same, instead he comes straight for my bow and with 25 metres left the guy on the back of the yacht signals his arm to port (his port) by now I am thinking that he is turning to port and I should turn the otherway to avoid him.
So I change course so we can pass starboard side and with 15 metres left he starts shouting at where am I going. "I saw you signalling with your arm to port" i say. "No you idiot" he says "I was telling you where to go"!!!!!

He was very worked up about the whole thing and as we passed (port to port in the end) I merely suggested he calm down and enjoy himself a bit and perhaps in future he should indicate where he was going instead of telling others where to go.

Do you think he would have given the same treatment to a fellow yachtie or was it just cos I was in a motor cruiser that he assumed I knew nothing?

 

[tcm]

There are no "standard arm signals" so there is no cause for his wavings to be recognised or accompanied by "you idiot" comments. The arm waving could be kids on the foredeck.

You turn to starboard and always pass portside to portside. You avoid by turning further to starboard, and move away, NOT switching to port - that's where he'd go at the last minute. You/he would indicate where you are going with a massive turn to starboard (show your port side) and then lightly undo the turn. If he hits you, and it's on your port side, he pays and not you. Remebner an insurance no-claims bonus may be just that - no claims, not "no blame" so you want a cheque for damage there and then, otherwise massive estimates for boat renewal along the port side.

I don't know what was stopping you moving off to your starboard side, cos no piccy/diagram.

"I saw you signalling your arm to port" - was he signalling to his portside, or yours?

as to your supplemental question - probably.

 

[Guest]

A single blow on the horn also indicates turning to starboard I believe.

"The Med is calling me"

 

[Col]

Whereas, a blow of the nose indicates the onset of a cold!!

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[ari]

Apparently we're not allowed to criticise yachites on here any more. You'll get told to get a life if you're not careful...!!

;-)

Ari.

 

[ToMo]

...and a blow on the nose indicates the begining of a "smash yer mush in!"

TôMö

 

[ToMo]

Oooh you naughty boy!....we'll get you a nice big spoon for your birthday! - that reminds me, it's mine tomorrow; so what you going to get me?

TôMö

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Agree with tcm; hand signals can be a bit confusing so dont bother unless you're giving somebody the finger. A sharp turn to starboard and hugging the starboard side would have given your yottie friend no option but to do what he's supposed to do. If he gets aereated, then he's the one whose looking stupid in front of the crowds of unwashed on the quayside

 

[ccscott49]

Stoppit, stoppit! No more of this, please, he was a pillock, it doesn't matter if he was in a motorboat or saling boat, he was just a pillock, plain and simple! It wouldn't matter if he was on Kontiki! or in a car or bycycle, he's still going to be a pillock, probably comes from a long line of them! Pant, pant, wheres' me pills!!

By the way I agree with TCM, you should not turn to Port. One blast on the hormn does tell hoim you are turning to Stb.

 

[Mike_02]

A little tip for you people out there. When in a place such as yarmouth don't just look for boats moving on the water....look for masts moving...you will see them long before you can see the boat.

I know that this won't always work but it helps me a lot i find.

 

[tcm]

many thanks for yet another pearl of wisdom! However, the sailboat was 30 yards away, coming straight at him. So, from his line of sight the mast wouldn't have moved at all, see?

 

[ArthurWood]

Relax! Life's too short to get so worked up about stuff like that! We aren't all perfect (except me, perhaps).
You should have made a sharp turn to stbd to signal your intention as well as given a short horn blast, which the yottie would probably not have understood, anyway. Seems to me there was fault on both sides. But who cares? These things happen all the time and we have to be prepared for them.