Capt. JG wrote:
3 pts for the best answer. Fewer points for second, third best.

You're sailing a 36' relatively modern sailboat sailing on a broad reach,
starboard tack. To port is another sailboat also sailing on a starboard
tack, approaching on a beam reach. Additionally, to starboard of your vessel
is a sailboat under power. The pecking order is obviously, leward over
windward, sail over power. Unfortunately, the sailboat under power is not
giving way. You signal several times using various methods available, but
they're distracted, don't respond, perhaps don't know what to do. You can't
turn to starboard, because that would be directly into the sailboat under
power. You can't jibe, because that would be directly into the approaching
sailboat on the port. Time is rapidly running out to avoid a collision,
which you're required to do.

What are your options? What would you do?



I wouldn't have gotten so close that I couldn't turn in
either direction. When the boats are about 3x min turning
distance, that is the point at which you should have already
turned *hard* to avoid a collision.

At the point you're describing (no room to turn, ie other
boats 50' away or less) there is nothing you can do because
you will be having a collision within a few seconds. OTOH if
you back it up a little, there are several things to do.

Fire a white flare over the boat under power. Hail the
sailboat to port that you cannot give way and they must
avoid your vessel and also give you room to avoid the stupid
sailboat under power. Throw out a stern anchor. Start your
engine and put it astern at full throttle. Deploy your
insta-inflate dirigible and go straight up.

The best option would be to turn as sharply as possible & go
astern of the sailboat under power, while you still have
room to do so. That would not require gybing. However it
would require making a decision *before* you run out of
room, which apparently is not part of your scenario.

By the time the vessels are this close together, there is
risk that a wave could throw them into a collision anyway,
especially the one with no helmsman.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King