Yachties Right of way

Show seamanship and alter your course to pass behind so he doesn't have to deal with your wash on the nose.
 
There's a great line in a certain classic sailing book, where a yotty asks the range patrol boat 'which way at 5 knots?', getting the reply 'suggest sinking where you are, Sir'.

So the OP came out of the submarine barrier gap at 19 knots? Or accelerate to 19knots from that point?
Any alteration of course between the barrier and spotting the yacht?
From there to the main channel into Pompey is a couple of miles.
Spotted the yacht at a range of 1NM. That's either poor vis or not a great lookout.
So did the OP set a course from the barrier gap for a collision in about 6 minutes?

The yacht was travelling roughly at right angles to the powerboat's path.
So if his assessment was that the powerboat was going close behind the yacht, as seems to be very common, then any alteration of course is only going to make the approach closer.
The fact that the OP went behind the yacht, altering to port, suggests that his CPA was very close behind the yacht rather than ahead. Even if the predicted CPA was bang on the yacht, you've got to allow for the possibility that the yacht will misjudge it slightly and by the time he re-assesses it, it's late to do anything useful.
Had I been driving my RIB at 30knots, I think I'd have just gone a fair distance behind the yacht and thought nothing of it.
 
lw395 said:
There's a great line in a certain classic sailing book, where a yotty asks the range patrol boat 'which way at 5 knots?', getting the reply 'suggest sinking where you are, Sir'.

So the OP came out of the submarine barrier gap at 19 knots? Or accelerate to 19knots from that point?
Any alteration of course between the barrier and spotting the yacht?
From there to the main channel into Pompey is a couple of miles.
Spotted the yacht at a range of 1NM. That's either poor vis or not a great lookout.
So did the OP set a course from the barrier gap for a collision in about 6 minutes?

The yacht was travelling roughly at right angles to the powerboat's path.
So if his assessment was that the powerboat was going close behind the yacht, as seems to be very common, then any alteration of course is only going to make the approach closer.
The fact that the OP went behind the yacht, altering to port, suggests that his CPA was very close behind the yacht rather than ahead. Even if the predicted CPA was bang on the yacht, you've got to allow for the possibility that the yacht will misjudge it slightly and by the time he re-assesses it, it's late to do anything useful.
Had I been driving my RIB at 30knots, I think I'd have just gone a fair distance behind the yacht and thought nothing of it.
Click to expand...

My point exactly !

BTW I'm not really anti Mobo, there is many yachties that shouldn't be let anywhere near the water if you ask me. It just all happens at a lot less speed..........
 
Rocksteadee said:
Where I am coming from:
It was not the fact that a give way vessel did not but his arrogance that he was in the right and I was wrong.
I quite happily make allowances for anyone not knowing the rules as everyone is on the same learning curve I once was.
At the weekend in Chichester I was suddenly surrounded by dingys in a race in a narrower channel at a low tide and spent more time going astern than ahead. The rules still apply.
Have had yachts pull out onto a channel resulting in quite a lot of astern power to avoid a collision, impolite but the rules still apply.
Not forgetting that I had to learn once.

I teach Power boat 2 whilst understand the arguments for and against compulsory qualifications eg. The EU ICC, those who don’t have some sort of training can lead to very dangerous situations.

There you go, had my rant, now I can go back to waving at any one who looks (knowing that those who will not make eye contact will not wave back)
Click to expand...

Pathetic
 
Aquaboy said:
My point exactly !

BTW I'm not really anti Mobo, there is many yachties that shouldn't be let anywhere near the water if you ask me. It just all happens at a lot less speed..........
Click to expand...

I'm not anti-MoBo either, I just think that colregs, (like yacht racing rules) bring out certain poor behaviour based on one persons interpretation of events. In racing rules, we actually sometimes get to argue it out, and normally what we find is not that people disagree about the rules, it's more like they are talking about two different events. Viewed fom two different perspectives, starting the clock at two different points, interpretation of what actually happened will be completely different.
So even if the OP thought/knew he was completely in the right, a nice early small turn to port so that there never was any potential for a collision is just so much easier.

And if the yachty really did have a blue ensign and breton cap, then like certain drivers at road junctions some people will live down to the stereotype, so there's less stress if you give yourself some space.
 
jrudge said:
Finally it must be something in the UK drinking water as in Spain everyone just waves at everyone else.
Click to expand...

Unless it's a Sunseeker or Pershing :) .... I've quickly learned in Mallorca to play the safe route quite often regardless of who's stand-on. There are a lot of arrogant, clueless and often drunk captains out there.

Agreed with the sentiment though, it's a small yacht, he go's slow. It is very easy for us MOBOers to make a slight adjustment without any drama's.
 
Yachts only do about 5 knots under power. A motorboat doing 5knots should be treated as equal to a yacht under power.
However a motorboat at 20 knots is the more manoeverable vessel and should keep clear of anything going at 5 knots.
Maybe all motor boat skippers should try sailing .

.
 
MartynG said:
Yachts only do about 5 knots under power. A motorboat doing 5knots should be treated as equal to a yacht under power.
However a motorboat at 20 knots is the more manoeverable vessel and should keep clear of anything going at 5 knots.
Maybe all motor boat skippers should try sailing .
.
Click to expand...

There are multiple stages to understanding Colregs.

1.) Blissful ignorance - just avoid everything as best you can.
2.) Trained and expecting others to be similarly trained, getting upset when they fail to comply.
3.) Realising that the most relaxing boating approach is to never get into a situation where a risk of collision exists in the first place.

.
 
Last edited:
Deleted User said:
I'd like one of those. My present one is a bit knackered. Where do I get one?
Click to expand...

They're readily available (so I'm told) but they are rather expensive... both in divorce settlement and maintenance. I'm sure you're current model will explain the pricing structure. I warn you that it might be short and expensive conversation.
 
john_morris_uk said:
More likely it was student who was so nervous that he/she forgot to do the basic thing of looking up river before casting off. Hopefully the instructor waved an apology and used it as a teaching point.
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Nope. There were about 8 on board, pretty much all focussed on getting the canvas up. No acknowledgement of my actions. Not a good way to teach people.
 
Deleted User said:
This age old conflict between power and sail does indeed seem to be a peculiarly British thing. Having spent the last 16yrs in the Med in locations as diverse as France, Spain, Balearics, Croatia, Italy and Sardinia, I can say hand on heart I have only been gesticulated at once by a yottie and he was on a British flagged boat whereas during my previous 12yrs in and around the Solent, it was a regular occurrence. I think British based yotties just have a massive chip on their shoulders about mobos as in if you're not piss wet through and freezing your bollox off going backwards in the wrong direction, its not doing you any good. In other words they're jealous of us and most of them would rather be in a nice warm dry motor boat travelling at speed in the right direction, only their sailing mates would never speak to them again and they'd be blackballed at their sailing club
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the time I offered to tow a sailing boat that had become stuck on the new breakwater at Cowes. It was obvious that he was well and truly stuck. I sidled up to him and asked if he wanted assistance. Ignored at first I thought he hadn't heard me so I raised my voice and repeated my offer. His wife heard me and spoke to her husband and still he ignored me. I think the fact that he had other mates from his sailing club close by meant that he couldn't accept my offer however much he wanted to....

I'm sure he buggered his hull on the rocks!!! £££££££
 
PalmaTarga said:
I hope the OP is not driving home on the M25, that'll really send the blood pressure up.
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The M25 can be entertaining. Either listen to a good comedy on the Radio as you are stationary, or overtake on any side and cut in front of other traffic when it does move.
 
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