Bahamas Boat Ramming

[White Feather]

Backing off to avoid a collision at sea is only common sense. If you are arrogant and stupid enough to demand right of way when you have no idea of the situation, conditions or crew on the other vessel you deserve to be fish bait. Is the other Captain a drug smuggler? Is the other Captain even licensed? Is the other Captain going to even stop if he runs you down? If your right of way under U.S.A. or International rules of the road is worth more than your life or the safety of your crew, passangers or vessel be my guest, cross the bow of a warship or freighter and see if you make any more impression than a small scratch on his bow and bottom paint. You leave your rights at the border when you exit the safety of the United States waters. Like someone just said, some of these boats are crewed by idiots, drug dealers or other types that have no more reguard for your safety or even the slightest value on your life or boat. Why would you be stupid enough to press the issue hundreds of miles at sea where the only witness is the survivor. Why would he even report you as floating wreckage at sea? No survivors = no witnesses! Survivors make good floating targets. Duh!

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by White Feather

If by maintaining course you cause an accident (you could have avoided) you are at fault. Reguardless Because of the rules, if you cause damage or injury by your actions, you are responsible. A deliberate action that causes damage or injury is your fault. Peroid! Also, a warship has the right of way over you. Cause him to run you down by getting in the way and it does not matter if you are right or not. Dead is dead. Like the man said; "There is right and there is DEAD right."

Fixed that up a bit.

We are crossing the Singapore Straits on Friday - planned course is the orange line. We'll let you know if we make it. If we don't make it we will be a tiny stain on the bow of a ship.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Fixed that up a bit.

We are crossing the Singapore Straits on Friday - planned course is the orange line. We'll let you know if we make it. If we don't make it we will be a tiny stain on the bow of a ship.

Enjoy the sail Ex... sure your aware TCZ's are not as bad as folks imagine.. hope the weathers in your favour...

[Ex-Calif]

Thanks Boatman.

Large ships in close quarters is something you learn to manage here.

Never let your guard down and plan ahead. Here in our channel they are supposed to be restricted to 5 knots. In the fairway they could be pushing 15-20.

Sorry for the hijack...

[Liam Wald]

What a horrific story. I am so sorry that this could happen to anyone.
But the truth is that the world has a great number of psychotic humans roaming about doing dammage. Just the way it is.
The pilot of the freighter could have been on his fifth day of a crack binge. Who knows what his damaged brain was telling him to do.
It could be as simple as he thought the Cabo Rico was his "pick-up" boat and he misjudged his approach, or it could be that he thought that the Cabo was a space alien out to get him.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Thanks Boatman.

Large ships in close quarters is something you learn to manage here.

Never let your guard down and plan ahead. Here in our channel they are supposed to be restricted to 5 knots. In the fairway they could be pushing 15-20.

Sorry for the hijack...

Hey Ex.... hope the spillage from the collision isn't gonna affect your sailing plans...

Someone else reluctant to sound the 5 blasts....? lmao

[mcingood]

John -I feel for you. I am in Australia and have done a few sailing trips/ocean crossing deliveries as a very amateur crewperson. Loved every minute and hope to do many more. The thought that someone can shortcircuit your dreams/life like that are sad. I wish you all the very best. mcingood

[Skipper Dan]

Wow I read all the responses. I am a pilot also and we have the same thing in the air. It is called right of way in the pattern. "Lower plane shall have the right of way over a higher plane". You would be surprised how many pilots are stubborn enough to enforce that rule. They would rather die than give up flying an extra ten minutes to go around. For the life of me and I am a rookie I cannot see how one would not turn away and sail in another direction for however long it took. I mean its not like your on a highway or anything. If I see another plane and it is thinking about landing I do not even hesitate, I just get out of there. If I am sailing I am sure I am going to do the same thing. Tack one way and go around, it may take me one more hour but that is one more glorious hour I get to sail.

