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From: Rosalie B. (no email)
Date: Fri Jun 02 2006 - 20:22:35 EDT
On Fri, 2 Jun 2006 17:43:28 -0400, you wrote:
>
>We cannot know the other guys "exact intention", we can only make
>reasonable assumptions about probable route but be ready for any changes.
>
>Whenever I become aware of any other vessel in my little piece of the world
>I immediately categorize him as to what degree of danger he presents,
>whether offshore or in a waterway.
>
>In a narrow waterway, like on a road, I have to assume he will keep to the
>right and avoid me because there isn't much I can do to avoid hitting him
>if he really wants to crash into me. And this has almost happened a rare
>few times on the US Atlantic ICW. There was one head-to-head passing near
>Wrightsville Beach NC where I came right so far I was dragging my keel in
>the mud and he still just missed me by less than five feet. The guy must
>have been very drunk or crazy.
Maybe both
>
>Offshore it is always check the bearing on first awareness and then in a
>minute or two. If it changes, I just keep a lookout for this to continue,
>but if it doesn't my fear factor slowly increases as the range decreases so
>when he gets within one mile I'm very concerned and when he is a half to
>quarter mile I take steering steps.
>
>Remember that I am a slow motorboat so turning is easy for me. I can turn
>in about a length and a half. Generally I turn away from him, even
>reversing course, until I feel better about the situation.
>
If we see a large ship about which we are uncertain of his intentions,
Bob does what he calls a wifferdill. This is apparently originally a
flying term which means to do a u-turn or some other extreme change of
direction
The urban dictionary uses it in a sentence thus: "Dude, we are lost.
Do a wifferdill and let's get back on the main highway!."
Except for the gambling ships off shore and those he heads for. We
can never catch up to them, so going to where they have been seems
like a reasonable way to avoid them, since they appear to be moving
randomly like fireflies.
>Everyone has a different approach and fear factor distance. Five miles for
>me is still over the horizon as my horizon is 3.8 NM away. I start
>getting antsy when he is a mile away and still on a collision course.
>
>Vessels rarely stop to avoid collision, but change course instead as this
>generally has better effect. Big ships also have power plant issues that
>make stopping the engine instantly harmful to the engine or very difficult
>to do. It is the switching from sea speed to maneuvering mode that can be
>a problem, so they steer around a situation instead.
>
>Norm
>S/V Bandersnatch
>Lying St Augustine FL
>
>
>
>> Legal or otherwise, the onus is on each vessel to maintain a look-out at
>all
>> times, and assume the other guy hasn't seen you until its too late.
>> AS a matter of prudence, I suggested you not let a strange vessel approach
>> closer than 5 miles unless you know his exact intention and probable route
>> as he come ever closer. Other people disagree and said three miles or even
>> one mile is enough. It all depends on how much distance he needs to stop
>if
>> he is heading straight towards you. Somewhere along the way, we got into a
>> picayune argument as to whether it is enough to look out the window and
>> around the horizon every ten, fifteen, or thirty minutes and still be
>> considered to be maintaining a proper watch. The answer to that question
>is;
>> when you still get run down, that interval is too short.
>>
>>
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