I was at Dimillos Old Port Marina in Portland, Maine on the 13th, 14th and
15th of July on my way back to Baltimore, Maryland from Castine, Maine. The
FLORIDIAN was docked to the face pier while I was docked there. The boat is
actually 225 feet LOA and is owned by Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Miami
Dolphins.

I know the Captain and I'm sure that he had someone at the helm during this
incident. I too have been the victim of large powerboats just missing me
when they have miles of open ocean to avoid me. I'm sure there are two
sides to this story.

Ric

There's always another side of the story. I'd love to know what it is
in this case. If I'd been a floating container or other obstruction
that could have damaged their vessel, I'm sure they would have
maneuvered effortlessly around. It strains my credulity that they
weren't keeping a good enough watch this close to shore not to have
seen a 32 foot sailboat. I would also be quite surprised if someone
got to be master of a vessel of this class without enough nautical
knowledge to understand that a sailing vessel with sails sheeted flat
is not going to alter course very much in the windward direction
which, in this case, was also the direction of a standard head to head
pass and away from the shore.

Perhaps I am deficient in imagination but this leaves in my mind only
the expectation that the size and impressiveness of the vessel would
intimidate me into altering course out of his path. The size and
paint job didn't but the fact that the vessel was acting like one on
autopilot did. That's not the way the right of way rules are supposed
to work.

Yeah, I could have called him on the radio but the rules of the road
were written to make it possible to deal with something this simple
without having to yack and negotiate on the air. Having to make a
radio call in a case like this means someone already isn't observing
the rules. That's not the case in all meeting situations.

Since you know that captain, I'd love to hear the other side of the
story.

What I see overall, is an increasing expectation across the spectrum
of vessels that the rules of the road apply between vessels of roughly
the same size and smaller vessels always should give way to larger
ones. I've also detected an attitude in the responses here that the
rules are the basis for the negotiations to take place on the radio
and not a framework for steering your vessel in traffic. Neither of
these seem healthy to me.

I practice somewhat the first idea myself though. When operating as a
six knot powerboat, I don't attempt to alter course for fast outboards
that may be stand on vessels on converging courses. The great
disparity in speed and their nimbleness makes any attempt by me to
change course pointless and apt to confuse the situation more than
help it. If they have slowed down to displacement speed, as in the
harbor, it's different.

Possibly, vessels like the one in question view everything my size the
same way but it's a dangerous attitude when applied to closehauled
sailboats in strong winds as well as many other situations.


--

Roger Long



"Cap'n Ric" wrote in message
news:BpHyg.175$oz.89@trnddc07...
I was at Dimillos Old Port Marina in Portland, Maine on the 13th,
14th and 15th of July on my way back to Baltimore, Maryland from
Castine, Maine. The FLORIDIAN was docked to the face pier while I
was docked there. The boat is actually 225 feet LOA and is owned by
Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Miami Dolphins.

I know the Captain and I'm sure that he had someone at the helm
during this incident. I too have been the victim of large
powerboats just missing me when they have miles of open ocean to
avoid me. I'm sure there are two sides to this story.

Ric

On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 14:59:32 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Yeah, I could have called him on the radio but the rules of the road
were written to make it possible to deal with something this simple
without having to yack and negotiate on the air.

Actually that's not quite the case. The rules of the road
specifically mention horn signals to clear up cases of uncertain
intentions. You, like many other small pleasure craft, do not have a
horn powerful enough to be useful at a distance, and many skippers of
large boats are in an enclosed pilot house where horns can be
difficult to hear. For these and other reasons, almost all approach
situations between larger vessels are being negotiated on channel 13
these days.

You might call it yacking, I'd call it prudence. Be safe out there.

"Wayne.B" wrote

difficult to hear. For these and other reasons, almost all approach
situations between larger vessels are being negotiated on channel 13
these days.

I've observed, listened to, and participated in many of those
exchanges over the last thirty years. They are almost always back up
and confirmation of actions already being taken on the basis of the
rules situation.

I've never heard a conversation along the lines of, "Big white yacht,
you aren't really going to just continue on that course like I wasn't
even here, are you?" I can't remember a radio exchange where someone
had to ask for the rules to be observed.

If I was in the pilothouse of a powerboat, tweaking the autopilot, and
holding my coffee mug in the other hand, I would make a lot of radio
calls. It looks different when you are alone in a boat in conditions
that make two hands on the wheel nice but one is on the main sheet
ready for instant easing.

--

Roger Long

On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 15:58:06 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I've never heard a conversation along the lines of, "Big white yacht,
you aren't really going to just continue on that course like I wasn't
even here, are you?" I can't remember a radio exchange where someone
had to ask for the rules to be observed.

Roger forget the "rules being observed" for a minute. He didn't hit
you did he? That's his only obligation. My sense of the situation
is that you altered course before it became an issue, and quite
possibly that was a prudent decision on your part but we'll never know
for sure.

