...pass me an acorn. We got buzzed by the high speed ferry to P-town last year. I didn't know I could change the boats direction by 180 degrees that fast!
So he had to alter a bit to stb to line up with the Southbound lane at some point and that would explain his desire to keep the sailboat to port. What you can't see on the section of chart you uploaded is that the traffic scheme splits at just about the point where you think the incident happened. If the sailboat is the other side of the shoals from where you've drawn it, we're looking at deep water and a potential confusion about which way the ship will alter when it clears the shoals and is free to maneuver. The sailboat could be in a place where going north will take him back across the Eastbound lane and going south will put him in the Southbound lane and staying put will leave him in an area where the ship will be maneuvering... So what are his options? He can try to read the captains mind, hope he remembered the pilots' security call correctly, make a wild guess or pick up the mic and ask...I was out that way later and, although I wasn't paying any attention to the tanker at that point, I think he just went straight out over the horizon. After all, that's where the oil is
"She" (there's only one in Portland) used to own the house next to me.Roger, radioing the tanker pilot was okay there, right? She didn't seem to mind hearing from us.
Okay, good question. It is the most fundamental observation. Of course, making bearing does not guarantee a safe cross. (Honestly, I don't think you're arguing that it does
-- I just point it out since the discussion seems to be going back to fundamentals).
It's not in the picture but the pilot station is more or less on a course directly over the "X". The question is "what will the ships course be?". It is all deep water once he passes the buoys and the tanker could choose almost any course between NNE and S. The tanker might reasonably go straight, turn S or ENE... The only place the ship can't go is onto the shoals, but the sailboat probably can't get there before CPA.
The reason for this announcement specifically on the ICW crossing of the Savannah River is that these huge container ships bow/stern waves will essentially remove MOST of the water from "Fields Cut" portion of the ICW just north of the Savannah R. Fields Cut has 'just' 6 ft. of water at low tide ... and these ships bow/stern waves will pull out another 3ft., leaving only 3ft. of water in the cut. The ships are responsible for damages caused by this 'drop' of water; hence, their constant announcements. Once the ships pass when your 6 ft. keel is laying over in 3ft. of water ....THEN you get hit by a 4-6 ft. wall of water refilling the "cut".
Oh yeah, I forgot to add, we sailboaters always, always steer straight courses at constant speed, and never will be eratic or confusing as viewed from your freighter.
It's a good point. Worth repeating. IMO, already well made and received. The problem is you're preaching to the choir. And, again IMO, building up a straw man to do it. None of the posts here have suggested acting in anything but the most conservative, careful and non-confrontational manner possible when dealing with commercial shipping. Nobody is suggesting challenging, racing, demanding rights or otherwise bothering shipping.
Nice attitude. But my post says I would LOVE to stay out of their way IF I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE GOING! Typical newbie mistake: you see a freighter (doing 20+knots) 5 miles away South, coming straight at you. You alter course to the east, so you're well clear. MISTAKE! The ship turns 45 degrees to stbd and you're right in it's path, 1/2 mile away. Or, you assume he WILL make the turn and he doesn't...Hey, me too...... After all I'm a sailboater. It's my water and you have no right to be here. And don't give me any flack about crossing too close ahead of you freighters. Because I'm a sailboater and what I'm doing is important and what you are doing is not.