"otnmbrd" wrote in message
25.201...
"Scotty" wrote in
news
Last week while sailing up a river channel, about 200yds
wide, doing 3 kts in light. wind, I spotted , off my
starboard stern quarter,2 powerboats, 'sitting' next to
each other. I figured they were fishing, or just talking
to
each other. Then they seemed to be trolling, very slowly
up
river, as I was cutting across the channel at an angle,
I
figured I had plenty of time to cross in front of them,
rather than behind in case they WERE trolling lines.
Then the lead PB starts honking his horn ( like a NYer,
when
the light turns green) and yelling. I heard something
about
my Mother, and towing and privilege. Since we were both
going slow, and not real close, I continued on my
coarse. he
never got closer than 100 ft. Only after they passed did
I
see the small towing line between them.

Would a 'tow' like this have 'privilege?

Not necessarily


I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure. I would have gybed
away had he not cursed at me from the get go.




Would he be
considered a RAM?

Possibly....if he cannot deviate from his course/speed
up/slow down


I would imagine he wouldn't want to slow down , seeing as
how short the 'tow rope' ( dockline?) was., but he certainly
could have steered a few degrees to port.




Given that I had ample time to cross, was I still
wrong to do so?

If you could do so safely with ample clearance, no....
ample clearance is
the key phrase.


Ample time in my mind, maybe not his?



Even if it had been a properly marked 'real' towboat,
and
someone crossed in front, causing the tow to turn, but
no
collision happened, what if anything could/should be
done to
the crossing boat?

First off, a "real" towboat is still obligated to obey the
normal
steering and sailing rules unless they are RAM (and RAM is
not an
automatic designation for a towboat), so there can be any
number of
possibilities as to right or wrong in your maneuver.
In answer to your question..... no harm no foul.... expect
a tongue
lashing. Naturally if your maneuver was "illegal" and the
turn the
towboat had to make to avoid a collision endangered or
caused injury to
the tug,it's tow,or crew then you should expect a report
to the various
authorities and possible actions, collision or not.

Is there penalties for near misses?

To date, not generally.


otn


Thanks, otn.

SBV