[Rhodes22-list] Right-of-Way

[Jim Connolly]

Back in the '80's I served on submarines out of New London, CT.  One day we
were heading out and approaching the railroad drawbridge across the Thames
River.  I was the officer of the deck.  A lobsterboat was hauling traps dead
center in the channel and just a bit downstream of the bridge.  

I gave him a prolonged blast on the whistle.  He gave us the finger (I could
see it through binoculars, we weren't that close yet).   The next thing he
got was 5 short blasts.  He threw the trap about fifteen feet and dove for
the wheel.  

He was hauling traps.  He was restricted in ability to maneuver, but so were
we, and we had nowhere to give way to.  The railroad draw horizontal
clearance was not much more than three times as wide as our maximum beam,
and looked a lot narrower, especially approaching it with the current behind
you.

As the skipper (not previously a man noted for his excellent sense of humor)
said to the lobsterman on the loud hailer as we passed "HY-80 (steel) beats
fiberglass".  This is a corollary to the law of gross tonnage.

For those of you who may encounter submarines from time to time, note that
they are about 300 to 560 feet long, displace 6,000-18,000 tons, are about
90% underwater, draw 3-40 feet draft and have one screw located aft of the
rudder, so they maneuver unpredictably (especially going astern) or without
significant way on.  They are often mistaken for small craft at night and in
poor visibility due to small radar return of what little sticks up out of
the water.  They are almost always restricted (by draft or by inherent
design characteristics while on the surface) in ability to maneuver.  

Jim Connolly
s/v Inisheer
'85 recycled '02

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Bill Effros
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 9:45 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Right-of-Way

Tom, Herb,

Most people get this wrong.

Here's the pecking order:

(Summary of Coast Guard rules courtesy of the state of Tennessee)

Responsibilities Between Vessels:

If operating a power driven vessel you must give way to:

o Any vessel not under command, such as an anchored or disabled vessel.
o Any vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver, such as a vessel towing,
laying cable, or picking up navigation markers, or a vessel constrained by
its draft such as a large ship in a channel.
o A vessel engaged in commercial fishing o A sailing vessel (sail only)
unless it is overtaking

If operating a sailing vessel (sail only), you must give way to:
o Any vessel not under command
o Any vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver o A vessel engaged in
commercial fishing

Michael and I sail in waters where we see all kinds of vessels (including
submarines) all the time.  Every summer we read about a novice sailor
getting killed while yelling "I've got the right of way!"  
-- when in fact he doesn't.

All military vessels have right-of-way over all other vessels.  Next comes
the Coast Guard.  Next comes emergency vessels.  Next comes tugboats.

Then comes vessels engaged in commercial fishing.

But way up at the top are vessels not under command, and just below is any
vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver.

As a practical matter try to think of a commercial vessel that is not
restricted in its ability to maneuver.  We already know that if you try to
turn a cruise ship too fast it can tip over.  A Cigarette boat, traveling at
90 miles an hour, is restricted in its ability to maneuver.  Sailboats must
give way -- early!

Some of these big commercial boats have 40 foot drafts.

I can't think of a commercial boat that wouldn't have right of way over a
sail boat under sail--can you?

Experienced sailors always follow "The Law of Tonnage": if something bigger
than you is bearing down on you -- get out of its way!

Bill Effros

PS -- Anchored vessels must be in designated anchorages -- you can't anchor
in the middle of a busy waterway and think for one second that you've got
the right of way.  And if you're disabled, but the other boat can't
maneuver, and can't give way...don't get disabled in front of big boats--it
won't turn out well.




Herb Parsons wrote:
> I'm curious too. Commercial fishing vessels are stand on over sail boats,
when they're engaged in fishing. ANY boat (commercial or other) limited in
their ability to manuever and in a channel is stand on over a sailing boat
as well. But I believe that the blanket statement that all commercial
vessels have the right-of-way over any sailing vessel is incorrect.
>
> Herb Parsons
>
> S/V O'Jure
> 1976 O'Day 25
> Lake Grapevine, N TX
>
> S/V Reve de Papa
> 1971 Coronado 35
> Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast
>
>   
>>>> Tatflies at cs.com 7/26/2006 10:29:26 pm >>>
>>>>         
> Bill,
>
> Why do commercial vessels have the right-of-way over any sailing 
> vessel (unless limited in their ability to manuever)?
>
> Tom T.
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