Terry,

This has been amazingly amuzing, shall we divert this here to a new case?

Billy is fishing from his drifting jetski (or what ever) and a sailboat
with no sails is approaching with no change in bearing. He is not
worried because he can see smoke at he transom. After all he is fishing
so the sailboat is the burden vessel here.

What little Billy has not bothered to notice is the the line (he calls
it rope) that is drifting in front of the sailboat.

He is also absolutely certain that Colregs part 3.d means that he has no
requirement to avoid the closing vessel. If you can only read one line
at time, it might be an honest mistake.

Questions:
1 - What is proper way for the anchored ketch to avoid a collision.
2 - Why is there no standing lookout in a part 202.50 anchorage?
3 - Who is tending the barbaque? (instead of watching for boats
drifting into the anchorage?

Matt Colie


Terry Spragg wrote:

Beat me to it! I hate to join a choir late, but...

Bill McKee wrote:

"Matt Colie" wrote in message
...

Wow - this is amazing.
Terry, my analogy below was bad as it turns out. You might have a
better chance getting the pig to sing.....

Billy, could you PLEASE give us all some idea of where you might be
so I can NEVER go there?

Matt Colie - See Prior sig

Bill McKee wrote:

"next.victim" wrote in message
...


Bill McKee wrote:


"Matt Colie" wrote in message
...



Terry,
Very well said, but save your bandwidth. (Teaching a pig to sing
and such.)

Billy believes he was the right(maybe the requirement) to take
any vessel anywhere close aboard at flank speed. He is convinced
that, if a vessel has any machinery onboard, it does not qualify
as a vessel undersail regardless of the situation. He has proven
he is not capable of interpreting Colregs the same way as the OMI
to whom I wrote the pages of my license examinations.

I just wish he had said where he is so we could all avoid him.

Matt Colie - See prior sigs - I'm tired of this.



Terry Spragg wrote:



at least it was on topic!
NI!

Terry K



Bill McKee wrote:
Was on topic, but sailboats can not turn as wanted, the rest of
the world be damned. Bill McKee wrote:



Throttle off, no control, turning radius about a boat length.




Well, if you put it that way, it sounds like it should be right,
and
logically, it is exactly correct, and if you read what you wrote,
you may see why it is so funny, that you bite your own tail.
Sailboats can not just turn, (or not turn,) as wanted. They are
overpowered by the wind all the time. The wind blows sailboats
around like leaves sometimes. As a mariner, you are expected to
understand that, anticipate it, and survive the hazards anyway.

Overtaking vessels must keep clear, sail or power. If they cannot,
they must slow down to a safe speed, even stop. Chewy beans.

You are expected and required to understand sail and power, and all
their constraints, or stay home.

Sailboats flop about out of control from time to time, motor on or
off, whenever the sails are up and the wind is alive, it is the
nature of the game: 15 HP auxiliary engines, thousand HP wild
winds, waves, sails, ropes, winches, flying fish, nature, etc,
etc. You understand, don't you? If not, you should not be in
command on the water.

What you don't seem to grasp is that no one except possibly you,
would purposely hit someone with a car or boat, just because
they were ****ed off and somehow surmise that they are in the
right, have the right of way, and therefore, have a license to
kill anyone who does not stay out of your way, regardless.

This attitude you seemingly cherish may well cause you to spend the
latter years of your life locked in a cell being raped by real
nasty
*******s with really big muscles and real nasty diseases. On the
evidence you provide, I would bet two cents you are prettier
than you are smart.

On the water, all the regulations in the world are there to settle
lawsuits after damages occur, and to impress on mariners that
collisions are to be avoided by any means, at all costs,
regardless of the causes. The reason why should be obvious. A
collision at sea can ruin your whole life. Like being bitten by
a dog, it can change your attitude forever, the hard way.

Don't feel too bad, even real sea captains sometimes hit other
ships, and blow cities like Halifax all to hell, because they make
little mistakes early on, and suddenly find they cannot avoid the
other guy's similar idiocy. We are all human, right?

'Course, those arrogant guys usually end up losing their nice cushy
seat at the Captain's table, and deservedly so. Some commit suicide
once their role in disaster becomes obvious. These men have
consciences, at least. Some of their very cushy seats disappear
below the titanic icy waves as they sit in them, along with
thousands of their passengers.

