Sailing rules in BVI are applicable?

[markpierce]

Presume any boat is in command of someone ignorant of the rules. Regardless,
we're all required to avoid collision with other boats. Give a long sigh when others do right.

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by singlespeed

You really don't want to end up in a local court, against a locally owned ferry service.

Amen to that! Five or six families own or control nearly everything including the courts, the harbor police, the port authority, and the ferries, so there is no point in fighting them.

[sailcrazy]

You're absolutely right. Although the cat-condominiums seem to be getting bigger, it's still always a race to the mooring ball. But they aren't the worst....I swear the stink-pot drivers have never seen a wake they didn't like....and the more they can make you rock and roll-the better it is. And give way to a boat under sail.....you've got to be kidding! And then there are the ferries....how close can we come...at full speed??? At least in the Medd (The Ionian off Greece, and the waters off Croatia), where it often got crowded, MOST folks seemed to know the rules of the road. But the BVI is like driving a car in some foreign country, driving bumper-to-bumper at high speeds...on roads you don't know and on the "wrong" side of the road. iI's an experience, keep your head on a swivel!

[lelolay]

You should see the Intra Coastal Way. in America. Nobody cares. An those that do dont want to crash their boat. General rule...Stay Away...

[Montanan]

If you are truly concerned about the dangers in navigation in the BVI, you should try operating in the USVI, where they also drive on the non-rightside of the road, [not to say, the incorrect side]. The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is the only place under United States jurisdiction where the rule of the road is to drive on the left. However, virtually all passenger vehicles are left hand drive due to imports of U.S. vehicles. It can be confusing to transition from the rules of the road to the rules of the sea, when on land one is required to not drive on the proper side of the road and thus improperly revert to desiring when navigating to alter course to port [left], so as to pass oncoming vessels starboard to starboard [right], instead of the appropriate COOLRegs method of each boat altering course to starboard (right) so as to passes port to port (left). Just be glad there aren't roundabouts at sea where one can inadvertently go in the opposite direction around the intersection flowing against traffic, [always exciting doing that, particularly great fun in London at one of the major circuses - Make a hole, Yank coming through!].

As for close calls, well as the saying goes, you miss by an inch, you miss by a mile. Somehow that expression doesn't quite have the same ring to it stated in metric terms. You miss by a centimetre / centimeter, you miss by a kilometre / kilometer.

And after a while you get used to sailing under heavy traffic conditions like this: reference short video at this link.

https://www.memedroid.com/memes/detail/2489107



No harm, no foul.

To rephrase the quote of the famous baseball player, Frank Robinson: "Close don't count in sailing. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."

One must realize that at times everyone is racing for the one remaining, first come, first serve, mooring ball, at a location where anchoring is disallowed, so rapid approaches and a little bump and shove can be expected. That is why you permanently leave all your bumpers deployed while sailing, right? Bumpers don't serve much purpose stowed away. Besides there is no place to put the bumpers on a chartered boat because where they would ordinarily be stowed there are many extra cases of beer to be stowed, and no one fills one of the many private heads onboard a charter boat with stacks of beer, because when everyone, including the skipper, are consuming a lot of beer there is inevitably a lot of nature calls to contend with and with that many persons on board, sharing of even one of the heads is out of the question.

And then of course there are the dinghy skippers to contend with who are in a hurry to ferry their passengers to land; they can be particularly problematic when you are sunbathing on the beach as evidenced by this beaching video:

https://gph.is/1sFfv35

Happy sailing and do try to avoid the failboats.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by ed91e

Great advices. You are right, no point of risking anything just to prove your rights

"Here lies the body of Johnny O'Day
Who died Preserving His Right of Way.

He was Right, Dead Right, as he sailed along
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong"

quoted by Eric Hiscock in "Cruising Under Sail", Oxford University Press, 1st edn, 1950.

[belizesailor]

Many of the USA flagged vessels you see in more popular destinations are bare boat charters. Operated by bare-ly-boaters...many of whom dont have a clue.

