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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/04/2004 : 20:08:02

Some of you know I am currently in the Maritime Institute, soon I'll have my USCG Captains license. OUPV, 50 Ton Master (Inland), 50 Ton Mate (Coastal) sailing and towing endorsements. Most of the material is not really relevant to you (especially lake sailors). Those of you on the ocean may find the following useful.

(1) You may not approach within 100 meters of a US Navy / Coast Guard or cruise ship. If within 500 meters, you must slow to bare steerageway.

(2) Sailboats generally have priority over power boats, but you must yeild to: Not Under Command (broken) vessels, Restricted in Ability to Maneuver (working) vessels, Constrained by Draft, and fishing vessels. You may not impede a big ship in a narrow channel. You may not insist on your priority and must change course when it becomes apparant that a give-way vessel is not yeilding to you.

(3) A sailboat underway in the fog would sound a 4 to 6 second whistle blast followed by 2 blasts of 1 second (- . .) every 2 minutes. Powerboats underway sound 1 prolonged blast (underway) and 2 prolonged blasts underway, not making way. If you're motoring, you're a powerboat.

(4) Catalina 25s anchored in "designated special anchorages" are not required to show anchor lights or day shapes. (Still, its advised to do so). In a special anchorage, we are not required to sound fog signals while at anchor. If we're outside of a special anchorage at anchor, we would "make an efficent sound signal". Teacher says bang pots and pans. Boats > 12 meters ring a bell rapidly every minute for 5 seconds. If you hear a boat getting close while you are anchored in the fog, you can also sound a whistle blast of short, prolonged, short (. - .) The anchoring dayshape is a black ball.

(5) Your dinghy, if NOT under inland rules, is required to show a white all around light under power, assuming you are under 7 meters long and can't go faster than 7 knots (the 7 & 7 rule). If it can go faster than 7 or you are inland, you need to show regular bow lights and a single white all around stern light. If under oars or sail < 7 meters long you only need to show a flashlight in time to avoid collision.

(6) Of course, you know that if on port tack, you must give-way to a sailboat on the starboard tack. The windward boat must give-way to the leeward boat if on the same tack. If you are to windward on the port tack and can not determine the tack another sailboat is on, you must give-way. If a sailboat has the motor on, its not a sailboat (its a power boat - even if motor sailing). If motor sailing you are technically to show a day shape of a cone, apex down.

(7) Whistle signals (one whistle pass, 2 whistle pass, etc) are ONLY exchanged between POWER boats. If you are sailing you don't have to give or respond to whistle signals.

(8) Sailboats must yeild to a powerboat headed downstream, with a following current, on the Western Rivers.

(9) Any boat being overtaken has priority. If you are sailing past a powerboat, such that (if it was night) you could only see his sternlight, he is the stand-on vessel. You must give-way. Or if you're overtaking a sailboat.

(10) if you are nearing a bend and can't see around it, and you hear a prolonged blast (4 - 6 seconds) thats the signal of a boat headed around the bend. You should answer and keep to the starboard side. The downbound vessel shall propose the manner and place of passage. Remember that most of these situations are usually discussed on the VHF and VHF 13 is the bridge-to-bridge channel you should be monitoring.

(11) In general, if you see a boat at night with lots of mast lights, stay out of the way! If you see 2 masthead lights and a yellow sternlight, the boat is towing astern. If you see 2 yellow sternlights, the boat is pushing ahead. Barges will have sidelights and sternlight.

(12) At night, a good general rule for you is "go for the green". If you see a red light, yeild. If you see a green light, you are stand-on. HOWEVER a dredge pipeline will be marked with flashing yellow lights. The point where it is sunk for you to pass is marked with red over red lights at each end. In this case only you pass between the reds.

(13) Distress signals: SOS, Mayday, orange smoke, dye markers/any color, red flares, flames on the vessel

I'll post some more useful stuff when I think of it.