Icebergs and the wind just don't care. It is left to us to be
responsible, considerate, cautious and courteous. Some grow up
earlier than others. Some never make it.

Fair winds to you, and the best of luck, for all our sakes.
Your skills, knowledge and attitude probably won't help you,
your passengers, or locals much. Old sailors would treat you
like a rock awash, if you would just keep still.

Otherwise, we fear for you.

Terry K



Bite Me. propulsion motor on, equal power boat.


A GIANT NOPE! See (c) below, Read it carefully, it was written by a
maritime lawyer.


Mr. McKee,

I would be forced to determine that what has previously been said
is completely accurate, and given this case, I would have to find a
judgement against you.

Please go to:

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navru...les/Rule03.htm

below is exerted from the above:
For the purpose of these Rules and this Chapter [Inld], except
where the context otherwise requires:

(a) The word "vessel" includes every description of watercraft,
including non-displacement craft, WIG craft [Intl], and seaplanes,
used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.

(b) The term "power-driven vessel" means any vessel propelled
by machinery.

(c) The term "sailing vessel" means any vessel under sail
provided that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used.
Unquote-

I find the above parts b & c to be clear and compelling. In the
case of being used, the only interpretation possible for
“propelling machinery” would be the case that said machinery was
actually providing the driving force to propel said vessel.

I my have no authority here, but I strongly recommend that you deal
with your issues as you have presented yourself to be a clear and
present hazzard as the operator of a vessel underpower.

Name withheld by authors request



And your motor is not propelling machinery?




Only if it is engaged and capable of overcoming the power of the wind.

So my "power boat" is not a power boat for rules when the motor is
turned off and I am drifting?


That's right. You become a vessel not under command, I believe. To
the outside world, you could be injured, ill, asleep, or having
fallen off miles before your boat ran out of gas, a pedestrian. You
will be given every consideration and possibly a tow home, a coffee,
and a chance to use the head, even a warm berth along with a warm
blankey, even a medicinal dose of brandy, splints for your broken bones,
even the "breath of life", provided the tanker can get stopped before
mashing you. Unfortunately, sailboats probably do not carry enough fuel
to replenish your tanks sufficiently to get you home, else you might get
some of it, too.

At sea, Billy, pedestrians have the absolute, inarguable right of way;-)

To run over one, even in the dark, is manslaughter if he dies, even
if he does make an unexpected turn in front of you. Negligent
manslaughter, if you were not keeping an adequate lookout, or were
running at excessive speed under the circumstances, which is
almost the same as murder.

The regulations govern men, not boats.

Those who can manouver best have the most responsibility to avoid
hazards. It makes sense, if you think about it, and if you read the
rules carefully and with an open mind you will see it plain.

You are right, sailing vessels cannot turn whenever they want. Nor
can they always prevent turns whenever they want, thanks to the wind
and other obstacles.

Surely your position is not that sailors do not have the same right
to enjoy the water as do power boaters? It is said among sailors
that essentially we ignore power boats simply because we have no
choise, being at their mercey.

We sailors cannot outrun, avoid, or catch high powered boats except
possibly double reefed in a steady gale where you might be puking up
your guts amidst the rollers, unable to maintain any speed at all
whilst struggling to survive in your fair weather speedboat.

Circumstances rule boats. Men do what they can.

The rest is common sense. The colregs are common sense, written by
lawyers, maritime lawyers at that, and are therefore unintelligible
to most mere mortal landlubbers. Don't feel bad. Furthermore, the
regs have been argued by better men than us, for hundreds of years,
and reflect the findings of numerous lawsuits, trials, boards of
inquiry, courts martial, et al. They must be read with painful
attention to the merest comma. You must realize too, that power boat
regulations are somewhat junior to those governing sail, which I
gather you could never understand, since you do not appreciate the
realities of sail, nor probably of power for that matter. Your jet
boat is a dangerous toy.

You must understand that sailboats, even with their engines engaged,
try as they might, may not actually be being propelled under control of
the engine, but may well be in the teeth of the unco-operative wind and
may be struggling with control. It is a part of sailing, like rocks awash.

Even if they were after you, you could always stay out of reach, eh?

Terry K