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Dangerous Maga-yacht in Maine
"Gary" wrote
Finally, how did you determine that risk of collision existed with this yacht? What piece of information was key to causing you to maneouvre? I had a very good sight of his stem head remaining exactly in line with the masts for a long period of time in a steady wind during which he remained in the same place behind my bow pulpit. After I ran off about 100 yards, making a clear enough course change demonstrate an intention for us to pass "one whistle", he passed about 50 yards to windward. That means he might have cleared if no action had been taken but it would have been equally close and it would have put him close to leeward which is a bad place for a closehauled sailboat because it can not change course to increase the passing distance if a misjudgment has been made by either vessel. I agree that Wayne is wrong about the "miss is as good as a mile". Except in confined waters where it may be necessary, there should be some margin for safety and wake. It's all well and good to say you shouldn't be out there if you can't take it but the reality is that sailboats sometimes have people below cooking or who can just fall. I'm not saying they shouldn't be exposed to any wake but the still breaking wake within a couple wave lengths of a large vessel passing much closer than it should is something entirely different. The boat and I can handle it but who knows who is down below. Assessing how much "buffer" is appropriate to each crossing situation is just a basic part of seamanship. Sailboats sometimes need to head up or bear off quite suddenly to avoid excessive heel angle and possible loss of control. A clean pass means leaving room for those possibilities. I do the same for lobsterman who may need to suddenly circle around as they pick up a buoy. If you "just miss" a trawler yacht that is yawing and on the edge of a broach in steep quartering seas, it's not a clean pass because you got inside his safety zone. -- Roger Long |
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