[Flagman101]

I have sailed most of the Caribeans, ear lots of stories, seen some sketchy seamanship. But!
I never once got into a possible colision or rule of the road conflict with a charter boat.
Most incidents do happen in the mooring or anchoring area. That is where most charter skipper lack in skills the most.
When I sail I keep watch and always ajust my course so that any possibility of colision is unlikely.
It’s not match racing, it’s cruising with a heavy, fully loaded, unfamiliar boat in unfamilliar area for most out there.
Do practice dropping anchor in 15 feet of water and or taking a moring ball.
I have skippered for a guy who has one more races then i can imagine but had never taken a moring ball. Much less from a big boat with a high stancion line.
He was more then qualitied to sail the boat. It was the not sailing part he was not so good at.

[ed91e]

It doesn't need to be close to a collision to be frustrating.
It happened twice when we were close hauled, starboard tack, just clearing an island after a perfect timed tack. Meeting another boat running downwind. We concluded quickly they were not going to change their course, so we had to tack.
I would actually understand better if the other boat would look away. Maybe they were in the middle of a meal, or a card game (?), and didnt give a f....
Instead the first boat waved happily at us, while we were tacking with flapping sails.

[Flagman101]

It will happen. Not exclusive to the BVIs or Caribeans.
I sail in front of Quebec city. Ended up crosibg a fleet of sailboats on a club regatta.
I was starboard tack, close hauled, actually got yelled at by a boat on port tack going downwind.
He yelled for me to get out of the way....
I just smilled at him and kept going.
Frustrating....naaaa. leaves me perplexed, but hey, i'm sailing.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

BVI sailing has been chaotic since they started being a popular charter base decades ago. Spend some time by the docks or nearby mooring fiends if you like to see demolition derby with boats. It’s scary.

Indeed. Beware of the mooring fiends.

[RestlessNick]

I lived on a boat in the BVI for about 25 years.

The BVI, at least when I was there, was considered the Bareboat Capital of the World - steady Trades, safe anchorages (then mooring fields) convenient one to the next, good snorkeling/diving and plenty of bars.

During my time there I spent a few years as a charter captain and had a lot opportunities to watch the antics of many a bareboater. Ended up writing this poem...

ODE TO THE BAREBOAT SAILOR

Wallies and wankers and sailor wannabes,
Inexperienced boaters on a tropical sea,
They’re a menace to you as well as to me,
These wallies, these wankers, these sailor wannabes.

They come to the Islands, think sailing’s a breeze,
They scoff at instruction, at practice they sneeze,
They don’t know the rules, they just do as they please,
These wallies, these wankers, these sailor wannabes.

They think sheets are to sleep on, think mouthwash is scope,
When they see the word “sloop” they pronounce it as “slope”,
What they lack in experience they make up for with hope,
When they charter a boat and they don’t know the ropes.

Now they’re easy to spot, with their fenders a-dangle,
Their mains‘l un-flaked, their lines in a tangle.
They anchor too close, go ashore and then mangle
Your boat! Then they blame the Bermuda Triangle.

So, take my advice, these comments are free,
When you see one approach, be ready to flee,
For a prayer will not help you, even down on your knees,
From these wallies, these wankers, these sailor wannabes.

Oh, and to the senior sailor’s comment about obeying the Rules of the Road, keep in mind the overriding, number 1 rule is to avoid collision at all cost.

[roadranger]

If you find yourself in a narrow channel with spoils on both sides and your motor isn't working, then the right-of-way rules might help the unlucky sailor... but don't count on it. Chances are, the other boats will not give way and THAT is what you should expect. So plan ahead. Don't expect to be able to tack your way up a busy channel.

That said, most boaters will lend assistance if you ask.

[SuW]

"Why, oh why, will some people not obey the rules?"

This happens everywhere. Basically, it is a free-for-all in many popular places. I sail in the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence and some times and some places it's like being in a washing machine...

I've significantly changed my attitude from when I was young. I used to get upset and yell at people who were "wrong". Now, I smile and wave, and keep my distance...I'm happier and the rest of them are the same as they ever were!

[RenoirIII]

The most important rule in racing:

"14. AVOIDING CONTACT
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible."

So the responsibility will ALWAYS come back to you.

If you can't accept that then I suggest you hire a scooter in Bali for a quick educational exercise in dealing with chaos...