[suqmadiq2ama]

Brace yourself - this is going to be controversial.

Few days ago I read serious exchanges on one of the "Skippers Groups" which stunned me. It was all about ColReg Rule 18 and actually many myths surrounding relationship between BIG Ships and Yachts. Some of these myths were simply DANGEROUS but spoken with such a confidence that I thought ...I cannot leave it that way.

SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM???

I am a professional Navigator (Maritime University of Szczecin 1985-1990) - Ship master including pretty big LNGs, smaller LPGs and now Tall Ships + I am a racing skipper of my own First 40.7 (*mainly offshore)

I went out and ask my professional colleagues - Master Mariners:

How do you react when you have sailing yacht (not using engine) 7Nm on your:

1. Starboard
2. Portside

99% of them responded to question No. 1 - I am give way ship and therefore I alter my course to starboard and / or I reduce my speed.
50% of them also quoted Rule 18 saying - "silly question yacht is yacht and I have to respect that."

Now!!! only 50% answered the same when answering on question 2 meaning that they expected to be STAND ON SHIP. They have not recognised the need to observe Rule 18. They were just applying Rule 15 !!! Treating yacht as yet another "object on port side" (This is very worrying for me , but since I am not going to change that overnight, I report findings of my exercises/ research)

All of them commented: OUR PROBLEM (Masters on big ships) IS:

1. THAT WE DON'T SEE YACHTS AT ALL OR VERY, VERY LATE
2. WE ARE AFRAID OF YACHTS, because we don't know who is on board, whether they are on watch, whether they sober, whether they have any training.

Conclusions for us yachties:

1. BE SEEN (AIS, RADAR ENHANCER, ORNGE TOP OF THE SAILS)
2. Use radio to make sure that BIG SHIP knows you are there (regardless whether you are port or starboard)
3. Using radio just ask: DO YOU SEE US? WHAT ARE YOU INTENTIONS?
4. NEVER EVER TURN TO PORT - ship might see you late and will alter course to starboard and if at the same time you were altering course to port...you are dead !!!
If in doubt and you cannot establish contact - do Circulation to starboard and clear the risk of collision.
5. Courts are not happy with "VHF conspirator against rules" so agreeing STBD to STBD is against the rules and should be avoided. Especially that there is always risk that you were talking to the wrong ship.

#zeglarstwo
#statki #morze #offshore
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0Hcwht3BVGCs8mvdQ9i7FDgLTxW4vetJzEbQhCgZKxLvcAvg2XPPu3x2w5NfsPuXNl&id=100057750876017

[Endrius]

@suqmadiq2ama:
W sumie ciekawe by było gdybym pływał czymś więcej niż kajakiem :)

[bartek555]

@suqmadiq2ama: czy ja dobrze rozumiem, ze polowa zapytanych kapitanow odpowiedziala, ze majac zagiel ze swojej lewej burty to oni maja pierwszenstwo, bo zasada prawej strony? Co do huia