Please Fishing Boats

[Tingum]

You state that you were “well offshore”. If you came close enough to another anchored vessel to hear them yell you were to close!

[Pegu Club]

You did nothing inappropriate, you in fact did what you were supposed to do, with your course change. A bunch of guys drinking beer while out fishing are not considered a “ fishing boat”’ what they are is a bunch of guys getting a buzz on while taking part in a recreational pass time, and likely operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, they are not considered a commercial fishing vessel. Sadly as was stated up thread, many sport fisher boat operators have a bad reputation when it comes to seamanship and generally accepted courtesies that people who interact with each other normally exercise, this is especially evident when in close quarters, as you witnessed.

Fair winds,

[Benz]

Originally Posted by Pandor

Mate, there are no proper day signals (or lights) for sport fishermen. Those signals only apply to fishing vessels with apparatus restricting maneuverability (not trolling lines).

Sport fishermen could use the legal shapes and signals if they wanted the privileges and met the requirements. If I wanted to trawl at night with a net off the port side of my sailboat, I could show the appropriate lights and expect vessels to give me the legal courtesies.
There are proper signals that ANY boat needs to show if they're expecting to be treated differently than just another boat simply underway. If these signals didn't apply to everybody, and some could expect special treatment without showing them, it would all be meaningless. Sportfishers need to follow the same rules as everyone else.

[Pandor]

Originally Posted by Benz

If I wanted to trawl at night with a net off the port side of my sailboat, I could show the appropriate lights and expect vessels to give me the legal courtesies.
There are proper signals that ANY boat needs to show if they're expecting to be treated differently than just another boat simply underway.

No, you can’t claim to be trawling on your sailboat because you throw a net over the side and show a green over white light. Well, at least not without modifying your boat into something like a trawler. It isn’t the act of fishing with a net that conveys the privilege, it is that the fishing apparatus must restrict maneuverability and this has been well parsed in maritime law.

[Benz]

Originally Posted by Pandor

No, you can’t claim to be trawling on your sailboat because you throw a net over the side and show a green over white light. Well, at least not without modifying your boat into something like a trawler. It isn’t the act of fishing with a net that conveys the privilege, it is that the fishing apparatus must restrict maneuverability and this has been well parsed in maritime law.

I guarantee that a huge net off my port side would restrict maneuverability. Whether my boat is designed for that is not at issue: whether it's physically possible for me to give way to another vessel who would be the 'stand on' if I didn't have a handicap is. That's why there are certain places where no one is allowed to fish or anchor--it's a lane where ships in it can expect not to have to go around restricted boats.
If any sportfisher could say: "well, I'm restricted by my fishing gear, but I'm not gonna show a signal because I'm not commercial but I expect everyone to somehow know that I'm not going to follow COLREGS and avoid me anyway" it defeats the purpose of the signals in the first place.

[Hudson Force]

It might not have been your best choice by your point of sail; however, when passing near an anchored fishing vessel, it would seem to always be best to cross the bow to avoid trailing gear in the water.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Tingum

You state that you were “well offshore”. If you came close enough to another anchored vessel to hear them yell you were to close!

This ^^^

It's a good practice to keep well clear of the stern of anyone fishing, be it a commercial dragger or a 35' sportfisher full of drunks.

There is generally gear in the water astern of any of these. Not only will you inconvenience the drunks, but more importantly, you run the risk of fouling your own running gear.

Oh, and while we're talking common sense and Maine fishing, be advised that a lobster boat setting a trawl of traps can also have gear well astern. That's probably the only time you'll see them going in a straight line while tending their gear. So again, a wide berth.

If you're not racing, share the water. Give 'em room.

[GRIT]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

This ^^^

It's a good practice to keep well clear of the stern of anyone fishing, be it a commercial dragger or a 35' sportfisher full of drunks.

There is generally gear in the water astern of any of these. Not only will you inconvenience the drunks, but more importantly, you run the risk of fouling your own running gear.

Oh, and while we're talking common sense and Maine fishing, be advised that a lobster boat setting a trawl of traps can also have gear well astern. That's probably the only time you'll see them going in a straight line while tending their gear. So again, a wide berth.

If you're not racing, share the water. Give 'em room.

I don't think common sense had anything to do with this situation.

Chotu clearly said there was nothing indicating they were fishing. They were at anchor, nothing trails when you're at anchor. He thought they were simply drinking at anchor. Which is no less likely than they were having an orgy, trading baseball cards, jigging for mackerel off the stern, or watching netflix. I've never encountered anything like that either, and I've been going up and down the coast from Canada to Bahamas since 1996.

