Time for turning lights??
- Thread starter ronald.hudson1
- Start date
This might be surprising from a Chicagoan, but that's an accessory I don't have yet. I have plenty of cup holders though. One holds the air horn.
[QUOTE,,,, as Boomer54 notes, we've a perfectly good arm. 
[/QUOTE]
And a perfectly good finger at the end of it- for those who don't go by the rules.
[/QUOTE]And a perfectly good finger at the end of it- for those who don't go by the rules.
[QUOTE...Something's wrong with you (Kermit) ... how do you come up with this sh!t?? LOL
Hey, HEy, HEY.. ease up on Kermit. He promised me a month in advance that he'd call me on April 1st to awken me from hibernation; And he DID. Well, actually he was a week early. We had a very pleasant chat. He's just as normal as I am.
Hey, HEy, HEY.. ease up on Kermit. He promised me a month in advance that he'd call me on April 1st to awken me from hibernation; And he DID. Well, actually he was a week early. We had a very pleasant chat. He's just as normal as I am.
Maybe a week earlier than you wanted but it was April 1st. Oh wait. You got me. Another April Fools joke!
About monster horns A friend of mine had an honest to God real diesel locomotive horn installed on his GMC Suburban truck. Wonder how many accidents he's caused with that?
They can mounted and used, but locomotive air horns are illegal for highway use....
There are some horns that LOOK like locomotive horns that ARE approved for higheay use...
I'm at work and not able to read all responses but chiming in quickly anyway...
On the smallish inland lake where I sail, there are no professional mariners, or very few. So I generally assume that other boaters out there are completely clueless as to rules of the road. And drunk.
There are a few other sailboats and I think they are much more aware since sailing is something that must be learned whereas I suspect that many or most bass boat and pontoon boat drivers never took a formal boating course.
On the smallish inland lake where I sail, there are no professional mariners, or very few. So I generally assume that other boaters out there are completely clueless as to rules of the road. And drunk.
There are a few other sailboats and I think they are much more aware since sailing is something that must be learned whereas I suspect that many or most bass boat and pontoon boat drivers never took a formal boating course.
Which finger do you use to point the way?
Haven't read the whole thread but to pile on, a friend in her new-to-her Hunter 37.5 was out for her first race with her new sails and spinnaker. On starboard tack at the windward mark, was t-boned by another boat and holed. Big dollars and the end of the race season. Race committee exonerated her of any responsibility, but she's still out for a season. She and her crew are top-rated and very experienced but but that doesn't mean everyone on the race course is. Start line maneuvers always leave me a bit dry in the mouth. And, you do tend to push limits. It hardly makes a difference in a 50 or 100 mile race, but you always want a good start...
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. Blinkers would not have helped. Reaching for shorn would have killed us both instead I sayelled "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 asthey went by and seeing them look down at me with an expression of surprise and confusion. As they sped by the female 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 unanswered 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.
You guys crack me up! The reg says "thou shall not collide" It is not a genitalia measuring event! There is absolutely nothing wrong with altering your course in a "distinct and noticeable fashion" to avoid a collision even if you have the right of way. Done early enough you don't really have to alter course more than a few degrees to make all the problems go away. Both boats will notice that they are no longer on collision courses and no further action needs to be taken by anybody. Remember this is not racing, it is sailing; slow, calm, relaxing, non-confrontational, ...... the sailtime rule would dictate that you don't wait till the very last minute because "you have the right of way", don't be that "ugly sailor" (or power boater for that matter).
On a related subject; does any body know how you tell (from any distance) wither you are or are not on a collision course? Also related; if on a crossing course how do you tell if the approaching boat will pass ahead or behind your boat so you can plan an evasive action turn should that be needed?
On a related subject; does any body know how you tell (from any distance) wither you are or are not on a collision course? Also related; if on a crossing course how do you tell if the approaching boat will pass ahead or behind your boat so you can plan an evasive action turn should that be needed?
Line them up with a stanchion, shroud or other fixed point on your boat. If they remain steady to the fixed mark on your boat, contact will be made (remember, sailing is a no contact sport). If they are going ahead of your fixed mark, they will cross ahead of you; if they are falling behind your point, you will cross ahead of them (they'll pass by your stern).
CBDR: Constant Bearing, Decreasing Range
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_bearing,_decreasing_range
A very handy safety and stress reducing tool!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_bearing,_decreasing_range
A very handy safety and stress reducing tool!!!
