Stand on boat question

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J

Jim

I was sailing this weekend when I was passed by a large powerboat (30 - 40 range) towing a smaller power boat (18 - 24 range). The powerboat passed me than proceeded to cut me off. I have to make a quick turn to windward to avoid hitting the smaller boat in tow.

I didn’t mind making the turn. I glad I was at the wheel and not letting Auto drive the boat while I was sitting in the stern rail seats. I feel since I was being passed I was the stand on boat and he should have been careful.
 
P

porsche

agreed

You had the right of way hands down, it happens to me alot but not by towed boats just power boaters who do not know the rules. Alan
 
J

Joseph Shirley

You're right on several counts.

If he were a legal tow vessel he would have been the stand on vessel, but as that he should have held his course. I suspect that he did not show the day shapes required or give a passing signal' or give a towing signal (-.. a delta), or a danger signal (5 or more blasts), or a turning signal when he cut you off, and I suspect he did not try to hail you on VHF or a loud hailer. You moved to avoid a collision so you were OK. I think if it were me I'd of gotten on the Loud hailer (I have one) and let everyone within the sound of my hailer how much of a jerk the guy (or gal) was.

Have a good day

Joe S
 
J

Jim

Joe you are right

he was not marked at all. No yellow lights or other marking but MY RADIO WAS NOT ON! I know, it is supposted to be on 100% of the time.
 
R

Ross

In any case like this I just get out of the way.

No need to make a mess of things and I am just out playing anyway. The other day Nancy and I were sailing, just getting in a little time and one of the sailing school boats was out also we were converging he and I on a port tack. Rather than make an issue he tacked and we all went our way. We were the only sails on six miles of water . That's big enough for two boats.
 
J

John

question to Ross

this is one stand-on issue I've wondered about: If two boats are both on a starboard tack and are on a collision course, which is the stand-on boat - the one to leeward, or the one to starboard? Thanks.
 
N

newly anonymous

by the way...

...the original question is covered by Rule 13, which deals with overtaking, which basically says that ANY vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel overtaken. [emphasis added]

What many don't realize is that this has nothing to do with power vrs sail. If a sailboat overtakes a powerboat, the powerboat becomes the stand-on vessel.
 
N

Nice N Easy

Rules of the road

I have found that knowing who is or isn't the stand on vessel is usually useless information. It only works if both boats know the rules. Might help later in court, if your not dead. So my basic rule is just get the hell out of the way. We have a lot of waterman around here, and they may or may not know the rules, but they certainly pay them no heed. Most of the shrimpers are running on auto pilot, and no one is even in the wheel house when they are dragging nets. And the crabbers will run a string of traps across a channel, and then sit in the channel to pull their pots. Hell, some of the bridges won't even answer a radio call. So, just move over, cuss a little and relax. It ain't going to change.
 
C

calicodragon

Just Curious

Jim when you were passed and then quickly cut off, was there some reason that the towing boat did just not pass astern of you? Whether waterways or highways everyone seems in such a hurry and will pass when there is plenty of room behind to manouver without all the drama and aggrivation.
 
K

Ken

Tow

I've been told by my instructor and merchant captain that a vessel towing another is effectively a power driven vessel hence has to give way to sailing vessel except where its in restrict channel where it manoeuvre is limited.
But I don't trust the tow skipper to know his Colreg.
 
P

Phil

Restricted vessel

A vessel towing is considered restricted in its ability to maneuver and is therefore stand on, even to a sailboat under normal operation. On the other hand, cutting across your bow must surely qualify under some description of reckless.
 
N

newly anonymous

not really

Rule 3 (g) (vi), which provides "General Definitions," reserves the term "Vessels restricted in their ability to maneuver" for "a vessel engaged in a towing operation such as severely restricts the towing vessel and her tow in their ability to deviate from their course." That definition doesn't qualify in the scenario Jim originally proposed, of a large powerboat towing a smaller powerboat. Even if it did, Rule 9, which governs narrow channels, specifically says, "This Rule does not relieve the overtaking vessel of her obligation under Rule 13" [Rule 9 (e) (ii)]. Rule 13, of course, specifies that ANY vessel overtaking another must keep clear. The powerboat towing another powerboat was burdened to keep clear of Jim's boat, which was the boat being overtaken.
 
R

Ross

I get the impression that the powerboat with a tow

was NOT limited in his ability to maneuver but was rather just behaving like the big bear in the woods and doing as he pleased.
 
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