T-boning a Ferry in Sidney

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by atoll

he must have been under the impression that power gives way to sail..................

Maybe he saw it as a game of chicken. I guess in the rules of chicken he won! Yay for him.

Originally Posted by SoFla Sailor

Funny you should mention it as the captain of the ferry made no attempt to avoid the collision. This and the fact he wasn't constricted to a deep water channel means he also failed in his responsibility to avoid the collision. I think they are both at fault.

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We don't know this for sure by the video.

[carstenb]

Look closely at the video. His spinnaker pole is set on his starboard side. I willing to bet his genua got blown off the pole by the wind. With that heavy a wind, he probably couldn't winch in his boom.

Turning to port to go behind the fery would have resulted in a really bad gybe (I mean really bad) , good chance of breaking his goose neck, not to mention his boom (or even the mast). If you look very carfully you can see his mast is under som much pressure that his baby stay is flapping loose.

Probably not much he could have done except cut everything away

[MiBoaty]

Something or other scales and mackerel tales soon it will be time to reduce sails. It's always important to keep a weather eye on the...... weather.


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[hoppy]

I don't know who was more mentally challenged, the sailor or the phone guy shooting video in "portrait" mode

[SimonV]

Had the ferry not a reduced speed to watch the spectacle the yacht would have passed by the stern. Chances are he hit Rose Bay marina at speed.

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[a64pilot]

OK,
Silly question, but how much damage do you think was done in the collision?

I think very little?

[MiBoaty]

Probably a big smear mark on the side if the ferry. Probably dinged the bow of the sail boat. Probably destroyed the sailors underpants.


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[Kenomac]

Dumbass, or is it Dumbarse in Austrailian?

[a64pilot]

While I will never condone a collision, it's just possible that maybe in this case it might have been safer to hit the ferry as opposed to being knocked down?
But then I don't understand why he didn't turn some after having let go the sheets, sounds silly, but I keep the key in the ignition, in learning things, I've gotten tied in Irons at least once, and reverted to the engine to get me out. (I was trying the tack feature on the autopilot)
I'm not above reverting to Diesel

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Dumbass, or is it Dumbarse in Austrailian?

Dipstick

[jongleur]

Looking at the wind waves, the sailboat was
on a beam reach.

[jimbunyard]

They may well have been originally running dead down wind but in the video, the wind is directly across the beam. Seems to me both are at fault, the sailboat for not paying attention to changing conditions, but more so the ferry for not trying to avoid the slight collision (although we don't know all the circumstances). The ferry captain is (or should be) the coolheaded professional...
In the video the sailboat is making almost no headway, with both sails fully luffing, it appears the genoa has even lost its sheet

From a buoy at the mouth of the Mississippi River this morning:

03 05 8:48 am NNW 34.0 40.0 - - - - 30.11 - 53.6 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:42 am N --- 33.0 40.0 - - - - 30.11 - 54.3 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:36 am N --- 34.0 39.0 - - - - 30.10 - 55.6 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:30 am N --- 32.1 38.1 - - - - 30.09 - 58.5 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:24 am W ---- 9.9 12.0 - - - - 30.04 - 65.1 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:18 am W --- 11.1 12.0 - - - - 30.04 - 65.3 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:12 am W ---- 9.9 12.0 - - - - 30.04 - 65.8 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:06 am W ---- 8.9 9.9 - - - - 30.03 - 66.6 44.4 - - - -


That's from 9-12 knots to 32-38 knots with a 90 degree shift in no more than 6 minutes (likely less) with an accompanying .05 pressure rise! Sure pays to keep your eyes open.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by jimbunyard

They may well have been originally running dead down wind but in the video, the wind is directly across the beam. Seems to me both are at fault, the sailboat for not paying attention to changing conditions, but more so the ferry for not trying to avoid the slight collision (although we don't know all the circumstances). The ferry captain is (or should be) the coolheaded professional...
In the video the sailboat is making almost no headway, with both sails fully luffing, it appears the genoa has even lost its sheet

From a buoy at the mouth of the Mississippi River this morning:

03 05 8:48 am NNW 34.0 40.0 - - - - 30.11 - 53.6 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:42 am N --- 33.0 40.0 - - - - 30.11 - 54.3 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:36 am N --- 34.0 39.0 - - - - 30.10 - 55.6 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:30 am N --- 32.1 38.1 - - - - 30.09 - 58.5 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:24 am W ---- 9.9 12.0 - - - - 30.04 - 65.1 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:18 am W --- 11.1 12.0 - - - - 30.04 - 65.3 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:12 am W ---- 9.9 12.0 - - - - 30.04 - 65.8 44.4 - - - -
03 05 8:06 am W ---- 8.9 9.9 - - - - 30.03 - 66.6 44.4 - - - -


That's from 9-12 knots to 32-38 knots with a 90 degree shift in no more than 6 minutes (likely less) with an accompanying .05 pressure rise! Sure pays to keep your eyes open.

We have not been discussing fault, but since you brought it up -- in any collision at sea, both parties are nearly always at fault. No matter what rule the ferry was privileged under, the OOD was obligated to take action to avoid the yacht as soon as it became apparent that the actions of the yacht alone would not be enough to prevent an accident. If the vessels collided, then ipso facto he failed to do so.

And if the harbor rules are written like Rule 10, then they do not eliminate the regular steering and sailing rules in any case (thanks to Lodesman for teaching me this years ago).

Whenever vessels collide at sea, it's shame on everyone. We don't know what it looked like from the ferry helmsman's point of view -- maybe it was impossible to avoid; maybe the yacht made an unexpected move, too quickly for him to respond to; maybe he was navigating in a channel so narrow that he couldn't maneuver at all. But at first glance it looks he wasn't even trying to do something, which is very bad on him, absent some unusual factor such as those listed in the preceding sentence.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

We have not been discussing fault, but since you brought it up -- in any collision at sea, both parties are nearly always at fault..

So.... now we're discussing two dipsticks?


"Might Makes Right" would probably favor the Ferry operator in this case, or simple common sense should factor in the equation. But I know, common sense isn't so common any more.

[Wrong]

Hard to believe he didn't see it coming. You typically have four or five minutes after sighting a gust front or squall line before the wind strikes. Turning to windward, letting go the halyards and unceremoniously dropping everything in situ would have been justified. No matter how unsightly.