Collision today
- Thread starter DAVA390
- Start date
Fair enough. I figured the writer probably just lifted the line from the COLREGS, but you're right that to a non-boating reader without the definitions section of the rule book it's likely to be misunderstood.
Conversation between sailboat and fishing boat looks a little awkward.
thee is no way that boat fishing at trolling speed would have ridden up past the midline on that sailboat and done so mush crush damage. the USCG investigation will be done by experienced engineers who can calculate vessels' velocities of approach and angle of collision. i suspect this USCG licensed motorboat captain will lose his license--if he has one. as well he should...
Since it's a charter fishing boat, I'd surely hope the 'captain' has a licence. He will very likely no longer have one.
Pretty amazing how well the J-boat held up to being t-boned. It looks almost fixable. I'm impressed. I used to race on J-24's and they seemed paper thin. That J105 held up awesome.
Pretty amazing how well the J-boat held up to being t-boned. It looks almost fixable. I'm impressed. I used to race on J-24's and they seemed paper thin. That J105 held up awesome.
Exactly. Trolling on the Bay is at 3-5 knots, which would only provide enough kinetic energy (neglecting friction and crash losses) about 5 inches, realistically only 2-3 inches. 12-15 knots, on the other hand, would do that (half of the energy goes to friction and damage, the other half to lift).
The sailboat was ghosting; there are no waves to speak of. The sailboat would have been going only a few knots and could not have ducked.
The sailboat was ghosting; there are no waves to speak of. The sailboat would have been going only a few knots and could not have ducked.
The J/105 was owned by Chesapeake Boating Club and provided to one of its members for an sail that day. Kevin Ryman,who is a principal owner of the Club, told the press that the boat was on a starboard tack in 8-10 knots of wind.
My guess is that the J/105 would have been going 5-6 knots across the water.
Clearly the powerboat didn't have the right-of-way and was the burdened vessel. Right now, we don't know if the fishing boat turned into the J/105, or if it changed its speed, or what.
It is one of those things, like when a car runs over a pedestrian in crosswalk. Unless the pedestrian did something HUGELY wrong, it's just the driver of the car's fault.
P.S. - The boating club is pretty neat, has both sail and power boats for its members to use for a reasonable price. http://chesapeakeboatingclub.com/
The J/105 was owned by Chesapeake Boating Club and provided to one of its members for an sail that day. Kevin Ryman,who is a principal owner of the Club, told the press that the boat was on a starboard tack in 8-10 knots of wind.
My guess is that the J/105 would have been going 5-6 knots across the water.
Clearly the powerboat didn't have the right-of-way and was the burdened vessel. Right now, we don't know if the fishing boat turned into the J/105, or if it changed its speed, or what.
It is one of those things, like when a car runs over a pedestrian in crosswalk. Unless the pedestrian did something HUGELY wrong, it's just the driver of the car's fault.
P.S. - The boating club is pretty neat, has both sail and power boats for its members to use for a reasonable price. http://chesapeakeboatingclub.com/
Hard core racer. Sails still look in trim. Did he put up a penalty flag?
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,329
Honey... What was that noise? I’m trying to take a nap down here.
I guess technically it is a "collision", but it seems kind of absurd to call it a collision when clearly it could be described more accurately and visually descriptive as 'a commercial fishing boat ran over a sailboat'. I suppose it is a newspaper article and they have to maintain some semblance of objectivity (unlike political news of the day 
), even to the point of saying that CG could not disclose which boat caused the accident. I think it is pretty obvious to even the most inexperienced observer.
), even to the point of saying that CG could not disclose which boat caused the accident. I think it is pretty obvious to even the most inexperienced observer.
That's what I figured too. But then when you read http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/boat-accident-chesapeake-bay.89307/ not everyone seems to think so. (Not that I agree with their speculation, but not everyone sees it as open and shut).
Wow, it's hard to believe, to understand, that some people commenting there are speculating that it's the sailboat that's at fault! Holy Cow.
At 30 knots, a boat is going 50'/Second. (If you remember you HS physics, 60 mph is 88'/second; and, knots are about 15% more than mph.). I "drive" a 24' outboard powered dual cockpit boat sometimes in Florida at 30 knots. If that fishing boat were going 30 knots (like the passenger reported), then he really shouldn't have cut anywhere near the sailboat. If you're planning on passing any where close, and don't pay attention at those speeds, you can suddenly end-up t-boning someone. It's amazing that no one was killed.
Around Thomas Point, the waters are open, it was a "quiet" and un-crowded Friday, clear visibility, etc., etc. Really no excuse for a "USCB certified captain" getting into that situation with sailboat.
I share the notion that people that supposedly "drive" boats can have so little sense of i) Rules of the Road; ii) the basic thoughtless of zooming by someone at those speeds and throwing a wake; and iii) the consequences of a slight error when you're cutting close to someone. Those comments are SCARY, when you read them.
I plead guilty to cutting close to the sterns of other sailboats, especially when they are on a port tack and I'm on a starboard (and they don't yield); but I almost never pass in-front of another boat closely unless I'm sure I can bail-out and they seem to be watching.
P.S. - I find it amazing that they reported that weight of the fishing boat is only 3500 pounds. The 24' Robalo that I drive with only the big single outboard and no fuel or gear weighs over 5500 pounds. When they say that powerboat was "super light" and made wood planks with glass over it, I don't know why that is lighter that a cored hull?
Let me go check in what's left of the galley.
That has always been my understanding of what the rule said, but I was unable to find it in writing the last time I went to look for it. Thank you for posting.
That aside, the fastest trolling that I have ever seen was about 15 knots. I only see that kind of speed when people are going after wahoo with very heavy gear. I doubt that 15 knots would put the head boat that far up the J boat. Also, I don't see any gear heavy enough to support that kind of trolling hanging off the stern of the boat, so I'm pretty sure that the head boat was not trolling at the time of the incident.
There was a power boat collision on my lake just after dark last night. Two women are missing and presumed dead.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.postcrescent.com/amp/1035501002
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.postcrescent.com/amp/1035501002