Met tugboat; I blinked

[bsurvey]

most tug companies don't want trouble with recreational vessels. next time get the name of the vessel and then give a friendly call to the port capt of the company with a lightly worded conversation of the incident. just express your concerns and don't get angry


they want to be good neighbors. I have worked on tugs for 35 years and have been sailing for 50. be diplomatic. some times being 3 levels above the water gives you a different perspective than at you level

[BigBoater917]

OP, how often do are you in that area? Where we are there are some very specific tracks that the tugs go on even though they aren't on the chart. If you weren't a regular in the area their behavior would look odd. You can count on them to take the shortest possible route towards their destination at 150-200 gallons an hour they're going to try and be efficient.

[Celestialsailor]

The OP is from the area and very experienced on the water. As far as their being efficient...come on!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

The OP is from the area and very experienced on the water. As far as their being efficient...come on!

I have no doubt he is. Love his wheel house. It seems a simple radio call would have solved it. Maybe, depth was a factor for the tug? I can't see a tug altering course to be a pain in the ass.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Whitebread117

BTW, the last tug we ran across on the icw had a gray bearded super salty looking skipper at the helm. Looking backwards, said captain had a beautiful fully nude female sunbathing crewmember hidden beneath the forward bulwarks, only visible from a very narrow angle on the stern quarter. Being captain has its perks....

Probably inflatable.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I have no doubt he is. Love his wheel house. It seems a simple radio call would have solved it. Maybe, depth was a factor for the tug? I can't see a tug altering course to be a pain in the ass.

Oh yes I can. Have seen bullies behind the wheelhouse of tugs and fishing trawlers go out of their way to scare recreational boaters. One person in particular, may he rip, use to brag about scaring the bejesus out of some weekend boater with his ocean going tug.
True, most professional mariners are true sea captains in the best sense of the word. Most if not all Matson skippers fit that bill. However, there are the lesser breeds, usually employed in small commercial operations, that are just plain mean when they are on the water. Sixty years of sailing and have seen the whole range of behavior out there.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Oh yes I can. Have seen bullies behind the wheelhouse of tugs and fishing trawlers go out of their way to scare recreational boaters. One person in particular, may he rip, use to brag about scaring the bejesus out of some weekend boater with his ocean going tug.
True, most professional mariners are true sea captains in the best sense of the word. Most if not all Matson skippers fit that bill. However, there are the lesser breeds, usually employed in small commercial operations, that are just plain mean when they are on the water. Sixty years of sailing and have seen the whole range of behavior out there.

Just plain mean, I don't buy that, it is just like any other job do it the best you can and go home.

[MarkSF]

In the Oakland Estuary there is one commercial boat who is known for their unprofessional behaviour, and I have experienced it myself. It's not a tug, though.

The majority of the commercial boats are very professional. It might be worth reflecting on the idiocy they must witness every day from pleasure craft.

The other week the coastguard was on the radio telling the sailboats to get out of the turning basin, as two tugs and a container ship were about to enter it.

I like a good wake from a tug, kind of fun to cross through. In a smaller boat it might be a bit scary. It always amazes me to see people in kayaks and on SUPs in an area where commercial traffic operates at speed. Not for me, thank you.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

In the Oakland Estuary there is one commercial boat who is known for their unprofessional behaviour, and I have experienced it myself. It's not a tug, though.


The other week the coastguard was on the radio telling the sailboats to get out of the turning basin, as two tugs and a container ship were about to enter it.

Lemme guess: the green crew boat. Throws a big wake, like the pilot boats do, too.

Get out of the turning basin? Most idiots, regardless of types of boats have no clue what Schnitzers is. Dreadful ignorance.

[david knowles]

get in front of a fully loaded container ship departing Miami on an out going tide and you will only do it once.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

.............Many SF Bay recreational boaters don't know that Commercial Boats using Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) do not have to monitor VHF Channel 16............

That goes for recreational boaters everywhere. We are taught that boats with VHF radios are required to monitor channel 16 all the time. We are taught that if there's a distress, we should call on channel 16 so everyone can hear us.

Then, some dufuss in some high place decides that certain boaters do not have to monitor channel 16 but does not make it common knowledge or put it in the boating instruction books.

The resulting rule is; All boats monitor channel 16 except the ones that don't. Makes a lot of sense and contributes to safety on the water.

[bobofthenorth]

If I posted here every time some ******* ignored the colregs I'd never have time for cruising. Put enough miles under the keel and you'll meet some jerks. It can be difficult though to know when you should maintain a course so that your intentions are clear and when you should just prudently get the hell out of the way.

R.J.(Bob) Evans
www.bobandmarilyn.ca

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by BigBoater917

............. You can count on them to take the shortest possible route towards their destination at 150-200 gallons an hour they're going to try and be efficient.

But would efficiency be a good enough excuse to ignore the rules of the road? To turn directly into the path of an oncoming boat?

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Lemme guess: the green crew boat. Throws a big wake, like the pilot boats do, too.

Haha, how did you guess?

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Just plain mean, I don't buy that, it is just like any other job do it the best you can and go home.

So your wet behind the ears? Air pilots that take a whole plane load of passengers to their death; cops that rape women after stopping their cars, ministers and priests that say "come here little boy/girl"; and so on. Just plain mean exists and if you live long enough you will see it in many places, especially in those with positions of power. Now about that book on the Third something or other.