Follow your blocker

Coming face-to-face with scores of sailboats yesterday, we pulled behind a tanker expecting it to clear the way for us. It pretty much worked too.

There, that's better!

Giggitoni said:

View attachment 30265There, that's better!

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Yes, but where's the "action"? Maybe not obvious, there were steep four-foot waves resulting in spay over the pilothouse as well as twirling waters close to the ship's propeller.

You're right, Mark. This reminds me of the time a few years ago that my sister-in-law was showing her photos of Italy. All the pics of the leaning tower we "straightened"! That thing wasn't leaning after all...

To self: "Mark, let's follow its lead" while the ship blew one, very prolonged signal toward the sailboat onslaught.

Yep, you have got to keep your wits about you on a busy day.

twirling waters

Is that a ride at Six Flags?

Rambler said:

twirling waters

Is that a ride at Six Flags?

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No, but there is one several miles north (in Vallejo) of where the photo was taken.

Andy G said:

Yep, you have got to keep your wits about you on a busy day.

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I know what you mean Andy, traffic is bad at my home port also.

Ah come on...you are just jealous that you don't have all the wake to practice your rough sea boatmanship.

Not to mention the VHF radio traffic that is better than any reality TV show...Boat fires, sinking, run aground and hailing the CG because you are out of fuel.

eseyoung said:

Not to mention the VHF radio traffic that is better than any reality TV show...Boat fires, sinking, run aground and hailing the CG because you are out of fuel.

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Or watching someone unsuccessfully controlling a runaway spinnaker.

eseyoung said:

Ah come on...you are just jealous that you don't have all the wake to practice your rough sea boatmanship.

Not to mention the VHF radio traffic that is better than any reality TV show...Boat fires, sinking, run aground and hailing the CG because you are out of fuel.

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It would be nice just to get out on the water but that won't happen for a few weeks yet up here, here's a pic I took at the weekend...
and this is from today's news!!

Fishermen rescued from ice floe near Notre Dame Bay - Newfoundland & Labrador - CBC News

WOW, just wow! So how long is your season? from the looks of that it will be July till its ice free. When does the ice start again?

markpierce said:

Or watching someone unsuccessfully controlling a runaway spinnaker.

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That's when you run up on the leeward side of the container/tanker ship and hope the wind cooperates and drops the sail for the second or two you need to grab it and secure it.

We live in MD, very near I-81. on my way to work in the early fall it looks like a mass exodus from Quebec and NS and NF. i think half of the people that live in those Providences run south in September, i see them north bound again in early May. I just assumed that winter would have released its grip by now.

As a predicted log racer, we avoid ever being in the back wash of another vessel as it slows you down quite a bit. Better to be on one side and live with the wake or be back far enough for the prop wash to lose most of it's velocity.

My dad, a SF Barpilot, just hated recreational boaters who got close, even from astern.

Barpilot said:

My dad, a SF Barpilot, just hated recreational boaters who got close, even from astern.

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Yes, it's crazy out there. I didn't come within 200 feet of the ship's stern. Hopefully, your dad wouldn't have concern with that.

One thing that raises my blood pressure are sailboats making sudden course changes toward me which aren't consistent with their destinations, apparently just to take a look.

That's funny, I saw Eser departing under the Lion's Gate Bridge one day when we were on the West Van seawalk, so I followed it out on the AIS program and watched it for a month or two until I got tired of the emails. Small world.