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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Mon Sep 24 2001 - 20:22:46 EDT
In a message dated 09/24/2001 8:10:49 AM Atlantic Daylight Time,
writes:
>
> Our normal method of passing was to approach the slower boat and settle
> into the water. Attempt radio contact (almost never a response). Use
> the hailer to indicate desire for an easy pass (sometimes a wave back).
> Accelerate slowly to pass with no or low wake (the other vessel normally
> never slowed to ease the duration of the pass). Try to get the other
> vessel to fall in behind our stern so we could accelerate to cruising
> speed ( almost never knew enough turn into our stern - exasperating the
> passing condition)
>
I *always* slow to idle for an overtaking powerboat to reduce the passing
time. I do not turn into his wake because doing so puts me into the trough
of his wake, aggravating the rolling. If I have room I will turn away, but
usually I just keep straight.
I do pull over as far as I dare to the right. With eight foot draft the
powerboat always has much less draft than I do.
I do not use the radio. All I have is a handheld and the batteries would
soon fail, and I don't care to listen to the chatter. I don't really feel
the need to. By the time the powerboat is close enough for me to throttle
back to idle or stop, I can hear his approach if I was not already aware of
him.
Powerboats that approach from ahead are free to come at me at full speed if
they want as I can easily turn into their wakes and it just bounces off.
Virtually all the power boats we meet on the waterway are very courteous and
take care when passing. The exceptions are rare. There was one I'll never
forget in LIttle River SC. He passed a sailboat about a quarter mile behind
me slowly but then never came back up to speed. I kept my normal blistering
speed of 6 knots while waiting for him to get close enough for me to idle
down but did edge over to the right as much as I dared. Suddenly I heard a
noise behind me and it was this boat who had powered up to the speed just
under a plane where the stern sunk into the water the maximum amount. It was
a forty something foot boat and it was plowing a hole int the water about
four or five feet deep. It literally picked up Bandersnatch, (at 60 tons, no
mean feat) and threw us up onto the bank into about 5 of 6 feet of water (we
draw 8). I quickly spun the wheel hard left. The head current caught the
bow and twisted us off the bank. It was only one of a series of bad
experiences in that stretch of ICW. We are always glad to get through there.
Norm
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