Worst almost crash with a sailboat was couple of years ago, I am trolling
and he is coming out of the Alameda Estuary channel under power. Turns off
motor raises sails and turns 90 degrees 30' in front of me. He says he is
under sail. Should have called the CG on him and reported the bad manners.
Then if he is in a collision with another boat, there is bad marks against
him

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
One of the most common discourtesies that I see in the Chesapeake Bay is
sail boaters under power with sails up in a dead calm wind demanding the
right of way because they can only make 6 kts after they turn in front
of
the "stand-on" vessel.

Unless I misunderstand the intent of your statement, you may have misused
the
term "stand on". A recreational powerboat is only the "stand on" vessel in
an
encounter with a vessel under sail in two (common) situations.

1) When being overtaken by a vessel under sail (Oh! The Shame of it all!)

2) When the power boat is participating in a VTS. (The rules just say that
no
vessel under sail shall impede a power boat following a VTS, no
requirement
that the power boat must be a commercial vessel)


(Some) sailors pull the same stunt around here, too. They will run with a
little pocket hanky of a sail showing, making seven knots under power, and
presume to behave
like nearby vessels are all subject to their
supposed "right of way" because they haven't completely doused the sails.

Worst language and manners I ever encountered on the water: A sailboat,
totally
under power and without sail of *any* variety, was approaching at 90
degrees
from port. Our relative bearing did not change. We got closer and closer.
As the stand on vessel, I was required to maintain my course and speed
unless a
collision was imminent. The sailor stared at me like I must have been out
of my
mind. When it became apparent that he was not going to change course or
speed
(as required) to avoid collision, I throttled back and put the wheel hard
to
starboard.

He passed maybe 30 feet away. Against my better judgment, I reminded him
"You're just another powerboat when you
aren't running under sail!"

Wow! The gestures, the anger, the air turning blue! I thought the guy was
going
to have a seizure. What an asshole. Maybe it was because I called him a
"powerboater"?