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Old 27-02-2023, 12:17   #61
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

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Originally Posted by StoneCrab View Post
Is it possible that the tug had submerged items in the water and his turn was to avoid the possibility of you passing over or getting tangled in whatever was in the water?

With dredging operations, they are dragging around pipes, anchors and pumping equipment.

On the open waters, a non-obvious danger is presented when a tug is towing a barge. Sometimes the barge is a long, long, long way back. If you think this is two vessels headed the same way and think you have time to pass between them, the tow cable may be your end.

If you have any doubts or aren't up to speed on your day signals, VHF and a lot of caution is your friend.
Ain't that the truth! Years ago in my old little boat with no electronics I came across a tug in the shipping lane on a misty, foggy day. Thankfully the fog lifted before I got too close. The tow line from the tug to its barge (which was a LONG way back) was entirely submerged and thus invisible.
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Old 27-02-2023, 17:00   #62
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

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As random luck would have it, I noted the day shapes and knew to pass on my STBD side (diamonds).
The fact that you both noted and knew the dayshapes, gets you a big

It should be noted that a lot of commercial boat-drivers don't sail - so most likely don't appreciate that sailboats have a much greater draft than a similarly-sized motorboat.
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Old 07-03-2023, 07:57   #63
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

Based on the radio traffic I hear from commercial vessels (and decades as pilot in command) the radio I would have made, early on, is NOT “hey what should I do?” but instead WHO you are, WHERE you are, WHAT you intend to do followed by “all concerned or conflicting traffic contact xxxxx on 16”

Iow you’re the skipper with responsibility for your vessel, don’t ask other skippers to tell you how to run your boat, tell them how you’re running your boat and advise them to advise you if this causes a potential conflict
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Old 07-03-2023, 08:06   #64
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

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Based on the radio traffic I hear from commercial vessels (and decades as pilot in command) the radio I would have made, early on, is NOT “hey what should I do?” but instead WHO you are, WHERE you are, WHAT you intend to do followed by “all concerned or conflicting traffic contact xxxxx on 16”

Iow you’re the skipper with responsibility for your vessel, don’t ask other skippers to tell you how to run your boat, tell them how you’re running your boat and advise them to advise you if this causes a potential conflict

That's generally a good way to do it, but in the case of dredging, they're the more restricted element in the situation and I've got no preference on where in the channel I go. So I'd generally make a call like "XXX inlet dredge, this is vessel YYY on channel one-six. We're inbound to / outbound from XXX, would you prefer us to pass to the north or south side of your equipment?"


If I were towing someone in through a confined inlet, then I'd absolutely be making the call you suggested. "I'm here, doing this, if you have any concerns contact me"
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Old 07-03-2023, 08:55   #65
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

^^Good advice on radio communications technique.


Generally I either ask other traffic what their intentions are or tell them what my intentions are.


It doesn't always work, and it works better on 13 than on 16. Commercial traffic is required to monitor VHF, but they are under no specific obligation to respond. Some will not because they are busy, and some will not because, to put it politely, they prefer not to.
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Old 07-03-2023, 17:37   #66
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

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Originally Posted by flightlead404 View Post
Based on the radio traffic I hear from commercial vessels (and decades as pilot in command) the radio I would have made, early on, is NOT “hey what should I do?” but instead WHO you are, WHERE you are, WHAT you intend to do followed by “all concerned or conflicting traffic contact xxxxx on 16”

Iow you’re the skipper with responsibility for your vessel, don’t ask other skippers to tell you how to run your boat, tell them how you’re running your boat and advise them to advise you if this causes a potential conflict
(I am bla bla bla approaching from the south under sail proceeding up the starbord/ east side of the channel, I am limited by draft, what are your intentions? Repeat what are your intentions? Over ?)

It’s all fun and games till you’re off shore under wind in a shipping channel with a behemoth bearing down on you and no one is responding.
I stay on 16 until I get a English response close to the states
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Old 07-03-2023, 19:17   #67
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Re: Dangerous dredging maneuvers in inlet -- what should I have done differently?

As I understand the dredging operation, the dredge had moved to the southside of the channel but the sand is loaded onto a carrier barge towed by a tugboat to a fixed off loading barge that is anchored at the northside of the channel near the outer part of the rock jetty from which off loading barge the sand is thence pumped through a temporary pipe submerged across the inlet entrance from north to south to transport the sand through the pipe up and over the south jetty to allow the sand to be wave and current transported to fill the city beaches south of the jetty. This requires the tug and barge to regularly cross the channel from the southside to the northside near the entrance of the inlet where the jetty extends out into the ocean. This requires maneuvering across the narrow channel which is apparently exactly what the tug did because the motor sailing boat was passing along the northside of the channel. I perceive that the OP did not realize that this was the normal traffic pattern for the tug and towed sand filled barge to go from the southside located dredge to the northside offloading barge and sand pumping pipeline. The notice of mariners provided guidance as to this method of operation of the dredge but few sailors read NTMs.
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