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Stinkpots having fun

5K views 28 replies 16 participants last post by  sailingdog 
#1 ·
#8 ·
Yep. Don't matter what flag they fly. Stupid is as stupid does! Why the hell do otherwise intelligent people think that they can intimidate Father Neptune with bigger, more powerful boats? Marblehead Rules! (It's the waterborne version of the "Golden Rule": The guy with the most gold makes the rules). It is pretty obvious that the smaller vessel was the "Stand-On" while the bigger vessel was the "Burden". But because he was bigger, and hence had more gold with which to buy the more expensive lawyer, he'll prove in a court of law that it was the smaller vessel's responsibility to avoid the collision at the last second.

Dammit! one of these days I'm gonna put an oar over my shoulder and walk inland till someone asks what the heck that stick's for, then I'm gonna build my house right there! I'm getting sick of this crap!
 
#9 ·
POCA-

Actually, both vessels are at fault. The COLREGS clearly state that both vessels have the ultimate responsibility, regardless of who is the burdened vessel, to take whatever actions are necessary to avoid a collision. It is likely that the larger vessel would be found to hold a greater percentage of the blame...but both captains are guilty of not taking action to avoid the collision.
 
#11 ·
What do you mean an autopilot can't keep watch????
 
#13 ·
It is quite obvious to me that neither captain is at fault. I feel Raytheon or Garmin should be sued. THat vessel was not on the hand held chartplotter, after all. Furthermore, after going down below and pulling out the paper map, the other vessel was not on there either.

Quite candidly, I am amazed at my fellow sailnetters so quickly placing blame on two very experienced boat captains. THeir seamanship was, after all, unbelievable. For crying out loud, it was not as if they were driving a Sea Ray!

- CD
 
#16 ·
DJ-

The new ones are chocolate coated.
 
#19 ·
I don't have sound on this puter, did either one sound the danger signal? Both at fault, clearly the larger of the two violated RofR, and stand on failed to take action to avoid collision. If I hadn't seen it I would have a hard time believing it. Reinforces my own rule: never assume that the other boat sees you, or has a clue about who has right of way. John
 
#23 ·
Okay, adding some info to take away the mystery a bit...

This takes place in Egyptian waters on the Red Sea. Both boats are liveaboard diving safari tour boats catering to the wreck explorers.

The site is the wreck of the WWII transport ship The Thistlegorm, which is the single most popular wreck dive in the world.
While there is nothing on the surface and the video suggests that both boats are in clear open water, they are both in business around their "prize" which lies 30meters below.

The Thistlegorm is, pretty much everyday, the focus of as many as 20 such huge dive-boats at a time! So manuevering gets tight! It gets especially tight given that the way to anchour/moor in the area is for the head diver to dive the rode down and tie onto the wreck's superstructure!!!!

All this aside, The ship that the video is taken fomr the deck of was manuevering in to tie up and launch its divers while the other boat had cast off and was pulling away as one of the divers had been injured and they diecided to "run in". Apparently they did not politely sound their horn to announce that they were going to manuever under power in this nightmarishly tight anchorage...and you can see the result.

So not all is quite how it looks in the vid.

I am at home sick, and too ill to even use powertools and do some boat projects aroudn the house. Google hunting this down was my source of amusement for the day.


Sasha
 
#24 ·
I can very much relate to this video and feel both horrified and sad over it - even though some sailors here chose to sound off with praises over one less stinkpotter on the water.

I've been on several dive charters thoughout Bermuda, Florida, the Caribbean and in the deep, cold waters off southern New England - been down as deep at 180 feet. Sasha is correct that these large diveboats are constantly jockying for best position over the prime diving reefs and popular wrecks.

The first boats there get to choose where on the wreck to tie-off to, the bow sometimes being the best point to start the dive from - depending upon position and attitude of the wreck. Subsequent diveboats must either wait for space, tie off safely elsewhere, or anchor away - requiring a dive down the anchor line and divers navigating along the bottom to the site.

It gets hairy at times - especially when seas are rough and many boats are in the holding pattern. That was a very tough break for those paying divers and charter crew.
 
#26 ·
Given that these guys do this on a daily or regular basis...they should have known better. If you typically operate in dangerously crowded conditions, you really should be on top of your game, rather than slacking off.... which is what appears to have caused the accident shown.
 
#27 ·
Pitty the clowns on the dive boat sink potts .mmmmm nope sorry these guys are responsible for not only flipping me over in the Lake Worth Inlet coming in at WarpSpeed 5 on my sailing dingy , but pretty much responsible for untold numbers of deaths at sea forgetting divers-down. Was the wreck going somewhare ? Thats the issue at hand "speedboat " sez it all .Speed boat go boom.There is no simpathy from this corner. Just another display of idiots that give credance to the idea that licensing is a great idea . Nope they reaped exactly what they sowed and I am so glad someone got it on tape. I could watch it all day.
 
#29 ·
If true...that would be priceless... ;) and quite ironic and IMHO Karmic Justice.
 
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