A question from SimonV

[bestfriend]

Here is a question for Sailnutters . Scenario: You enter an anchorage which has a number of mooring buoys but the book says don't use them as they are unsafe having not been maintained. So most people leave them alone and anchor. Now, boats "A" and "B" have Anchored near a mooring Buoy and the next day a much larger boat "C" enters the anchorage and ties up to the Buoy between A and B. During the day boat C and boat A collide, words are exchanged and boat A pulles up anchor and moves out. During the night with no wind or currant boats are facing in all directions and "C" hits boat "B" boat "B" after words pulls anchor and moves. 1. Who is at fault? 2. What is the correct protocol? 3. Are all Germans Aholes? There is more to this story.

All the Best
Your friend
Simon

My answer would be that since the moorings are defunct and no one is using them, the third boat to arrive is in the wrong. It was his responsibility to anchor/moor where he would not swing/drag and hit someone. If the moorings were usable, then the first two boats should not have anchored among them.

[elklakedoug]

Boat C is completely in the wrong and clearly doesn't practice good etiquite to other sailers - something we all try to pride ourselves on relative to motor boaters that barge everywhere they go...Good luck!

[denby]

Boat C is in the wrong. Was Simon's boat hit?

[Freesail99]

I agree, the third boat seems to be in the wrong.

[erps]

The rule I always went by was that right of way went by the order that the hooks went down. The new guy should yield. That's just me. The other rule though, is that he with the ugliest/strongest boat usually has the right of way in any type of collisions.

[bestfriend]

I don't know Denby. I have to wait for the next email. He is 10 days away from being home, by the way.

[sailingdog]

I'd say that a limpet mine should be placed on boat C.

[camaraderie]

The question for me would be if the mooring was a private mooring owned by boat C. If not...then boat C is at fault. If yes...then boat C should moor...then instruct A&B that it is his private mooring and they are in his swinging circle.
I had the exact thing happen to me in the Bahamas right prior to a big predicted blow and I made it clear to the (non-german ) late boat that THEY had better move or the machete would set them free... after they tried to intimidate me. Pretty hard to claim mooring ownership when it says "the moorings" on your boat! Sometimes it helps to be big and threatening.

[KeelHaulin]

While I agree that "C" should be the boat that is wrong; it depends on who the mooring field belongs to and what their intended use is. If the large boat that tied to the mooring "owns" the mooring he should expect to be able to use the mooring without fear of damaging another boat when he arrives and ties to it. In the scenario you described; if that is not the case then "C" is the last boat to arrive and should be considered responsible for hitting the other boats.

OTOH; the anchored boats have much bigger swing radius and in seeing "C" arrive and tie inside of their swing should either have warned "C", moved, or dropped a stern hook to prevent collision (the first rule is to avoid collision no matter who is "burdened").

[jrd22]

"or the machete would set them free", I like that line Cam, may I borrow it sometime? I can see that cutting short a lot of useless talking to idiots that are never going to get it anyway. Thanks! By the way, boat C is in the wrong for the reasons stated above.

John