Skipper cited for violation of rule 9.

[MerMike]

It's not the sensible and responsible sailors we're talking about. What's it worth to you to educate the morons enough to keep them from killing you?

Originally Posted by Rasselas36

IMO - Licensing doesn't prevent STUPIDITY! If this were the case then we wouldn't have drunk drivers, DUI's, DWI's, reckless driving, speeding, texting, etc. etc. Licensing only takes time and money from sensible and responsible sailors.

[CaptBobR]

I hold a 1600 GRT Oceans license and work as a tug captain. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had sailboaters tell me they didn’t need to change course because they had the right of way. I love explaining the Law of Gross Tonnage to them in terms of hitting and sinking their sailboat will not likely damage the paint on my boat or barge

[Letsgosailing]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

But don't ya know all sailboats have right of way?

Seriously, I hear this ALL the time. I've seen sailing school instructors telling this to their young students, and encouraging them to press that "right" in a busy commercial harbor.

Just last week I overheard an exchange on VHF 16 between a large freighter and a sailor who didn't realize he was violating a VTS shipping lane. He didn't really even seem to understand what it was, or what those lines on his chart meant.

Not to paint all sailors with the same brush, but there IS a problem out there, and I, for one, am glad to see the authorities getting serious about it.

Yes he said he had the right of way, he was DEAD right!!

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by CaptBobR

I hold a 1600 GRT Oceans license and work as a tug captain. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had sailboaters tell me they didn’t need to change course because they had the right of way. I love explaining the Law of Gross Tonnage to them in terms of hitting and sinking their sailboat will not likely damage the paint on my boat or barge

Maybe you should try educating them on the actual collision regulations, rather than with nonsense terms and fake rules.

[lo2jones]

From the first mate of a tank ship: stick to the rules. “Usually, when a recreational vessel starts trying to alter course, we have already made an adjustment and now have to make another. 1 mile astern of a rec vessel is not okay...anything over that is acceptable. 2 miles astern of a sailing rec vessel is [plenty].”

[lo2jones]

This was for out in open water, far away from coastal or inland sea lanes.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

But don't ya know all sailboats have right of way?

Seriously, I hear this ALL the time. I've seen sailing school instructors telling this to their young students, and encouraging them to press that "right" in a busy commercial harbor.

Just last week I overheard an exchange on VHF 16 between a large freighter and a sailor who didn't realize he was violating a VTS shipping lane. He didn't even seem to understand what it was, or what those lines on his chart meant.

Not to paint all sailors with the same brush, but there IS a problem out there, and I, for one, am glad to see the authorities getting serious about it.

As a sailor I am stunned to hear of sailors violating the law like this. This is about safety for those aboard! I remember many years ago sailing in San Diego Bay when one of the carriers went to sea. There was a nice breeze of about 10 -12 knots when the carrier past between us and the breeze the boat stood straight up for several minutes! Do these fools think they can turn out of their way?

I believe most don't even know about restrictions due to drafts or any of the other situations where a boat underway is unable to maneuver. This is why there needs to be exams. Sad to say.

[Trawler2016]

Happ,
Exactly my point on mandatory boater's ed.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by Trawler2016

Happ,
Exactly my point on mandatory boater's ed.

By the way when I give up sailing a Ranger Tug is on my list!

[exMaggieDrum]

We live with a view of the Guemes Channel between Guemes Island and Fidalgo Island. Two big refineries are on the landward side of the channel and there is a moderate sized boat yard for big ferry repair and moderate size shipbuilding. Big oil tankers from Alaska are in the channel all the time. There is a big ferry terminal the other end of the channel where it opens up to cross the Rosario Strait.



The deep part of the channel is wide and well marked. From the ferry dock out it is wide open with room for hundreds of boats but he ferries are fast and often. So even with all this room and a good sized channel with lots of room on both sides with good water, we still hear the sharp 5 blasts from ships and ferries telling idiots to get out of the way. We do get a lot of charter "tourists" who aren't as up on the do's and do not's but a lot of boat owners will and them will still either not pay attention or don't know what they are doing or just think the bigger boat will turn to pass them.


There was a 55' or so pleasure craft that got run over by a ferry in Puget Sound a couple of years ago. This is a very busy area with freighters and numerous ferries crisscrossing. The skipper put it on autopilot and went down below for a long time and got hit by the ferry since it was a T-bone situation and the ferry couldn't raise him on the radio nor stop or turn in time. He lived.



We get a lot of fog in late summer and early fall. The ferries are very good at watching for small boats and will take wide turns to avoid the boats since a lot of these idiots think it is okay to go without radar or without bothering to learn how to watch it or use it.



You can't fix stupid as has been noted.

[Rickinnocal]

Three years ago I surveyed a Panamax bulk carrier in the Port of Stockton. The ship was a couple of hours late to the dock because they ran aground on the way up the river.

As they approached one of the Marina's right about dawn, a small aluminum skiff exited, towing a tatty old motor cruiser. It crossed right in front of the ship. The captain and pilot basically had three options.

1) Run the idiot over.
2) Stop dead in the water, lose steerage way, and chance the current taking them stern first into the levee behind them.
3) Steer bow first into the delta mud on the other side.

They chose 3, which worked out. They were able to back off and carry on up the river. It turned out that the idiot in the skiff was the marina *owner*, and he was towing a boat that had been abandoned by its owner out into the delta to dump it. The sherrifs discovered that he'd done it several times before. (The Delta is cluttered with abandoned derelict boats - it's a huge problem)

It cost my client a fortune. Although it was obvious to the crew that there was no damage, the "Draft Dodgers Yacht Club" insisted that they have a diver inspect the hull before loading cargo. Took hours to get a commercial diver out, and when he arrived he wouldn't go down because there was a huge mat of water lillies in the inlet around the bow.

The ship had to go all the way back down the river to the SF Bay, anchor, get inspected, and come all the way back up. Cost us 36 hours, two sets of pilot and transit fees, etc etc.

[Gingersnap]

Great comments! Costco is just as bad. They run into you with their carts. No sense of respect. Three people walking in a sidewalk side by side - enough to bump me off the sidewalk. No sense of respect. Maybe we need land lines to stay in our side?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by CaptBobR

I hold a 1600 GRT Oceans license and work as a tug captain. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had sailboaters tell me they didn’t need to change course because they had the right of way. I love explaining the Law of Gross Tonnage to them in terms of hitting and sinking their sailboat will not likely damage the paint on my boat or barge

Great response!

[Trawler2016]

Reminds me off a trip on a Navy DE.
As a reservist Fresh out of 2 week boot camp in San Diego I had the option of a 2 week voyage on a Navy Destroyer Escort.
We were headed for San Francisco Bay at a good speed and I had the mid watch standing lookout.
Suddenly the ship began to back down hard.
A sailing vessel was crossing our track and it was either back down or plow right through him.
Horn signals were not ever acknowledged. I don't think the sailboat saw or heard us.
Our navigation lights we on.

[admiralslater]

I installed an Ais severalyears ago on our boat in the Caribbean. One of the unexpected consequences of having the Ais is that it makes it simple to cantact large seagoing vessels by name If I see a ship that will be crossing our path and it is not obvious that it will be a clean crossing , I radio by name and ask what if anything I should do . They are professional with me and generally say stand on . Most times they tell me that they will or have altered course.
I know this is not really possible in a crowded harbour ,but is nice on the open sea .
The introduction of a basic marine licence in Canada came just after the invention of the jetski . The accident rate amongst that group was news worthy then , not so much now