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So one of these almost hit me yesterday out in the Waitemata....


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Normal rules say not more than 5knots within 50m of another craft. There is an exemption if BOTH boats are racing.

One of my friends has given up racing after an experienced sailer left the dip late and a gust hit, crew didn't ease and T boned the boat. Friend nearly lost the boat and still pissed that he lost a summer's sailing.

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Normal rules say not more than 5knots within 50m of another craft. There is an exemption if BOTH boats are racing.

One of my friends has given up racing after an experienced sailer left the dip late and a gust hit, crew didn't ease and T boned the boat. Friend nearly lost the boat and still pissed that he lost a summer's sailing.

 

Thanks Theseus.

They were doing way, way, over five knots.

And no, i wasn't racing, and I had right of way,  but was doing my best to keep to the edge of the 'fleet' that were racing.

 

And yes being T-boned was my fear, especially if we both panicked at the same time and misread each others attempts to avoid a collision...so right or wrongly I just sat there dumbfounded and voiced my concern that they please not hit me.

 

Anyway, some people made some good points in this thread, some talked a load of the brown stuff, but thank you for defining what I thought was the actual case.

I have nothing against racers, even though I got fired up at one guys responses. 

Then again, they were kids and I think they got as much of a fright as me.  Maybe they just expected me to start my engine and get my old tub outa the way even if I had right of way.

 

We live and learn.

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Theseus has it right. This is a Colregs issue, it has NOTHING to do with RRS.

5 knots within 50m, burdened vessel to take action clearly and early. If there had been a collision, both skippers would have had proportional responsibility.

Those of you who say it's a matter of perspective or comfort are completely wrong! As a skipper its your responsibility to know the rules, and you are responsible. If you are not completely sure of the rules in this case PLEASE go do some training.

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Oh, and near misses as well as accidents should be reported to the harbourmaster. The kids on the other boat need to be spoken to and informed of their responsibilities, plus the yacht club informed.

It is kind of scary how many out there are oblivious to their responsibilities.

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Quite right, it is a colregs issue. Nobody is saying it's rrs.

 

Original post doesn't mention an issue with speed, and confirmed that the give way boat altered course as required. There's no requirement under colregs for them to give way to the other boat by a specific amount.

 

 

I was on starboard tack and had right of way, bunch of kids in something that looked like one of these approached on a T-bone course on port tack, and from a few hundred metres away it was plain they had to change course to miss slamming into me.

They altered course just enough - missed me aft by maybe three feet if I am being generous. So close I could have reached over and swapped early Xmas cards...just crazy stuff.

 

 

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Would the height of a mast be more practical a distance to keep from a cruising boat?  A wave and little practice dip to show that we have seen you and are in control and all maybe?

 

There is very little wake behind  a multihull.

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You all seem to forget that if you want to pass another vessel, you are legally restricted to 5 knots within 50m.

 

So slow down, make your intentions obvious, or stay fast and stay 50m away. This is not optional. 

 

The colregs are not specific about distance, as they apply to all vessels, and 50m from a ship is WAY too close. Many ships have SOPs that 1 mile is too close in open waters, and considerably less in confined or busy waters...

 

In this case the speed was to high, they did not make their intentions clear, and they passed way to close to a vessel not racing.

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The harbour is only getting narrower, more boats and faster. 50m is silly and not possible to enforce.

 

Saturday afternoons, Wedesday night races and Coastal Classic start are days that there are large fleets of racing boats and its only been a good wind this saturday. That is less than 1% of the time the harbour is used predominatly for racing the rest of the time its cruising boats and ferrys.

 

Ferrys have been very obliging and I would buy them a drink any time.

 

Some of these large displacement, trying to plane launches are not nice.

 

A multihull is more likely to dip a boat, often we signall to cruisers not to tack because dipping does not loose us a lot of VMG and we try and be nice. I think Multihull sailors are misunderstood a little.

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In this case the speed was to high, they did not make their intentions clear, and they passed way to close to a vessel not racing.

OP never said the speed was high. The complaint was he was on starboard and the boat on port adjusted course (as required) and passed behind him closer than he would have liked.

 

If the complaint is that the boat zoomed at him at 15 knots then fair enough - they should have stayed 50m+ away as required by colregs. But that wasn't what the original post says. So assuming speed wasn't the issue, there's no minimum distance requirement.

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There's also a waitemata harbour speed limit of 12knots.

 

I always understood that didn't apply to yachts, but thinking about it, it could be that it would not be enforced for yachts?

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OP never said the speed was high. The complaint was he was on starboard and the boat on port adjusted course (as required) and passed behind him closer than he would have liked.

 

If the complaint is that the boat zoomed at him at 15 knots then fair enough - they should have stayed 50m+ away as required by colregs. But that wasn't what the original post says. So assuming speed wasn't the issue, there's no minimum distance requirement.

Nope, he said 

" I guess I thought with so much time that they would surely change course...but they just kept coming on a direct Tbone, and yes I did start saying "Do not hit me...do not hit me..." when they got within 50 metres.  Both me and there helmsman were in direct eye contact...and at the last 10 metres or so they altered course to miss my stern by a miniscule amount...a metre gap, no more."

and

"they were doing way, way more than 5 knots"

Both quotes show actions contrary to the rules.

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I'd missed the post with that information, none of which was included in the original post. That does change things.

 

Fair enough Raz, as no, I didn't put their speed in the original post.

Those trapeze outrigger light boat things, really rocket along.  I was just surprised these kids just kept coming and coming right out on the edge.

 

One thing though, and this will now sound like I am defending the racers, but lots of the keel boat racers also got within 50 metres of me as we all beat up the harbour,  but I was comfortable as their intentions were obvious and I didn't worry too much despite their close proximity....there were so many no matter which way I tacked or turned...and to their credit when I did turn away from them despite often having technical colreg right of way, they often did say "thank you", which was appreciated.  I wasn't wanting to muck up their racing.   THankfully none of them got as close as the kids in the outrigger.

 

I guess its a fact that the racers want to use the harbour on a decent winters Saturday with a bit of wind, just like I do.  

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I used to sail out of Okahu bay in the 90's. I would be sailing at 5 knots in my old classic trying to stay clear of all the 12 footers screaming around. They used to think it was great fun to come straight at me on port and turn at the last moment. It used to scare the s@#t out of me. In the end I gave up trying to stay clear. (sometimes they were racing so i would try and stay clear even on stbd)They got the message in the end.

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