Is This A Dumb Sailor or What?

[Dick Dixon]

Visibility: Clear & unlimitedSunny, no clouds This morning, while bringing my sailboat back from Dauphin Island, Alabama across the Mississippi Sound to Pascagoula, MS, (we competed in yesterday's 49th Dauphin Island Regatta), an eastboud motoring sailor called a southbound freighter on the VHF. Limited to the deep depths of the Pascagoula Ship Channel, the freighter was hailed by the eastboud sailboat approaching from the west. Here's the jest of the conversation: "This is sailing vessel _____ calling the southboud freighter in the Pascagoula Ship Channel. Do you read? Over. "Yes this is the freighter _____ southbound in the Pacagoula Ship Channel, says the alert voice."Is your speed approximately 11 knots?" ask the concerned sailboat skipper." Yes, our speed is 11 knots. How may I help you?" replies the freighter"Guessing that you're traveling southbound at 11 knots on a collision path with my vessel, sir, what would you have me do?" asked the seemingly perplexed sailboat skipper?Hummmmm....now let's get this straight...a 14-16 thousand pound sailboat approaching a 16 thousand ton freighter. The freighter is severely limited to the depth and safety of the ship channel. The sailboat has no depth concerns, is still at least two miles from the channel, and possesses unlimited options."Captain, this freighter will continue on our present course. Suggest you take appropriate action. Have a nice day," is the polite freighter radio reply.Now folks, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but what was this sailboat captain thinking? My crew and I laughed for over an hour after hearing what we heard. Duh! Had'n this guy ever heard of might makes right, especially when the larger vessel has limited steerage?Did I miss something?Dick s/v CD EXPRESS

 

[CharlieCobra]

Maybe not.

He might not have known the channel restrictions and wanted to verify the ship was going to stand on. Who knows these days.

 

[Matthew]

Taking Cruising World Article too seriously?

Perhaps the skipper read the article on Automatic Identification System in the May issue of Cruising World. It contained a couple of hypothetical radio dialogues. The one in the sidebar sounds very much like the one you heard. Personally, I would think one is only clogging the air with unnecessary chatter in asking a draft constrained freighter for a collision avoidance plan. How about we use... "silly little boat, get out of the way." Obviously, conditions might sometimes warrant such a radio call, but certainly not clear, calm and daylight.

 

[letterman]

happened to me..twice

Last year my buddy, who thinks himself a competent sailor, and I were sailed due West. I saw a freighter on the horizon and mentioned that if you pick a spot on your boat that is between you and the freighter and watch the boat in relation to that spot and the freighter doesn't move, and is apparently getting larger, then you are on a collision course and we need to avoid that.As the freighter grew in size, a collision became more apparent. I asked Captain Buddy what we should do. He asked, rather than said, "we should start the motor and pass in front of him before he crosses our path!" "Righto", I said. "And we'd both be dead". "Hard to port". We turned, sailed a bit, turned to port again, sailed a bit, turned to port again, sailed a bit, turned to port and were back on our original course when this HUGE freighter passed 100 yards or so in front of us. Said Captain Buddy "Boy, that thing sure is big. Didn't look it when it was on the horizen".And just Friday I was helping a friend, a very competent sailor, dock his boat for the season. He was at the aft end, me the bow. He held a dockline and was prepared to toss the line to help on the dock and asked "Do you think we're close enough to toss the line"? We were 15 feet away. I said "Sure, toss the line!"I watched as the dock help grabbed the line. All of it. Captain forgot to tie it to a cleat or hold the bitter end. THEY are out there. Be vewwy afwaid!!!

 

[Ross]

I am a physically small man. When an NFL

offensive squad is coming in my direction I find it prudent to step aside.

 

[Brian D]

ROFLOMA...

"I watched as the dock help grabbed the line. All of it. Captain forgot to tie it to a cleat or hold the bitter end."Just as I yelled "Never jump off a moving boat" I saw this guy jump to the dock but his weight pushed the boat away from the dock and he was short about 5 feet. SPLASH!

 

[RichH]

I dont think that conversation was inappropriate..

Many times ships, tugs with tows, etc. will move out of marked 'channels' (depending on the depth) to 'short leg' to the next 'mark'. I sail a lot on the E Coast and many times I'll find commercial traffic 'cutting corners', etc. If not very apparent that a 'commercial' is IN and will STAY in a channel, I'll usually ask their intentions and if they plan on 'shorting' such and such a mark, etc. or will stay in a 'channel'. Especially at night when visual distances/positions are difficult, I find this a good procedure. Only takes a second or two to get their exact intentions, etc.; and, surprisingly many times find them 'cutting quite a few corners' when the depths permit it.

 

[abe]

And that my friends is why those big boys...