That far offshore, in an anchored sportfisher, who knows what they're doing.

If not just drinking, I would have assumed they were fishing off the stern, which means the line would be less than 10 feet from the stern. Remember, they're at anchor. It sounds like Chotu was 100 feet or more from the stern.

"Sport" fishermen, can be quite frustratingly unpredictable. I find it best, if they're not at anchor, to just carry on and have them decide what the best course of action would be. There's a "pucker" factor, no matter you do, or don't do. As mentioned before, they seldom display much courtesy.

It seems, when heading towards a "sport" fisherman; if I go port, he does too, if I got Stb, that's his choice too. They don't follow the rules so much, so it's best to just toss the rules, keep on your course, until you're much closer than you think courteous. When it's blaringly obvious there's a problem, he'll react, or at least when I react, he won't mirror my moves.

It seems some folks here think that a boat anchored offshore has some kind of right to the surrounding waters. When you're at anchor, and properly marked, you have the right not to get run over. Therein end your rights.

Chotu was courteous enough to give them a wide berth, as he should. How was he to know they needed a country mile? He mentioned he had sail trimming issues, so perhaps he was on a beat, or a run? He has rights too, yes?

Sounds like a rant. Perhaps I should spread a few smiley faces around?
Cheers.
Paul.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

This ^^^

It's a good practice to keep well clear of the stern of anyone fishing, be it a commercial dragger or a 35' sportfisher full of drunks.

There is generally gear in the water astern of any of these. Not only will you inconvenience the drunks, but more importantly, you run the risk of fouling your own running gear.

Oh, and while we're talking common sense and Maine fishing, be advised that a lobster boat setting a trawl of traps can also have gear well astern. That's probably the only time you'll see them going in a straight line while tending their gear. So again, a wide berth.

If you're not racing, share the water. Give 'em room.

For clarity, I was 5-6 of their boat lengths away. So 300-360 feet away from the stern of the boat. Close enough to just barely hear them screaming. About twice as far away from the boat as their farthest little float was.

I’m very well versed in Maine fishing having grown up sailing there. Starting with owning my first boat in Maine 30ish years ago. I still go to my home waters every summer for the most part too.

This was a new one. Sport fisher just anchored on an offshore bank with no obvious activity going on.

I’m with Grit on this one. He made some very good points.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

It might not have been your best choice by your point of sail; however, when passing near an anchored fishing vessel, it would seem to always be best to cross the bow to avoid trailing gear in the water.

This! This is great advice I will use next time.

[Pegu Club]

Being at anchor, a black ball day marker is a required piece of gear...

Fair winds,

[Shrew]

If they were anchored with bright little floats (usually balloons) floating behind them, it sounds like they were tuna fishing. Jeffries Ledge is right in that area and popular with tuna fisherman.

The fact that they got anxious and started shouting leads me to further suspect this is the case. They are concerned that you are going to part their gear. They're also concerned you could spook fish if they're marking. They are also concerned that if they hook up, their line could run against any part of your boat and part their line. Any of the above could potentially cost them thousands of dollars.

My rule of thumb is to avoid passing fishing boats on the stern.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Shrew

If they were anchored with bright little floats (usually balloons) floating behind them, it sounds like they were tuna fishing. Jeffries Ledge is right in that area and popular with tuna fisherman.

The fact that they got anxious and started shouting leads me to further suspect this is the case. They are concerned that you are going to part their gear. They're also concerned you could spook fish if they're marking. They are also concerned that if they hook up, their line could run against any part of your boat and part their line. Any of the above could potentially cost them thousands of dollars.

My rule of thumb is to avoid passing fishing boats on the stern.

I like this advice and I suspect this was exactly the case.

It would be helpful to them and to me if they could have shown they were fishing somehow. Because inshore, I’m used to them just being the world’s largest wake makers. I never see them doing anything inshore. Never really see them in their action mode offshore.

I’ll just pass them all on the bow from now on. If there’s a chance they are fishing, marked or unmarked.

[Jebtrois]

I tend to agree with Tingum. I give as much space as I reasonably can. That far offshore that you can hear them is too close in my opinion. There may not be a "rule" but you have the entire ocean. How many times have you been irritated by a power boat waking you when they could have easily given you more space?
JEB

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by GRIT

.......
........... They were at anchor, nothing trails when you're at anchor.
...........................Paul.

I don't want to discredit all this good advice, but it should be pointed out that much may trail from a boat at anchor. Though nothing would trail due to the vessel's propulsion, but any gear or debris subject to the current or any kites or floats subject to the wind could be found trailing behind an anchored boat.