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Dangerous Maga-yacht in Maine
Roger Long wrote:
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'm sure he saw you. Maybe his appreciation of the situation was not the same as yours? 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. It is a mistake to assume that a ship's master knows anything about sailing. I work with many ship's captains and not many understand sailboats at all. (sorry to say) 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. I think perhaps you are partially right here. You were intimidated to alter while he thought that the two vessels would pass clear. It is quite a different view from a sailboat, hands full than from a modern bridge with ARPA and gyros providing the info. 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. You should have called him. It is the right thing to do. A simple, "Good morning Captain, I am XXXX on your XXXX bow under sail. What are your intentions?" I do it all the time and I have it done to me regularly as well. Once again, it is the right thing to do. "Rule 5 Look-out Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision." Cockcroft, in "A Guide to the Collision Avoidance Rules" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/075...lance&n=283155 Page 37 says: "The term 'proper lookout' has always been interpreted by the courts as including the effective use of available instruments and equipment, in addition to the use of both sight and hearing. This applies particularly to radar, but the use of binoculars and of information received by VHF from a shore station or from other ships would be included among 'all available means appropriate'. Finally, how did you determine that risk of collision existed with this yacht? What piece of information was key to causing you to maneouvre? Did you take some bearings or was it just "gut feel"? |
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