Sailboat gets in the way of Great Lakes freighter

[rhwestfall]

Complexity is added by the incident happening in a quite confined space and in a fast current. It isn't like it was out on the Lake or in the Ocean where there are lots of options possible.

 

[pauldw]

Everyone knows that sailors are not as bright as powerboaters..

Is that a new thing? Post-pandemic, or what?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Everyone knows that sailors are not as bright as powerboaters. A good captain will anticipate the situation around him and realize he has a dumb weekend sailor who insists on his right of way and doesn’t have a clue about the Rules.

Oh how you are not from Seattle. A friend of mine has a friend who works managing the bridges. In the 1990s when Microsoft produced loads of millionaires, the bridge operators started complaining about these clueless boaters wearing Microsoft t-shirts with their brand new boats that they had no skill navigating. The problems were worse going through Ballard Locks.

 

[Wookie]

Is that a new thing? Post-pandemic, or what?

It’s always been that way.

To be fair, there are plenty of clueless powerboaters as well, but the insurance companies won’t let anyone operate anything over about 50 feet powered until they hire a captain for a year.

And if you can afford fuel, you can afford a hired captain.

 

[pauldw]

Power:


Sail:

 

[Ana]

I gather that none of you have operated a sailboat that size and have not studied the navigation rules governing how sailboats and large vessels are to steer when a risk of collision exists. While the term "right of way" is no longer used, sailboats do have a broad obligation to hold their course when encountering other vessels and other vessels have an obligation to stay out of their way. These rules are not absolute and there are many other obligations that the navigation rules place on both vessels, and they vary somewhat by location. A key fact to consider is that sailboats are (in most circumstances) obligated to hold their course and allow other vessels to move around them up until a point where it appears that the other vessel isn't going to follow the rules. Exactly where this point is, is the subject of great debate and discussion and has been over centuries. Most skippers, especially those who frequent waters that have commercial traffic, know the rules well and make a genuine effort to follow them.

A key point many non-sailors do not understand is that sailboats have limited speed and maneuverability. It is not possible to outrun a freighter with 20,000 horsepower running at 15 knots. As such sailors in these situations must determine the intentions of the other vessel well in advance in order to move out of the way. A poorly chosen turn can move a sailboat from a place of safety to a place of danger.

You are right, never operated a sailboat of any size, I have a tiny power boat that gives me some speed and decent maneuverability. I've lost count of how often I encounter sailboats in the middle of the channel very close to a bridge waiting for an opening obstructing the way of vessels that can go under without an opening.
I also used to work of pretty big boats and witnessed a great number of near collisions with sailboats of various sizes within a channel boundaries at different locations.

so yes … I'm bias against rag-boats. Now regardless of my bias, anyone in the way of that big a$$freighter should get out of its way.

 

[Wookie]

Comanche is nice, but you can’t have cocktails on a sunset cruise, and even my 45 year old boat is faster. And the more fuel I burn, the faster she goes.

 

[rhwestfall]

So, should the freighter have risked a grounding to avoid the sailboat?

 

[Steelyeyes]

Who was at fault here?


Operator of small craft was on autopilot and had to take a dump so he was in the head. Bad planning for sure.

Both vessel operators were found 50% at fault. You always have the obligation to take action to avoid a collision and apparently 5 shorts isn't considered action.

 

[azstinger11]

Who was at fault here?


Operator of small craft was on autopilot and had to take a dump so he was in the head. Bad planning for sure.

Both vessel operators were found 50% at fault. You always have the obligation to take action to avoid a collision and apparently 5 shorts isn't considered action.

Well I’m sure the collision solved any constipation they might have been having lol