stinkboater right?!?!

[QuickMick]

the other thread got me thinking about a situation i ran into last weekend which is kind of funny, but also made me think about the 'rules of the road.' I was on my buddies boat--i know i know the power of the dark side--one of these--

View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

we were coming back from the gas dock, in the channel @ around 2k rpm, pullin no wake. well, we go by the end of my 'blowboater' dock (a term of endearment from my stinky pals? lol) and the guy who has the last slip on the end is backing out. Now i know that he is a bit persnickity, and may not be the best pilot... so this guy starts flapping his arms up and down prompting my pal to give him ye ole one finger salute. so i say 'jeeze man you cant do that thats my flippin neighbor' and quickly duck my head. i glance back over, and his whole blinkin crew is flappin arms. which prompts my friend to say 'i dont give a'--you know what--and literally yell--'suck my'--ok ok you get the picture. the only reason its funny is there are a couple of occasions i would have liked to tell this guy to, uh lets just say 'relax a bit' too.

so if said stinkboater is in the channel under power, no wake in a no wake zone, and is passing a sailboat underpower beginning to manuver out of his slip, who should yield?

[cb32863]

Shouldn't the boat backing out, no matter the type as they are under power, yield to any other boat in the channel and wait for a clear exit? Can't quote the reg's but it sure makes sense to me.....

[newhaul]

Vessels leaving a dock, slip, tie-up or mooring shall yield the right-of-way to all vessels approaching. in ohio iaw uscg regs. however in indiana A boat leaving a dock, a pier, a wharf, or the shore has the right-of-way over all boats approaching the dock, pier, wharf, or shore.
so depends on where you are ohio laws are same as the ones for all federally regulated waters

[AE28]

Sounds like they're both powerboats at that moment and common sense would dictate the boat backing into the fairway should yield.

By the book, my guess is the backerupper should have sounded three short blasts and the boat you were on probably would have responded by reversing/stopping and allowing her to continue backing out, or, most probably, with five short blasts.

Paul

[Boasun]

In this case the vessel on the starboard side has the Right of way.
The vessel backing out should have sounded the departure signal (one prolong blast) and the backing signal (three short blasts) or have come up on VHF and announced that he is departing. (the neighborhood friendly way).
You didn't state as to whether he was on your port or stbd side?

[QuickMick]

well, that diagram didnt work


d d d d N=>
o
c o o o
k
c c c
<--sv
k k k

<--PB

well, i hope that helps.lololol... s/v bout 45 off starboard

[AE28]

Originally Posted by Boasun

In this case the vessel on the starboard side has the Right of way.
The vessel backing out should have sounded the departure signal (one prolong blast) and the backing signal (three short blasts) or have come up on VHF and announced that he is departing. (the neighborhood friendly way).
You didn't state as to whether he was on your port or stbd side?

Boats:

Are you suggesting that a boat docked in front of me, on my starboard side, has the right to sound the signals you mention and then back out in front of me, regardless of how close we are?

[QuickMick]

good question AE, i suppose i should have mentioned range... we were at 40-60 yards conservatievly, i was, too, wondering when distance comes into play... it was obviously safe range for passage, i think the flapper was more concerned w/wake rocking his boat (which we were not laying out)

[tdw]

Plenty of people still think a sailboat has complete right of way over a power boat even when sailboat has no sails up and is motoring.

[AboardIndigo]

Yep, the SV under power to starboard is the stand-on vessel. Assuming your pal couldn't slow down and then pass to starboard after the SV under power was out of the way, your pal should have come to a full stop/reverse until it was safe to do so.

Backing up/moving forward open ocean/off the dock shouldn't matter. You were both underway when you spied each other.

That being said, if there was room to get past without incident without the SV having to stop, then I don't see what the SV's problem was.