On the other hand, a nice polite radio conversation when you were
still a mile away could have gone like this:

You: "Large south bound motor yacht from Portland, this is Roger
Long's sailboat requesting a pass on two whistles."

He: "Roger Long's sailboat, this is the Floridania, roger that, two
whistle pass, have a nice day."

You: "Thanks, you have a nice day also."

On balance, it's a good way to lower your blood pressure and leads to
a better experience for all concerned. Try it some time.

"Wayne.B" wrote

Roger forget the "rules being observed" for a minute. He
didn't hit
you did he? That's his only obligation.

Bzzzt! Wrong!

Totally wrong. I think a couple of people need to re-read the colregs.

Here's a link in bigger type for those of us with older eyes...

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknow...g/colregs.html

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

"Wayne.B" wrote

Roger forget the "rules being observed" for a minute. He
didn't hit
you did he? That's his only obligation.

Bzzzt! Wrong!

Nice link .... to the international rules. Most people (In the US) need to
focus on the Inland Rules first. You can always get the most up-to-date
official copy of the Nav Rules (International and Inland at)

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/download.htm



"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Totally wrong. I think a couple of people need to re-read the colregs.

Here's a link in bigger type for those of us with older eyes...

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknow...g/colregs.html

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

"Wayne.B" wrote

Roger forget the "rules being observed" for a minute. He
didn't hit
you did he? That's his only obligation.

Bzzzt! Wrong!

Roger Long wrote:
There's always another side of the story. I'd love to know what it is
in this case. If I'd been a floating container or other obstruction
that could have damaged their vessel, I'm sure they would have
maneuvered effortlessly around. It strains my credulity that they
weren't keeping a good enough watch this close to shore not to have
seen a 32 foot sailboat.
I'm sure he saw you. Maybe his appreciation of the situation was not
the same as yours?
I would also be quite surprised if someone
got to be master of a vessel of this class without enough nautical
knowledge to understand that a sailing vessel with sails sheeted flat
is not going to alter course very much in the windward direction
which, in this case, was also the direction of a standard head to head
pass and away from the shore.
It is a mistake to assume that a ship's master knows anything about
sailing. I work with many ship's captains and not many understand
sailboats at all. (sorry to say)

Perhaps I am deficient in imagination but this leaves in my mind only
the expectation that the size and impressiveness of the vessel would
intimidate me into altering course out of his path. The size and
paint job didn't but the fact that the vessel was acting like one on
autopilot did. That's not the way the right of way rules are supposed
to work.
I think perhaps you are partially right here. You were intimidated to
alter while he thought that the two vessels would pass clear. It is
quite a different view from a sailboat, hands full than from a modern
bridge with ARPA and gyros providing the info.

Yeah, I could have called him on the radio but the rules of the road
were written to make it possible to deal with something this simple
without having to yack and negotiate on the air. Having to make a
radio call in a case like this means someone already isn't observing
the rules. That's not the case in all meeting situations.

You should have called him. It is the right thing to do. A simple,
"Good morning Captain, I am XXXX on your XXXX bow under sail. What are
your intentions?" I do it all the time and I have it done to me
regularly as well. Once again, it is the right thing to do.

"Rule 5

Look-out

Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and
hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing
circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the
situation and of the risk of collision."

Cockcroft, in "A Guide to the Collision Avoidance Rules"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/075...lance&n=283155

Page 37 says:

"The term 'proper lookout' has always been interpreted by the courts as
including the effective use of available instruments and equipment, in
addition to the use of both sight and hearing. This applies
particularly to radar, but the use of binoculars and of information
received by VHF from a shore station or from other ships would be
included among 'all available means appropriate'.

Finally, how did you determine that risk of collision existed with this
yacht? What piece of information was key to causing you to maneouvre?
Did you take some bearings or was it just "gut feel"?

Wayne.B wrote:
On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 15:58:06 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:


I've never heard a conversation along the lines of, "Big white yacht,
you aren't really going to just continue on that course like I wasn't
even here, are you?" I can't remember a radio exchange where someone
had to ask for the rules to be observed.


Roger forget the "rules being observed" for a minute. He didn't hit
you did he? That's his only obligation. My sense of the situation
is that you altered course before it became an issue, and quite
possibly that was a prudent decision on your part but we'll never know
for sure.

On the other hand, a nice polite radio conversation when you were
still a mile away could have gone like this:

You: "Large south bound motor yacht from Portland, this is Roger
Long's sailboat requesting a pass on two whistles."

He: "Roger Long's sailboat, this is the Floridania, roger that, two
whistle pass, have a nice day."

You: "Thanks, you have a nice day also."

On balance, it's a good way to lower your blood pressure and leads to
a better experience for all concerned. Try it some time.



I wouldn't clearly understand what a "pass on two whistles" is. I am a
ships captain. What does it mean?

Gary