"ChrisJ" wrote in message
om
Walt wrote

What do you mean by "port gybe" ? The only way this question makes
any sense is if you are on a starboard tack going to leeward. If
you're on a port tack in this situation, you would head up, not
gybe. The term "port gybe" is meaningless to me. Can you clarify?

Well done Walt! I thought about the port / starboard gybe for long
enough before entering the first note. And then I was replying to your
note explaining what I meant - and it wasn't until that point that I
realised I had it wrong!


What I meant was: approaching the shore on your starboard side, while
on the gybe that takes you towards the shore (i.e. Starboard gybe).
You want to gybe to sail away from the shore, but as you will be
gybing ONTO port, you can not do that without calling for water / room
to avoid the obstruction etc.

No. When you hail for Water to tack at an obstruction you are asking
for room to tack because under RRS 13, when tacking, after the boat
passes head to wind she shall keep clear until she is on a close hauled
course.

There is no such obligation when gybing, nor do you require as much
sea-room to gybe as you do to tack.

In your case, if the Outside boat (O) is initially also on Starboard,
she will be right of way boat (RRS 11), but Inside boat (I) will be
entitled to room to pass the obstruction (RRS 18.2), provided that if I
established the overlap from clear astern there was room to pass at that
time (RRS 18.5).

Room includes room to gybe as necessary (RRS 18.0) so you don't have to
ask for it, but a discretionary hail wouldn't go amiss. (prolly all that
is really needed to answer your quesiton, but I'll press on anyway g).

I is now on Port, and O on Starboard, so O is still right of way (RRS
10), but I is still entitled to room to pass the obstruction (RRS 18
still applies because nobody has to tack to pass the obstruction (RRS
18.1(b)). I is now entitled room to luff to the degree necessary to
pass the obstruction.

If O now gybes onto Port, I becomes leeward boat, and thus becomes the
right of way boat (RRS 11) as well as being entitled to room.

Had O originally been on Port, with I initially on Starboard, I will be
both right of way boat (RRS 10), and entitled to room to pass the
obstruction (RRS 18.2) including room to gybe (RRS 18.0).

When I gybes, she will continue to be right of way boat (RRS 11) (and at
no time lost the right of way, because RRS 13 does not apply to gybing)
, and continue to be entitled to room.

Bottom line is you are entitled to room to pass (subject to RRS 18.5),
including room to gybe as necessary. You may hail for room, but, unlike
when tacking, your entitlement to room does not depend on hailing.

John