Rules of the Road
 

Still thinking about this one since Saturday.

Helped out on a shark charter Saturday. Good day, charter had fun, ended up with 12 blue sharks. Saw the biggest sea turtle ever, huge.

Steaming back to Scituate heading west a couple miles from the harbor a 45' cabin cruiser steaming North to Boston never yielded to me. I had to slow down and go around him.

This happens a couple times a year. I think people just don't know the rules of the road rather than are jerks.

Leaves me dumbfounded.

I'd say the opposite, jerks
The stuff I see,

Most don't have a clue. They can write a check, they can have a boat..... No idea of the wake they throw. And then they have attitude when you confront them. And I did go after one this weekend who was bearing down on me at 15K in a no wake 5mph zone. "It's our first time here" was their excuse......

I was on the drift Sunday off NPT. Some sailing F'er in a cat was headed straight for me. 100 ft away i laid on the horn. Guy quickly turned boat and looked at me like I was an ahole... people suck. Second time I've had a close call with a rag bagger. They ASSUME they ALWAYS have ROW. A$$h@t$

I think that a lot of the time those big power boats are on autopilot, without a lookout.

The fast ferry refused to yield to me about two weeks ago. I refused to give way and he was forced to slow to avoid getting closer while blasting the horn at me.
I showed him what number I thought he was, and then proceeded to give him quite an earful on ch-13. Saying how he must be texting behind the helm, not paying attention, and endangering his entire ship and that I was sure he can find a copy of Chapman's piloting where he picks up his paycheck!

Mike, do you mean the Salem ferry? I have been tempted to test all my expired flares across his bow........

NO, One of it's sister ships. they are all owned by BHC. It must be the training they receive.:sleeps:

I was taught the first rule of the road is "tonnage wins".
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Had a similar expirience last Thursday. I had my parents out fluke fishing. We were drifting and a fleet of big expensive sail boat proceeded to come with in 50 feet of us. They had Plenty of time and room to turn not another boat around me. I just threw my hands up at them and told them that they could see me from a mile away why is it nesasary to buzz me. All put there noses up at me like I was a peasent. One guy yelled back that smaller vessel gives way. Am I wrong? Or are they?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

If you are drifting and not under power, and they are under sail while not constrained by draft, I believe they have to give way to you.

I recall boats actively fishing have the right of way over sailboats.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Well, not exactly.......

A dragger working an area actively fishing yes you have to yield, he is restricted in mobility. A small cc actively fishing with no restriction, engine running, you need to give way to a sail boat.

But common sense should prevail where the sailboat could have made a move way prior to that.....

agreed, but I never assume someone has common sense

Autopilot ON!

"Might has right"
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I think I remember back from class that a sailboat (while using its sail) has right of way regardless??

Other than that.....the person paying the most attention should be the one moving....:huh:,,,sux, but that's the way it is.

friend of mind got hit on his kayak last year while albie fishing - decent swells and the boat operator was paying attention to the fish and not looking at the water. My friend is lucky to be alive, he was uninjured!

Anyway, I generally stay the hell away from any boat traffic while I'm out in the yak and always assume boats don't see me!

I was out in pea-soup fog a couple of weeks ago...
I was going slow myself as it was that thick that although you could hear other boats, you couldn't see them unless they were seriously close.

I was well off the shoreline when suddenly I could make out a kayak-er in the very near distance...this guy had to be totally nutz. I almost got swiped by some idiot roaring by who didn't see me until the last second and I was laying on the horn in hopes he'd hear me (of course with his motor roaring, he never heard chit).....I mentioned to the kayak-er that he should move much closer to shore to avoid injury but he said/did nothing.

I give him a B+ for determination, but an A+ for stupidity.
Most people obey the rules the first season out.........after being exposed to everyone else who doesn't follow them....they follow suit. We're probably all guilty of it to some degree?

You can also be dead right
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

A sail boat is at the lower end of the pecking order, just above power boats but most sailboat people think they are at the top of the order.
My opinion they are at the top of the stupidity order just below a Kayaker.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

A sailboat has right of way unless you are underway. It's that simple. If you are not under power and they think you have to yield, they can go f themselves.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I don't know most of the rules but the majority fall under the banner of common sense. In my opinion, if you are out in fog without radar then there is a lack of just that,kayak or power. Sailboats fall under the banner of anal pores generally speaking,some real entitled jerks who beg for the one finger salute. Kayaks, I have stories....
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Lest we forget paddleboarders
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Same thing happened to me Sunday near Beavertail. Asshats for sure.

Joe, we should coordinate better. I'm betting we were within 3 miles of each other. I went right at the Reef, you probably went left onto the reef. Bite was slow in any event.

Sailboat under SAIL. If they are under power then the boat on the right has the right of way. BTW, I hate the sailboat folks. Bunch of self absorbed, elitist, ass&^%les.
As for draggers, WTF those guys are working. Of course I yield to them.

No it is not that simple. If a vessel like a dragger is fishing and /or a vessel restricted in mobility then even a sailboat under sail has to stay out of the way, coming from the right has nothing to do with it..........yeah there are lots of rules.......

Sorry . I didn't think I was talking to any dragger captains. :rotfl:
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

You misunderstood what I was saying. Take the dragger out of the discussion. Two boats under power, the one on the right beam of the other has the right of way. Below from Navigation Rules:

"There is a "pecking order" that can be used as a simplified memory aid to determine right of way for vessels
of different types. Get very familiar with this list, as it is important to understand it thoroughly. The lower most
vessel on the list is the give way vessel, and must stay out of the way of vessels that are higher on the list:

Overtaken vessel (top priority)

Vessels not under command
Vessels restricted in their ability to maneuver
Vessels constrained by draft
Fishing vessels engaged in fishing, with gear deployed
Sailing vessels
Power driven vessels"

exactly! There you go........ My point was that some of the guys think sailboats under sail 'always' have the ROW, which is not true.