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

Edited by - JimB517 on 11/04/2004 20:32:13

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 22:25:14

Good reminders, Jim... Some additional items I see many skippers "confused" on are:

1. The stand-on vessel should be clear as to course--either maintain it or make a clear, obvious change and then hold the new course--don't meander or travel in a slow curve. The give way vessel should have ample opportunity to choose and execute a give-way course.

2. Look around--at least every minute or so, look all the way around. It's a habit that's easy to develop.

3. When you are the stand-on vessel, it does not mean you have "right-of-way"--it means your responsibility is to hold course so the give-way vessel can respond accordingly. In the final analysis, among pleasure boats, nobody has absolute right-of way. Now an aircraft carrier, on the other hand...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 11/04/2004 22:26:23

Waterboy
Navigator

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USA
204 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 22:53:50

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(8) Sailboats must yeild to a powerboat headed downstream, with a following current, on the Western Rivers.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

This I was unaware of, and some of the phrasing is unclear to me ... "with a following current" ... does this refer to whether the downbound powerboat is underway in relation to the current as well as land, or downbound in relation to land yet upbound in relation to current (drifting down slightly against the current). Also, how does an upbound boat (sail or otherwise)determine the particular status of a downbound boat?

Interesting stuff - thanks!

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 10:43:38

This rule only applies to the listed "Western Rivers" meaning the Mississippi and its connecting waterways and tributaries. On these rivers the direction of the current is obvious. Any powerboat who is headed down river (towards New Orleans) has right of way over a crossing or upbound boat. To stop relative to land, such a boat would have to reverse engines and back down hard through the water.

A boat with engines at idle, drifting downriver with 0 speed through the water but with 3 or 4 knots over land is indeed downbound.

The downbound boat proposes the manner and place of passage, for example, he'll say on the radio "hold at mile marker 233, we'll pass port to port". Its easy for the upbound boat to hold relative to land.

Edited by - on

sailgal
Captain

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USA
400 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 11:47:52

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">4) Catalina 25s anchored in "designated special anchorages" are not required to show anchor lights or day shapes. (Still, its advised to do so). <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Jim,
What is a "designated special anchorage"? Good luck with your studies, and thanks for sharing the info. !

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 13:42:27

You'll find "designated special anchorages" on the chart or in the Coast Pilot for your area. If you don't have a Coast Pilot, GET ONE. I've never used it before and theres tons of great information. Its like "sailing directions" for US waters.

Chances are, on your local waters, there are places where transient boats anchor all the time. We have many such areas in San Diego and one in Mission Bay. If you look at the chart, you'll most likely see the area surrounded by a purple line and it will say something like "Special Anchorage - see Note A". Note A will be somewhere on the chart and it may say something like "72 hours only", or "weekends only".

Don't take what I said to mean I advise you to not show an anchor light. Just that you can't get a ticket for not doing so in a designated area. Please do show an anchor light!!!

Also, what I wrote was for Catalina 25/250s only. Bigger boats do need lights and dayshapes even in these areas (> 12 meters).

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 15:50:54

Good stuff Jim. Let me know when they get to the part about permissible punishments for insubordinate first mates.

Steve

Edited by - on

Jeff McK
Captain

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USA
389 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 17:13:42

Jim,

Thanks for sharing this very useful info. For those who were not aware, the US Power Squadron also addresses this info in their Seamanship class.

http://www.usps.org

Now if we can just get the motorboaters to follow the rules...

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2004 : 08:47:12

95%.....I pass,

, unfortunately I hit the dredge pipe and sank.......

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2004 : 21:17:26

The vessel above all other vessels that has the right of way is the vessel that is being overtaken. On the other end of the spectrum is the sea plane. If there is a seaplane in the water he must stay out of everybodies way. And I hope he does 'cause those props should would ruin my sails.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2004 : 23:48:43

Yeah, props can ruin your hairdoo.......this is the result of a spinning prop running into a parked airplane.....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)
Georgetown MD/Fort Lauderdale FL

Edited by - on

Jeff McK
Captain

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USA
389 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2004 : 17:26:51

Yikes!!

That's going to need a lot more than some duct-tape to fix.

Edited by - on

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