Stand On Boat, Was I right and a Jerk?

[DrB]

This happen to me over the weekend and I wanted to get your thoughts on it. Here is the cliffnote version of the story.

Two boats under sail; mine being one of them. Both boats are on a Port tack. My boat is heading let say due west, while other boat is heading more northwest. My boat is starboard and leeward and just ahead of the other boat. The boats are separated by roughly 120 feet at the start of the incident. Based on the above situation, I believe that I am the stand on boat and the other boat needs to avoid me. The other boat is slightly faster than me as they are on more of reach and I am more close hauled. Nevertheless, collision is eminent.

The other boat does not yield and I start to lose speed and alter my course to avoid collision. The boats are now separated by roughly 40 feet. Because of my course change, I am now heading for shallow water and rocks. To avoid running aground, as he starts to cross in front of me, before he has taken all of my wind, I quickly duck in behind him and then cross over to become the windward boat and sail parallel to him. We are still only 30 to 40 ft apart. I then decide to take his wind and repass him, basically be a jerk, because he and I need to stay in the channel that he forced me out of. It was pretty sweet to see his sails completely collapse as I stole his wind and sailed by him.

So was I right about me being the stand on boat? As for the “retaliation”, my wife thinks I went a little overboard by chasing him down, stealing his wind, and passing him. In retrospect, since it wasn’t a race, it probably wasn’t the “High Road Approach” and I should have just followed him.

[captbillc]

you were the stand on vessel and he should have kept clear of you. i probably would have done the same thing that you did. he was the jerk!

[scottyt]

i had a boat do something similar this weekend, he was racing, and he just plan sailed in to me. i was running slightly off down wind, he was under spinnaker straight down wind. i turned off to avoid the collision, he was already mins away from the front boat, he could have easy turned 10 degrees off wind and gone behind me. i was about 350 degrees to the wind he could have gone 10 degrees to the wind, he saw me at least 15 mins before we where 40 feet apart. so after he was infront of me a went straight down wind for a few mins

[CaptainForce]

Sure you're right! Your only obligation as the stand on vessel is to decide to yield, as you did, to avoid collision. There is NO rule or ethic that suggests that you should not block another boat's access to wind! I'd say, "smile and nod." ....nothing controversial, 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[mike dryver]

as fifty a holder of a 50 ton license you did the right thing. you are responsible for the safety of your vessel and others around you. we had a similar event about 3 to 4 yrs ago went sailing with family and friends boat loaded in CASCO BAY ME. anyway new to area we got out into ocean following rules and proceeded south east out of channel note: (we have a GulfStar 37) and we got involved in Falmouth Forside race. one boat in smaller class 37-40 ft class came up behind us and started giving us a rash of crap actually verbally abusing us, but not anything further we maintained course and the rest of the fleet went around us. motto is usually when you think you are right you usually are if you know the rules, and know know them that does not relieve you of now getting into a collision to prove you are right the person running the other boat was forcing you to to agree to his terms. whether you liked them or not. this is not to say you have aright to transverse a designated race course when a race is going on. etiquette is instilled through good behavior, arrogance is instilled by people how think it is easier to back off and not defend social mores whether in life or in social gatherings such as racing. these people are still trying to prove they are better/more powerful than the rest of society

[Mark1948]

Right, but not two jerks worth. Maybe visual contact and an eye roll would have been sufficient to deliver the message. Life is to short to create unnecessary grudges.

[MJBrown]

I've had so many boats, both power and sail, violate the rules that I just decided to be the first to make a move no matter how right I may be. It reduces my wife's stress level and mine too. Just too many people who have the money to buy the boat but never educate themselves on the rules of the road. We recently encountered a friend in his power boat running up the wrong side of the channel directly at us because the only marks were on our side. Apparently he wasn't capable of estimating where he should be. Plus he was on autopilot, which was set aimed at the next mark. Autopilot seems to be something powerboaters don't seem to know how to turn off once it's set. When I said something to him on the radio he was sort of put out by my suggestion that he was too close to us. This is from a guy that I thought was knowledgable. Just an example of why I make a move and try not to let it bother me, generally keeping my mouth shut in the process.

[Delirious]

In retrospect, since it wasn’t a race . . .

I don't believe that. Two sailboats, in proximity and on a similar course. C'mon, fess up. You were racing. It's just that no judges were on hand.

You're probably one of those guys who sail barefoot so they can shift the traveler with their toes while appearing to be lounging back and reading a book or surreptitiously adjust the outhaul while pretending to yawn and have a big stretch.

Like me.

[SEMIJim]

Yes, DrB, you were the stand-on boat twice-over: 1. Because you were the leeward boat and 2. Because he was overtaking you. Nonetheless: You did the right thing in yeilding, when it appeared obvious that he wouldn't. As to stealing his wind and passing him: Sucks to be him

Jim

[AE28]

I think you were privileged, thrice-over: 3. you were sailing closer to the wind.
As to being a jerk, I think NOT.
Paul