Fairly close call on LI Sound yesterday. I was pleasure sailing. My tack (starboard) took me through a racing area. Well away from most boats, except a couple, first of which was on a port tack. Had a crew of 3-4 all should have been able to see me clearly. Falling off a couple degrees would have had him safely clearing my stern and had little effect on his race. He simply pressed on, nearly ramming me and finally forcing me into irons, after which to avoid me, he headed up and was nearly hit broadside by another racer just behind him. Can anyone think of any justification for this behavior? I mean we are all sailors and out to have a nice day on the water, racing or not. But the right of way rules are for everyone right?
Racer not giving way
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Clearly. He had no more right to ignore your ROW than he would have had to ignore a canoe or a boat under tow that wandered into his course.
Gotta ask, why did you turn up (into irons)???? The only real safe way to avoid a crossing collision is to 'duck' by turning down. Turning up increases the chance of collision, it does not lower it. Most of the time, a boat racing might hail 'racing' as a polite ask for you to keep clear. If they can cross, often they will just bite their tongue and make the cross, often freaking out non-racers in the process. As Wienie says, most non-racers have no idea what a close cross is.
Here's a duck. And a close cross.
Here's a duck. And a close cross.
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The first mistake is assuming there is such a thing as a "right of way". Yes you were stand on but your FIRST PRIORITY is to avoid collision at all costs. When it became apparent the give way was not giving way your duty was to avoid collision.
USCG:
"The Rules do not grant privileges they impose responsibilities and require precaution under all conditions and circumstances; no Rule exonerates any vessel from the consequences of neglect (Rule 2). Neglect, among other things, could be not maintaining a proper look-out (Rule 5), use of improper speed (Rule 6), not taking the appropriate actions to determine and avoid collision (Rule 7 & 8) or completely ignoring your responsibilities under the Rules."
I'm sorry, but you did not have the right of way. The right of way has to be yielded to you and it obviously was not. If you are pleasure sailing like indicated the sensible move is to give way to the racing boats. You are now trying to apply racing rules to justify your action when you were not even racing. There is no room for "king of the hill" in safe sailing.
Only by racers.
There's nothing in COLREGS that says racers are royalty.
Unless you are on a closed course, other boats are part of the field of obstacles. Especially when in proximity to a harbor or known sailing areas.
When I'm crossing a race, if I'm stand on, I stand on. It should be expected by the racers under COLREGS.
It's the ocean. Nobody owns it.
However, most of these races I can see from way off, and it's quite easy to avoid, so I do when possible. Sometimes it ain't possible to avoid a cross, ie: (all actual events)didn't notice at first it was a race, limited vis, came up on my quarter while I'm lounging and oblivious, I'm on an actual course and not just following the wind, etc., in which case I hold course.
Non-racing skippers should avoid contact if needed as per COLREGS, but don't panic too early - most of these guys know how to handle their boats with a respectable degree of precision, and they're just skirting you like a marker. It's not rude, it's racing. Nothing personal.
These are the conditions in my patch. Others may be different.
I need to show that video to my wife. She seems to think we're in imminent danger of collision when we're within 100' when we cross. Fun video, btw!
I'm a noob sailor, so perhaps I shouldn't even say anything, but I don't recall a distinction being made between racing or pleasure sailing in any of the "ROW rules". It seems to me, however, that the right thing for a pleasure sailor to do would be to stay out of the racers way if at all possible, even if it means taking a longer route to your destination (more sailing = more pleasure, right?).
It seems like they hold races on our lake every weekend and I'd no more sail through their space than I would walk across a soccer field in the middle of a neighborhood soccer game.
The Coast Guard notices of the races usually ask folks who aren't racing to stay clear.. It is the civilized thing to do even though you may be the "stand on" boat.. you can't know his racing handicap or class so costing him time may in fact affect his finishing position.. Like Jack says, duck behind him if in a crossing port/starboard..
If you are going to stand on, make it clear that you are by radio or shouting to him ..
If you are going to stand on, make it clear that you are by radio or shouting to him ..
Interesting collection of responses. Why did I not fall off? Because I thought he would do so passing astern (as per Jackdaw's video above). For me to fall off at the last few seconds and him doing so also would have put us head on one another and had me aiming at the boat to his stern. I do wish I had yelled "starboard" and been more ready to come about as I backwinded my jib with the emergency turn and that's how I got into irons. As to those that thought I should have not been in the area, a dozen or so boats all perpendicular to my course, all spread out ? I would have basically not been able to tack out at all! And we got a good deal closer than in Jackdaw's video, sad to say. I guess about 1-1/2 to 2 boat lengths when I turned and he had to head up to avoid rear ending me. Well, I did learn something, but hope the other guy did too. There is no royalty out there for sure.
That.
Trust me, sailors racing notice. Give a clear and early sign on your intent to avoid (turning to point at them at that moment is PERFECT) and they make positive note of you. Might get you a thanks at the dock, or a drink at the bar someday. Races are won and lost by seconds. Its always clear to racers when someone does not see you, or doesn't know you're racing. But when is clear (and it usually is) standing on just because you can makes your the butt of jokes at the bar. Apparently some people don't care.
Here on SF Bay I will avoid a race course if I can but sometimes it's impractical. The courses can be very large. I would never, however, call ROW on a boat that I knew was racing if I was not racing. It's just too easy to adjust course and sail past their stern. It doesn't cost you anything.
Unless there's 20 of them, at various intervals fore aft and abeam. changing course late might be unexpected, and could get us into trying to dodge numerous boats, and with possibly new and bad wind angles to lower your speed and maneuverability.
I'm all for very early avoidance, which I think is what you meant. But if you find yourself in a cross, I think relying on COLREGS is the safe thing to do, for in the end we're all boats on the water.
If it's a formal race with judge boats, anchored markers etc then it's easy to spot and prudent to go around if boats are racing.
BTW, I was mostly referring to weekly beer can races.
If it's a formal race with judge boats, anchored markers etc then it's easy to spot and prudent to go around if boats are racing.
This statement denotes a bit of an attitude problem on your part. Did you push the position to prove a point? Are you resentful of racers for some reason? Starting a chapter of "All Sailboats Matter?"
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