Ten seconds to live.

[emergpa1]

In ten seconds I would be required to make a decision that decided if we lived or died and I had no clue it was about to happen. Saturday about noon I had my head down looking a nautical chart while Lynn sat just to my left in the captain's seat. It was a bright sunny day and we were motoring against north winds. She was piloting our 31 foot sailboat "otter" up a narrow straight but narrow section of the intercoastal waterway just south of Sebastion. 10...9...8... Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Lynn say, "That guy needs to change course." Something in her voice caught my attention, but not enough to make me look up...7...6...5...then "keith! Do I turn?" The alarm in her voice commanded I look up now. What I saw made everything else fade to nothing. A massive tall power yacht spewing out large waves on either side had left his "lane" and was pointed directly at our small vessel. His high powered collision course would crush us from bow to stern. 4...3...Somehow instantly I knew the problem Lynn was facing. Do we turn or does he see us? Was he about to correct his course? If so we should stay our course. I studied his bow for a moment, I held my breath. I saw no movement from his bow...2...1...strangely calm, as if it were just any simple decision, I raised my left hand and pointed to port while saying "Turn." then louder each time. "Turn, TURN!" Lynn yanked the wheel hard to port and the monster yacht screamed past us, never veering from his course. I remember looking up at the pilot house as they went by and seeing them look down at me with an expression of surprise and confusion. Then the passengers sitting on their picnic deck looking startled that I was so close to their boat. Close call! I'll leave out the delayed 'freaking out", the radio calls, and the prayers of thanksgiving. But later that evening, sitting in a beautiful anchorage watching the sun set, I looked over at Lynn, smiled and said "Good job today kid!" She just smiled back at me. We touched our glasses of Jack and coke in a toast to the day and to the Lifestyle we have chosen.

 

[Rick D]

Yes, indeed. Out on the water long enough, and there will be those moments to never forget. It's spooky looking back. Good for her she sounded the alarm and good for you that you reacted rationally. Whew!

 

[Kermit]

I'm happy to be reading your account rather than a link to the local news report. Good job. Both of you.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Hmm, a case of an "interfaced" autopilot on that behemoth?

 

[sailaway78]

Similar

I have seen this more than once in the Gulf. Shrimpers will be running on auto pilot, with no one even IN the wheel house. Of course they are dragging nets and going slow. That is scary enough, and I can't even imagine in a channel with a fast boat coming at you.

 

[topcat0399]

Since taking up sailing we have found many moments when we were sure the end was imminent, usually at 3 am with waves and lee shores involved. Cold rain and wind is always an added plus.

Glad you made the right move.

The downfall of mankind will surely be due to someone not keeping a proper and prudent look out....

 

[pateco]

Racing downwind on the Chesapeake Bay we are all looking forward trying to find the wind shifts and pick our next jibe, when our wind just disappears. We look behind us, and a huge container ship is barreling down on us. Had to make an emergency jibe, but got out of the way just in time. Law of gross tonnage and all, he still could have radioed us.

 

[Ron20324]

...We look behind us, and a huge container ship is barreling down on us.

If he got that close to you before you saw him, you are not keeping a good watch. Have the helsman do a circle scan every 5 minutes or so.

 

[Warren Milberg]

One of my own Golden Rules of the Road is: "if it's bigger, get out of the way, and do it early." I don't really care who is burdened and who is not. I get to live and sail another day.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Container ships don't sneak up on you. They are always in CHARTED lanes. You were in the wrong place. Sorry, but it's a reality.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I run into this a few times, but mostly as slow speeds in a channel, were we are both watching.

I make a big course change early. ie when boats are on collision course, I'll make a 30 degree starboard correction, hold it then back to the original course.

it just telegraphs my intentions early. (rather than a minor change to starboard, that the other operator can't judge as well).


tough when no one is watching? horn blasts? I'm not sure they would be heard over their own awesomeness.

 

[Ken Cross]

True of container ships, but

Container ships don't sneak up on you. They are always in CHARTED lanes. You were in the wrong place. Sorry, but it's a reality.

I've witnessed a tug with a barge behind cutting a huge corner going 2 miles outside of a shipping lane through a large group of small fishing boats. It's scary. When I radioed him the reply was "Liked that did you?" I did notice the same tug later on did avoid cutting that same corner. Around here, large fast power boats (or possibly my own bonehead antics) are normally the biggest threat.

