There's always another side of the story. I'd love to know what it is
in this case. If I'd been a floating container or other obstruction
that could have damaged their vessel, I'm sure they would have
maneuvered effortlessly around. It strains my credulity that they
weren't keeping a good enough watch this close to shore not to have
seen a 32 foot sailboat. I would also be quite surprised if someone
got to be master of a vessel of this class without enough nautical
knowledge to understand that a sailing vessel with sails sheeted flat
is not going to alter course very much in the windward direction
which, in this case, was also the direction of a standard head to head
pass and away from the shore.

Perhaps I am deficient in imagination but this leaves in my mind only
the expectation that the size and impressiveness of the vessel would
intimidate me into altering course out of his path. The size and
paint job didn't but the fact that the vessel was acting like one on
autopilot did. That's not the way the right of way rules are supposed
to work.

Yeah, I could have called him on the radio but the rules of the road
were written to make it possible to deal with something this simple
without having to yack and negotiate on the air. Having to make a
radio call in a case like this means someone already isn't observing
the rules. That's not the case in all meeting situations.

Since you know that captain, I'd love to hear the other side of the
story.

What I see overall, is an increasing expectation across the spectrum
of vessels that the rules of the road apply between vessels of roughly
the same size and smaller vessels always should give way to larger
ones. I've also detected an attitude in the responses here that the
rules are the basis for the negotiations to take place on the radio
and not a framework for steering your vessel in traffic. Neither of
these seem healthy to me.

I practice somewhat the first idea myself though. When operating as a
six knot powerboat, I don't attempt to alter course for fast outboards
that may be stand on vessels on converging courses. The great
disparity in speed and their nimbleness makes any attempt by me to
change course pointless and apt to confuse the situation more than
help it. If they have slowed down to displacement speed, as in the
harbor, it's different.

Possibly, vessels like the one in question view everything my size the
same way but it's a dangerous attitude when applied to closehauled
sailboats in strong winds as well as many other situations.


--

Roger Long



"Cap'n Ric" wrote in message
news:BpHyg.175$oz.89@trnddc07...
I was at Dimillos Old Port Marina in Portland, Maine on the 13th,
14th and 15th of July on my way back to Baltimore, Maryland from
Castine, Maine. The FLORIDIAN was docked to the face pier while I
was docked there. The boat is actually 225 feet LOA and is owned by
Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Miami Dolphins.

I know the Captain and I'm sure that he had someone at the helm
during this incident. I too have been the victim of large
powerboats just missing me when they have miles of open ocean to
avoid me. I'm sure there are two sides to this story.

Ric