Skipper cited for violation of rule 9.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by thunderhoof

San Diego Bay sailors are made very aware of Rule 9 by the Harbor Police and the sailing clubs. The harbor is fairly wide but there is regular cruise, warship and commercial traffic. After a few well publicized prosecutions a few years ago sailing instructions now make it clear there are both $$ and disqualification penalties if a large vessel has to blow 5 horn blasts at you.

That sounds like yacht club racing? 5 blasts might should be at least $50. The ship isn't sounding that just for
$hits and giggles.

[IAmGroot]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Someone awhile back said the law of gross tonnage didn't exist. He/she must have been looking for a written law not common sense.

I am sure you are right - but that made me curious, as such a common phrase ought to have SOMETHING out there...and a quick Google turned up this really awesome writeup. https://everything2.com/title/Law+of+Gross+Tonnage

I certainly don't agree with the assertion that "the heavier vessel always has the right-of-way" - but carriers are known to do whatever they want, whenever they want...and supertankers (and the like) maneuver about as well as a log and...just...can't...stop.

[Kd9truck]

Statistically speaking 10% of the world is functioning with an IQ of less than 75, so yes there are individuals that should not be at the helm, power or sail. Have you been to the DMV???. Their driving.

Sssooo Surprising to see power boaters bashing sail boaters 😭😭 usually it’s sailboaters bashing power boaters. What was not mentioned was that the skipper just bought sailboat he had been a power-boater his whole life, he thought he was running out of gas and needed to get dockside before the marina closed 😭😩🤥.
hierarchy of stupid starts with Jet Skis and ends with blue water cruisers Power or sail. That being said I will play the devils advocate.
At a glance the sailing vessel appears to be in the wrong but what was the speed of the Tanker? Should it be operating at a speed at which it can not control? Was the sailing vessel in distress???...was the sailing vessel restricted by draft? Did either communicate their intentions with ColReg protocols? Was there a medical emergency? Who was traveling down river??
The coastguard issued a violation so it must have been the sailing vessels fault because the human (inherently faulty) that issued the VO must have had all the facts.
I sail the Long Island sound and avoid other vessels at all cost..because I own my vessel outright and it will cost $$$$ me If there is a collision, I do not participate in the local YC races because they get way to close to each other imho on regular basis. I am constantly altering my course for other vessels except when my vessel is restricted by draft (8ft) much to the dismay of many a fisherman working the Chanel around the channel marker.

There should be a national standard to operate water craft driven by motors and a permit Needed for manual and wind powered vessels. Hell I would be good with a “road test”, but the proctor better be able to drive as well as the test taker.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by RONHARDIN

I agree that stupid is stupid.
For a funny - I entered the Navy in 1955 and 1957 was assigned to the USS BREMERTON, a heavy Cruiser, and on our way into San Diego I was on the Helm with the Captain beside me on the horn with a small Sail Boat ahead cutting in front of us. My comment to the Captain was "This is going to be close Sir" his comment was HEWE WON'T FEEL A THING.

Fixed it for you.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by BigBoater917

This is just all kinds of stupid. I'm not sure what there is to prove but putting yourself and others in this kind of jeopardy. It's incidents like this that make me want a stronger licensing system.

https://gcaptain.com/sailboat-operat...near-stockton/

I wish the article had more info - I don't know the area, but assume the sailboat wasn't "crossing" the channel so much as "tacking back and forth up" the channel. If it's 600 ft wide at that point, I'm curious why the tanker is hugging the port side. I'm going to guess that prior to the image shown, the sailboat was on a stbd tack heading to other side of the channel, then tacked in front of the tanker to go red-2-red. Tanker saw him ahead to stbd and pressed over to the port side of the channel, only to be surprised by the tack. Sometimes a radio call is the best way to get both parties on the same page. There's more than enough room for these two vessels to pass each other.

[Perfusser]

Hi
Newcastle Harbour (Australia) is also bounded by Stockton. The harbour is a working port, with tugs, cargo, coal and wheat ships frequently moving in constrained waters. I have been told a fully laden coal ship will have 2 metres below its hull at low tide. There is a ferry service operating every 20 minutes. There is a dragon boating and a rowing club, plus recreational fishers and a 16ft skiff/ catamaran club and a Yacht Club which also as laser racing. Every year there are a variety of State and national Regattas as well.
I have experienced the challenges of sailing a 16' skiff in A FLEET OF 10, with the kite up in a narrow channel, with 30 Adams 10s sailing up the same chanel, with a coal ship entering the harbour and the 4 tugs manoeuvring between skiffs and yachts, while getting crossed by the ferry.
I have seen a visiting skiff sail between the tow tug and a coal ship, which resulted in a quick visit from the Harbour Master, with sincere threats to stop ALL recreational boating on the body of water.
Since then, all sailors get an annual compulsory lecture from the Harbour master, emphasising the COLREGs. I haven't heard of an incident since.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Trawler2016

There is a prescribed "pecking order" among vessels and those "constrained by draft" or "restricted in ability to maneuver" have the right of way.
Pleasure boats are far down the list.
Every boater should look at the Navigation Rules.

I suggest you take your own advice. What you say has multiple errors.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Whosails

One thing that new sailors need to learn is that no matter what they learned, is that “MIGHT MAKES RIGHT!”. If it is bigger than you are you had better get out of the way.

Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Not again!

[thunderhoof]

re: San Diego Bay issues. Harbor Police issued tickets and in at least one case the fine was several thousand dollars.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Someone awhile back said the law of gross tonnage didn't exist. He/she must have been looking for a written law not common sense.

It doesn't and it's not "common sense", it's "common stupidity".


But the "not impede" rules in COLREGs are a sensible implementation of that flawed concept.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by IAmGroot

Never mind the rules of the road....in the navy we called this the "law of gross tonnage" - and it mainly applied to our destroyer getting the h*ll out of the way of carriers and supertankers.

Which is possibly why there have been recent incidents with US destroyers and collisions from inappropriate actions

[StuM]

Originally Posted by IAmGroot

I am sure you are right - but that made me curious, as such a common phrase ought to have SOMETHING out there...and a quick Google turned up this really awesome writeup. https://everything2.com/title/Law+of+Gross+Tonnage

Awesome?


You will see all sorts of incorrect information on the internet.
This is some of the worst mis-information I have seen. It is just plain wrong in so any ways.



"The Law of Gross Tonnage is an accepted nautical convention that when a sea-going vessel has the right-of-way as established by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS), it should nonetheless give way when faced with a larger vessel."


The rest of that article is equally bad.

[BugzyCan]

I keep an open mind on things like this, you only have half the story here. Maybe the sailboat was trying to hug one side and the freighter changed to the other, or they may have tried to get out of the way the other direction and hit bottom, or could see they were not going to make it, so had to reverse.


In that second video, that freighter is going damn fast through a congested area. Now it obviously was the sailboats fault, I would contribute excess speed as a contributing factor there. The sailor was trying to sort out the spinnaker when the freighter came on him fast and no time to react.

[BigBoater917]

In the second video the yacht skipper (who was also Royal Navy) was reprimanded and demoted for violating the 500 m security zone around that ship. The event occurred in the Solent which is quite busy and has a decent current .

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by StuM

Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Not again!

The idiocy that would not die...

Stu, it's our duty to whack these moles whenever possible. I just wish they didn't reproduce so damn fast! Good onya for trying.

Jim