..hardly ever respond to our hail. And we wonder why they call us WAFI (wind assisted *ucking idiots".abe

 

[abe]

I was hailed by a war vessel as I was coming...

into San Diego. "war vessel hailing vessel on my starboard side 3 miles away what is your intention?" WTF... what did he think my intentions were...he has BIG GUNS...I am made of fiberglass. I was in denial that a real SHIP would hail me, so I ignored him. The captain hailed again in a louder more irritated voice....that scared me enough to respond. He politely told me he was not hailing me, but a cruise ship crossing on his starboard 2 miles behind me. I knew it was too good to be true to be hailed by one of those BIG FELLOWS...abe

 

[Jim Stevens]

rerquesting instructions

We have a lot of barge traffic here on Ky lake and in a narrow passage I often will hail a towboat and ask where I need to be while he passes. Oft times their movements dont fit Chapmans rules due to the changing channel(bouys arent always right). They are always very courteous and appreciate the fact that they will know where I will be.

 

[Ross]

Up here on the Susquehanna when I see one of the

gravel barges I just move as far to the right as the water depth allows and watch like a sheep dog. Changing bearings are my great comfort. A constant bearing gets a responce from me right NOW.

 

[Ed]

TONAGE RULES

As a captain of a smaller vessel in Boston harbor I have seen several close calls with commercial vessels . Keeping an eye out for intersecting courses and rate of speed is very important. Also note that larger vessels are deceptivly fast, and when they are leaving port they are speeding up , and do so quickly. One thing is for sure you may think you have the right of way , but you may be dead right ! I f you hear 5 blasts you know you are in trouble so take quick action , and that does not mean go faster to pass in front of the vessel . Stop or turn to alter course . Safe sailing !

 

[Paul Akers]

Rules of the Road Apply Here

In a channel, the large boat is encumbered by it's channel restrictions and, therefore, had the right of way. The sailboat SHOULD know that!

 

[Paul Akers]

I have Hailed a Tug/Barge...

...in the past and outside of a channel. It was a courtesy call to let him know my intentions - to pass astern of him. I would hate to panic the skipper if I had suddenly disappeared (visually) behind the barge's stern.

 

[tom]

Told to Get out of the Way

Approaching Maobile bay entrance from the east a ship coming from the west told me to stay out of their way in a very authoritative manner. It was a washing machine at the time with big standing waves from a falling tide and it was getting dark. We dutifully tacked out giving them plenty of room and then sailed in behind them. There was another ship coming out but we just stayed right just outside the channel. We really didn't need to be told to stay clear but it was nice to know that we were on their radar. My brother saw a ship with a mast hanging from the anchor on the ships bow. He asked a crew member what happened. The crew member didn't even know that the mast was there!! I guess that somewhere out at sea with the frieghter running on autopilot they had a dispute about who was the stand on vessel.

 

[John24107]

Right of Way

I'm reminded of the story about the aircraft carrier approaching the coast at night in heavy fog. The captain hailed a distant light announcing his intentions and instructing the other vessel to give way. He had to repeat this several times, each one more forcefully. I.E. "This is the USS Warship Abraham Lincoln (or somesuch) change course immediately or be overrun!!" The light responded "no sir, you must change course". The Aircraft Carrier Captain became more irritated and repeated his command only to hear in response "This is a lighthouse, YOUR CHOICE!"

 

[LancerDude]

Big Ships/Little Boats

Personally,I like to sail and to avoid the loss of my VERY LARGE INVESTMENT ( meaning the Money Pit I cal "boat") I avoid larger vessel traffic as if they are The Plague.I dont expect them to give way..I just automatically assume its my job and do so.The Houston Ship Channel has some VEY LARGE and SCAREY traffic in it..unfortunatly I am reminded every time I go out..there is also some very small and scarey ones out there as well. Fair Winds >>> David

 

[sailaway78]

Stand On or yield

I'm like Ross, I get the hell out of the way. I don't care who is stand on, who has the right of way, or whatever else. He is much bigger, he is much less manuverable, which in my way of thinking makes him right. I always try to turn in such a way as to make my intentions obvious early on. That way no question about what I am going to do. And unlike some of you, we have lots of shrimpers around here, they put er on auto pilot and go to work. No one in the wheel house to hear a radio call, or make any course changes.

 

[r.w.landau]

Caguy, before you try running it again...

If it went in the water running, you could have bent a piston rod. I would have it checked out before you damage it worse.just a thought, Sorry to hear of your misfortune and I hope your wife has some counseling skill also!r.w.landau

 

[Charlie]

A bug on the windshield?

An afternoon conversation in a tanker on the San Francisco Bay:"Captain?""Yes helmsman?""I felt a small thump, kinda like a bug on the windshield, but there's no bug,sir""Yes, the window looks clean. It must have been another one of those weekend sailors again" "Yes sir"