Ken

 

[jwing]

Container ships don't sneak up on you. They are always in CHARTED lanes. You were in the wrong place. Sorry, but it's a reality.

No, yes, yes, yes.

Sometimes the channel bends around a promontory. Ships and barges don't appear until they make the turn. Very easy to get caught by surprise if you are sailing near the promontory. Those ships move fast! So, if that's where you are sailing, you are in the wrong place. It is better to cross the channel a mile or two away from the headland.

 

[pateco]

Container ships don't sneak up on you. They are always in CHARTED lanes. You were in the wrong place. Sorry, but it's a reality.

I agree our watch was not what it should have been. Lots of ship traffic and concentrating on a race. Club to Club distance races were regularly won or lost due to ships passing through the course. Or should I say a course crossing the shipping lanes. This event was a good lesson.

Down here in Fort Lauderdale, racing outside Port Everglades, I have experienced the race committee having to reset a course mid race due to a ship anchoring within the race area.

 

[Richard19068]

Container ships don't sneak up on you. They are always in CHARTED lanes. You were in the wrong place. Sorry, but it's a reality.

Here in the San Pedro / Catalina channel they are often miles outside the lanes. That's not to say they should sneak up on you though.

 

[caguy]

Here in the San Pedro / Catalina channel they are often miles outside the lanes. That's not to say they should sneak up on you though.

I've always found them witihin the charted lanes. If they are doing Naval exercises they announce thoughs over the radio. Where you have to be on your toes is in the harbor at Long Beach /SanPedro.

 

[Gail R]

Been there done that. We were racing in Portland Harbor one afternoon. A whole line of sailboats was coming in the Portland Ship Channel, all on the same point of sail. Some big giant ugly Carver comes out of a marina from port on a course essentially perpendicular to ours. I was thinking "Surely he must see all these boats coming across his path." The relative angle didn't change, and he was closing in fast. I was wrong, he didn't see us. In fact, as he got closer, it was quite clear there was no one at the helm.

I can't remember what point of sail we were on, but I'm thinking it was a beat and we'd have had to tack to avoid him.

If I had the horn closeby, I'd have given five blasts, but no joy, it was below. Luckily, my husband can whistle. It got the idiot's attention, he came up to the helm, and he made an evasive maneuver but was still close enough to put a big old power boat wave over our blow.

We continued on toward Peaks Island for a bit, but came to a stop after he got past the racing area. We figured he was cleaning out his shorts.

Still can't believe this guy was crossing freaking Portland Harbor on a Saturday afternoon and not actually at the helm.

 

[capta]

When I lived in Northern California, there was a special species of ship that seemed to derive great pleasure in sneaking up on smaller craft, be they sail boats, fishing boats or motor yachts. These were classed as 'fog bound' vessels and I have found them extremely plentiful on the left coast and in the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Suddenly looming out of the fog, delighting in terrifying all onboard the smaller vessel, they would utter numerous loud bellows of triumph at their feat. Much less numerous in these days of small craft radar and ais, there are still a few, lurking just out of sight to pounce on the unsuspecting mariner, so remain diligent in fair weather or foul.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I agree our watch was not what it should have been. Lots of ship traffic and concentrating on a race. Club to Club distance races were regularly won or lost due to ships passing through the course. Or should I say a course crossing the shipping lanes. This event was a good lesson.

Down here in Fort Lauderdale, racing outside Port Everglades, I have experienced the race committee having to reset a course mid race due to a ship anchoring within the race area.

Last year we gained a position, when a USN Sub was exiting port everglades. The USCG ribs were on the loud speaker telling the 2 leading boats to stand off. (3 RIB's with 50cal guns). they weren't playing...

Towed barges really scare me. Especially at night, if we are offshore looking towards the land... All those lights... jeez who can see those 3 little lights among the city background.


FWIW, on FLA east coast, the shipping lanes are pretty close to land. Still its not unusual to find a cargo ship 20+ miles offshore going to the NE riding the current north... going south, they do stick close to the 90' contour.

 

[shemandr]

I assume they don't see me. If they have radar going I begin evasion earlier. There is only one rule of the road i'm interested in - don't get run over.