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Old 01-17-2020, 11:14 AM   #1
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Another "What Would You Do?"

So running north on the AICW yesterday afternoon we had just turned a slight corner turning to our left. No trees or other obstructions, Just marsh all around. There was a ~36 foot trawler coming southbound so I was hugging the right side of the channel. Three green markers in a row to the north of the corner with one red right at the elbow of the corner. See chart below.

I saw that the trawler seemed to be well over on my side of the channel so I aimed to pass tight to green marker 7. As I got closer it looked like the other trawler was aiming right at marker 7 giving me absolutely no room!

So I slowed down waiting for him to adjust to his starboard and allow me some room. He did not adjust and was coming straight at marker 7. Without my doing something it looked like a collision was likely.

What would you do next?

Two things you need to know. We were about 1.5 hours before high tide and the sun was lowish right behind me.
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Old 01-17-2020, 11:28 AM   #2
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Without looking at the chart, isn't this a perfect occasion to test the air horns?
One short blast because you want to pass Port to Port. Followed by 5 long blasts if the other vessel does not pay attention. If neither works then I guess I would likely make a tight pass on the "wrong" side of the marker and hope there is enough water, and pray that the other vessel does follow me to the "wrong" side!!
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Old 01-17-2020, 11:28 AM   #3
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Greetings,
Mr. m. Stop and sound 5 blasts for imminent collision. Get out the video camera as well.
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Old 01-17-2020, 12:10 PM   #4
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Greetings,
Mr. m. Stop and sound 5 blasts for imminent collision. Get out the video camera as well.
What RT said. In that particular stretch of ICW, it does seem as though many boaters seem to feel free to take their half out of the middle, or worse. Nothing surprises me anymore.
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Old 01-17-2020, 12:24 PM   #5
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Pretty sure the "Doubt" signal is 5 or more rapid SHORT blasts....


I would have hailed, if not enough time whistled port to port, if no answer in seconds 5 or more short and slowed...


maybe more on the radio for USCG recording sake but sounds like a short duration event.
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Old 01-17-2020, 12:34 PM   #6
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Greetings,
Mr. m. Stop and sound 5 blasts for imminent collision.
This is the best and I have used it on more than a few occasions. I would add: AIS? Call them on VHF 16 regardless....
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Old 01-17-2020, 01:02 PM   #7
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RT gets it again! “You are standing into danger.”
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Old 01-17-2020, 01:25 PM   #8
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It only a technicality, but just recently "danger" has been dropped and just the word "doubt" remains in the " 5 or more short blast" signal.

https://gcaptain.com/five-short-blas...danger-signal/
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Old 01-17-2020, 02:25 PM   #9
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OK, interestingly enough Chris in the very first reply came close to what actually happened!

It was one of those "he is going to turn any second now" things, especially since he could see I had slowed. Once I realized he was not going to I really didn't want to rely on him responding to five blasts or even take time to get him on the radio. I just wanted to get out of the way. I guess, in real time, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I first thought about turning to the middle of the channel and let him pass starboard to starboard, but then realized if he did turn late and hit me on the starboard side he would have been the stand on vessel - and there was no one else around to see what he did.

So I turned outside the marker. It was near high tide, I was going very slow, and it is all soft mud around here, plus my keel is well below the gear. Once outside the marker I reversed gently further towards the bank as he seemed to be getting even closer. I was showing 1.2 feet below the keel when my wife, who had been was taking a nap on the salon couch, came up to see what the hell I was doing, just in time to see the other boat round the mark ON THE OUTSIDE as well!!

He was staring at me as if I was being an idiot so I just looked at him and gave him the arms out WTF look! As he passed I was them showing 0.8 feet beneath the keel. Because he was looking back, seemingly wondering what the hell I was doing, I purposely turned 90 degrees towards the channel and went inside that mark - just so he could see what I was doing.

My wife asked me if I was going to radio him and I told he no because I could not be sure I wouldn't go off on him because the air on our boat was already blue!