Dan

[sww914]

Thanks for sharing your story. I think I will shine my flashlight on my sails rather than on the bridge of any psycho powerboat as a result of learning from you.

[John A]

Originally Posted by sww914

Thanks for sharing your story. I think I will shine my flashlight on my sails rather than on the bridge of any psycho powerboat as a result of learning from you.

I'm surprised that people still think this ramming was avoidable by me. Read the op again. The other boat had pasted me and deliberately did a 180 to come up along side me and followed me as I tried to turn away to avoid him.

It was at this point that I shined the light at him after he had altered course to hit me.
Please note the Colreg below. I really don't think I embarrassed him.

Rule 36 - Signals to Attraction Attention
If necessary to attract the attention of another vessel, any vessel may make light or sound signals that cannot be mistaken for any signal authorized elsewhere in these Rules, or may direct the beam of her searchlight in the direction of the danger, in such a way as not to embarrass any vessel. Any light to attract the attention of another vessel shall be such that it cannot be mistaken for any aid to navigation. For the purpose of this Rule the use of high intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided. [Intl]

I've had many commericial ships shine their light on my boat at night, no problem.

[sww914]

I don't think you could have avoided it once he decided to ram you. It sounds like you tried everything to avoid it. I suspect that he may not have done that if the light hadn't been shined in his eyes but I wasn't there, you were, so you would be the better judge of that.
Some people are just stupid and crazy, I see it on the roads every day. Today it was some self righteous prius driver blocking the fast lane on the (2 lanes per side) freeway, going 60 in a 65 to piss off some rednecks in a jacked up pickup with a rifle rack in the back window. The power boat drivers were crazy and the prius driver was crazy too.
I wasn't trying to lay blame but it seemed that thigs changed after you shined the light up there. LIke I said, I may have done that too but now I won't thanks to your thread.
Cheers,
Steve


EDIT EDIT
Sorry, I didn't read thoroughly either time. He decided to ram you and THEN you shined the light. I guess I fall below average in intelligence myself today.
I guess I'll need to shine some flares on his (theoretical) boat instead!

[Skipper Dan]

Originally Posted by John A

I'm surprised that people still think this ramming was avoidable by me.

In my post I was referring to most of the other stories as far as avoidance goes. Your story makes me think twice about traveling at night. In WI I live in a very protected mode of life. Not much in the way of violence. Well not much that you can not avoid anyway. I'm so far out in the boonies... I grew up a WI farmer then just kept relocating farther North. Now I'm so close to Lake Superior I need a boat to go any farther.

Dan

[Beenjammin]

Wow - amazing thread. One of many on this site, ill add.

Considering Osirisail's post from August last year, I may have spotted why the freighter tried to ram JohnA:

" I have done many crossings of the Gulfstream at night and get pissed off by the USCG blasting my cockpit with megawatt spot lights. They are looking for suspicious activity in the target boat - me - and need "reasonable cause" to board."

My theory: Your freighter captain friend initially thought he was being lit up by the coppers, and when he realised you were just a sailor, his fear turned to anger (or he figured you were being a smart@ss) and decided to take revenge.

No cultural issue here, just a lesson for us all that you don't do anything that might make others confuse you with the authorities, especially in an area full of smugglers. Like our friends the Hells Angels, smugglers are not renown for their respect for police or good manners, and usually don't appreciate being high-beamed. I'd also venture if you tried to reinforce your point with a firearm you may not have gotten away with just a hit-and-run ramming - the chances that the freighters' crew were similarly armed are pretty good.

Thanks for this story, if I hadn't read it I may have made the same mistake in the future. I'll be sure & certain to consider the alternatives before high-beaming someone else's bridge........

[Davie J.]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Another good reason to carry guns aboard.

Steve B.

AMEN!!

[John A]

As the OP of this thread, I can tell you that a gun on board would have been worthless.
Please don't drag this thread into a gun rant.
It's bad enough that we're still babbleing on about a flashlight I shinned on a freighter after he deliberatly altered course to run me down.