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Old 09-11-2016, 04:18 PM   #2
O C Diver
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City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,835
Quote:
Originally Posted by GFC View Post
It was well after dark and we were on a stretch of the river that was about 1/2 mile wide. I had seen a boat's lights about 1/2 mile ahead as it crossed from my right to left then went parallel to the north shore. It was moving very slowly so after watching it for a few seconds and realizing it presented no hazard, I stopped watching it.

Tina took over the helm as I was answering some questions from one of the passengers. I happened to glance back to the area in front of the boat and saw the sailboat now on a tack that would cross our bow, close enough to be a real hazard. Tina had not seen it so I told her to immediately go into reverse.

The sailboat had its navigation lights on, with the 360* light at the top of the mast and its green starboard light illuminated. Other than that the boat was nearly invisible.

Now I realize that the sailboat under sail was the stand on vessel and we were the give way vessel. But I also realize that there's such a thing as being "dead right". Had I not spotted its green nav light and recognized it for what it was, we most likely would have hit it. Had that happened, even though we were only moving about 6 knots, we probably would have sunk it. Had that happened, there likely would have been a fatality or possibly several of all the people on the sailboat.

The "skipper" (using that term loosely) must have seen us. Our nav lights were working, plus the interior cabin lights were on. I was amazed that someone would put himself and his boat (and possibly passengers) in jeopardy by pulling a bonehead move like he did.
Ok, let me see if I got this right:

You are captain and lookout, operating a vessel at night without radar on. You spot another vessel underway less than a half mile off. You turn the helm and lookout duties over to your wife without informing her of a vessel underway within a half mile of your vessel.

Then you're upset with the other captain for not yielding his right of way to a vessel with brighter lights.

Sorry, the bonehead move was either yielding the helm at night to socialize or failing to notify the next lookout of the other vessel.

Ted
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