So here is what I think may have happened. He was going into a low sun. He had already passed two green markers in a row. As we know these day markers are dark and hard to distinguish when the sun is behind them, so I think he thought it was a red mark.
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Old 01-17-2020, 02:42 PM   #10
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Being mindful of the sun in his eyes, I would have been calling him as soon as I saw him and would have blown two and turned to port WELL ahead of the point of extremis to show him I intended to pass stbd to stbd. There is plenty of legal relief in the COLREGS for this. It sounds like you waited too long and were unable to save your running out of the channel with a timely port turn.
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Old 01-17-2020, 02:52 PM   #11
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I would have sounded the 5 or more shorts as soon as you perceived the possibility of a collision. It is easy to do and it may have woken him up to what he was doing, then I would have done what you did if he didn’t respond.
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Old 01-17-2020, 03:02 PM   #12
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Frustrating behavior for sure that happens often. I look at it this way:
1. Inattentive skipper that:
A-May or may not understand rules of the road
B-May or may not have good seamanship skills
2. Is skipper experiencing a mechanical issue with the boat or medical issue
3. Skipper is in the head and boat is on autopilot

Point 1 and 2 give me no desire to be operating close to this boat. I would stay clear unless I could get it sorted out on the radio. Because of point #1 I would not count on appropriate whistle signals to rectify the situation. If it's a case of point 3 I still don't want to be close to someone that just popped out of the head and is reacting in a panic to do something. They created a compromising situation so I am not counting on them to do anything right. Or in case of point 2 have no or limited control over the situation.
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Old 01-17-2020, 03:10 PM   #13
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so I think he thought it was a red mark.
Do you believe he may not have been able to read the number on the marker?
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Old 01-17-2020, 03:12 PM   #14
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Gee, five prolonged blasts would take nearly half a minute to complete during which time a lot can happen. Go for shorts. Besides, that is the correct signal.
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Old 01-17-2020, 06:13 PM   #15
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Gee, five prolonged blasts would take nearly half a minute to complete during which time a lot can happen. Go for shorts. Besides, that is the correct signal.
My little AT34 came with a single trumpet air horn which I am sure satisfied the USCG requirements but, not my requirement. My guru installed 2 more trumpets on a separate air compressor and tank. Now, I sound like a Hatteras coming around the bend. In other words, it would be almost impossible to ignore my signals.

Alas, until a few years back, I recall reading about a change in the Regs. It had been a USCG requirement that one could hear the UHF..... They sued (in California) by some 'hearing impaired' boaters and the USCG, as I understand it, remove this requirement. So now, we cannot reply folks hearing the VHF nor the horn signals.
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Old 01-17-2020, 06:52 PM   #16
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My little AT34 came with a single trumpet air horn which I am sure satisfied the USCG requirements but, not my requirement. My guru installed 2 more trumpets on a separate air compressor and tank. Now, I sound like a Hatteras coming around the bend. In other words, it would be almost impossible to ignore my signals.

Alas, until a few years back, I recall reading about a change in the Regs. It had been a USCG requirement that one could hear the UHF..... They sued (in California) by some 'hearing impaired' boaters and the USCG, as I understand it, remove this requirement. So now, we cannot reply folks hearing the VHF nor the horn signals.
Pretty sure the rule for watchkeeping stands.someone on the boat as lookout has to be able to hear.

http://www.alldeaf.com/threads/coast-guard-banned-deaf-man-from-his-own-boat.5665/
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Old 01-17-2020, 07:12 PM   #17
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Pretty sure the rule for watchkeeping stands.someone on the boat as lookout has to be able to hear.

Coast Guard banned deaf man from his OWN boat | Deaf Community
Thanks for the URL.
It is not "alldeaf" if one person can hear.

A side note, I read today on CBS news(?), PornHub is being sued because they do not provide closed captioning.
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Old 01-17-2020, 07:22 PM   #18
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Have a Kahlenberg dual horn, model D-2, which is four times louder (twice the range) required of my boat size. Have a large air tank (with a suitable compressor) to make lots of signals. Still, in emergency situations there is little time to make many signals. People need to give plenty of time to make their intentions clear. If the other guy seems clueless, asleep, or unaware, beware and do best to avoid a collision.

Photo below shows only about one-sixth of the Coot's air reservoir:
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Old 01-17-2020, 07:22 PM   #19
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Thanks for the URL.
It is not "alldeaf" if one person can hear.

A side note, I read today on CBS news(?), PornHub is being sued because they do not provide closed captioning.
Good, that has annoyed the heck out of me for years.
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Old 01-17-2020, 07:38 PM   #20
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Good, that has annoyed the heck out of me for years.
LOL Lemme give you some suggestions, "Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby. Do me, do me, do me, ride me like a pony. Oh you are the best!!."
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