Near miss between sailboat and freighter

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Jammer

...it is not abundantly clear from the sailboat's point of view how the freighter is going to turn and what the sailboat should do.

I disagree... it's definitely a restricted waterway offering few options for the big ships. It's marked with buoys... there's no excuse for any boater not knowing what path the big boys are going to take.

I think the only clear conclusion from this is that under the totality of the circumstances the sailboat should have been motoring.

Yes... and anticipating the course of the oncoming laker, and choosing their route accordingly. But we were all green once... and a few of us still make the occasional mistake. Try not to have them videoed.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

I disagree... it's definitely a restricted waterway offering few options for the big ships. It's marked with buoys... there's no excuse for any boater not knowing what path the big boys are going to take.


Yes... and anticipating the course of the oncoming laker, and choosing their route accordingly. But we were all green once... and a few of us still make the occasional mistake. Try not to have them videoed.

Anticipating-yes. Here is a close in view. Note the boat basins. This is probably not the sailer’s first encounter with ships and their predictable routs. You can imagine the turn to starboard as the ship corrects for the channel and designated up and down bound lanes.

Water is deep all of the way to the walls. The sailboat can be anywhere.

[AKA-None]

Any time I’m in a channel and there are ships or barges coming I’m firing up the engine in case I need to move to allow them to use the channel
I believe that is my obligation per requirement

[sailingabe41ds]

When I first saw the video I thought....what the heck, sailboat minding its own business and this ship turns and is aiming for it! Later, I realized that that freighter had to make a turn and the sailboat should have been more aware of his surroundings including listening to the horns and vhf. I would be crapping in my pants watching that freighter trying to figure out what to do....keep going, turn,....VHF would have helped alot.

Abe