Next message: (no name): "Re: lv-ab: Anchors"
In a message dated 09/14/2001 3:28:45 AM Atlantic Daylight Time,
writes:
(concerning the yacht/tug situation in Long Island Sound)
> Turning left in any situation is a mistake.
> As you described it there is no
> risk of collision so standing on is the way to go as the tug in question
> would pass on the right . If there were a risk of collision the tug would
> expect you to stand on as clearly commanded by the regs .
>
> Bob & Rina Goth
There was great risk of collision before the tug turned right because he was
on a collision course with the yacht. The yacht had no reason to know the
tug was going to turn right because the tug refused to respond on the VHF.
Perhaps you have faith that the tug, with its barge trailing behind, would
suddenly leap out of the way at the last second, but personally, I would not
bet my life on it. The tug I had to dodge in Norfolk was the give-way vessel
but his response on the VHF, and the fact that he never changed course or
speed, told me he was playing chicken. I had to stop my vessel to avoid
collision. Since the tug on Long Island did not respond so as to acertain
its intentions, the only course left to the yacht is to take all measures
needed to keep out of the way of the tug.
Turning right is NOT always the best thing. All other things being equal, it
is usually the safest move to "keep right", especially in a head-to-head
situation. However, turning left is the best thing to do if turning right
would put you into more danger than turning left would do. It is almost
always better to go behind another vessel, and the bigger the other vessel
the more this is true because as vessels get larger they tend to look as if
they are going slower than they really are. Of course, a tug with a tow
trailing behind must be treated as a single vessel.
If it were me in that situation in Long Island Sound, I would have simply
pulled the throttle back to idle until the situation cleared.
Norm
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