Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

This happened a few months ago and had a very uneventful ending but I keep thinking about it.

I was approaching the entrance to a river with extended jetties on both sides of the entrance channel.
The channel was about 100 yards wide and is normally not anything of an issue.
If the inbound craft and outbound craft line up and go single file there is plenty of room for everyone.

Back to the story.
I was in an 18ft I/O and still running fast in open water when I noticed I was going to tie an inbound 35ft sailboat under sail.
So, still about a 1/4 mile out, I made sure to keep the power up as I did not want to end up following a really slow sailboat up the channel once he dropped the sail and started his little kicker.
I entered the channel at least 100 yards ahead of the sailboat and dropped to my no wake speed of about 5mph.
The sailboat entered the channel well and clear behind me.

This is where it get interesting.
The sailboat did not drop sail and kept on coming at about 7 mph up the channel.
In short time he was directly off my port quarter and coming on.
I gave way a little to Starboard but had no room to go as the rock jetty was was not all that far away.
In due course the sail boat was passing me maybe 10 ft off my port beam.
This was my definition of being between the rocks and a hard place! Too close for my comfort!

Now, discretion being the better part of valor; I cut all power and just let him go by before anything became any more exciting. (Rule Of Tonnage!)

I keep running the rules through my head...
On one hand the Sailboat is the Stand-On vessel against a Power boat.
On the other hand the Passing vessel is the Give-Way vessel.
There is nothing in the rules about a Sailboat passing a Powerboat!

Stand-On or Give-Way; You make the call!

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

If he gets in front of you he has the Right of Way. Your application of the Rule of Tonnage was wise.
The sailboat, with its displacement hull probably has a higher no-wake speed than your planing hull.
I'm with Give-Way.

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

I would have give way too.

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

I boat in a large sailing community....alway's give them discretion your under power.. you might as well slam a door in a lady's face the result's are the same..

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

Wind is free,so is the right of way........sailboats,kyakers,canoeists, own the water.......Don't get me started!

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

rallyart said:

If he gets in front of you he has the Right of Way...

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The overtaking vessel does not become the stand on vessel the moment he gets in front of you.

Keep in mind, I have no issues with giving Sailboats a wide berth and giving them their all due rights of way.
If this was in open water I would go out my way to avoid even getting a fresh wake in their vicinity.
But this was not an open water situation where I had any options of manuevering anywhere.
I was being overtaken in a fairly narrow channel.
I was suprized the boat was still under sail in the narrow confines.

A few interesting items I found...

The Overtaking Situation
Any vessel overtaking any other vessel must keep out the way of the vessel being overtaken.
The former is the give-way vessel and the latter is the stand-on vessel.
This rule applies even if the overtaking vessel is propelled by wind, oars, or rubber band paddlewheel.

If you are the overtaking vessel, remember that you are the give-way vessel until well past, and safely clear of, the overtaken vessel.

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The "Pecking Order"
There is a "pecking order" that can be used as a simplified memory aid to determine right of way for vessels of different types.
Get very familiar with this list, as it is important to understand it thoroughly.
The uppermost vessel on the list has right-of-way (stand-on vessel) over any vessel (give-way vessel) below it on the list:

Overtaken vessel (top priority) <---<<<
Vessel not under command
Vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver <---<<<
Vessel constrained by its draft
Fishing vessel (commercial fishing or trawling but not trolling)
Sailing vessel (engine not on)
Power-driven vessel (lowest priority)

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So it would appear the I was "TECHNICALLY" the Stand-On Vessel.
But as I said, "Descretion is the better part of Valor!" (The Rule of Tonnage Trumps all!)

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

The sailboat was still making full sail power in confined quarters,nickels & dimes. Report him as reckless !!

He did the right thing by keeping sail up & maintaining good steering speed if needed in a jetty current area.

You should have added enough speed to keep at least 100' ahead of him. Narrow confines & current / wind conditions require chucking ideal water conditions rules.............Apply actions that everyone recognizes as safer than..... fair weather rules in the open sea.

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

I have stood on a busy jetty entrance in north New Jersey.
Tide is roaring in or out. Kamakazis both ways at the same time. In heavy fog. ( I am using radar !!!! ) Private boats & commerical fish trawlers. Fog so heavy I could not see a boat 50' away !!
At least 1 or 2 top heavy cruisers underpowered, would lose it and bang the rocks or run aground past the jetties on a busy weekend with fog.

Coast guard courses NEVER cover jetty conditions in the area a boater will use. If people saw the crap headed actions in THEIR confined waters, they would sell the boat right after the movie & popcorn ended.

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

Really no question here. If the sailboat was overtaking you, you were the stand on vessel and were obligated to hold course & speed, and the sailboat was the give way vessel and was obligated to alter course & or speed. In this situation (sailboat overtaking a powerboat) it makes no difference that he was a sailboat. That's the law.
As for his decision to come in under sail, if the wind was favorable he may have had MUCH better control under sail than under auxiliary.

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

Sometimes you have to ignore the no wake zone when you are dealing with inltets, strong currents, and jettys. Just do what you have to do to make it from the ocean to the bay. And don't hit any rocks or boats. everyone is happy.


BTW, A boat under sail, can still stop on a dime. You just have to release 2 lines, and let your sails heave to in the wind. (let them flap around, with no tension on the control lines, and worry about the rest later)

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

much like folks on bicycles who ride in the middle of the lane, I have problems with people who may well be legally correct but who have no consideration for anyone else .... to me, jet ski operators who cut as close as they can to the back of our boat so as to jump the wake fall in that group as do folks paddling a shallow draft boat choosing to block the middle of the channel .... since I can't control what they do I've evolved to where I let them go and don't worry about it .... for us, time on the water is relaxing and getting stressed over such things makes it far less enjoyable

Jim

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

This may have had nothing to do with "no consideration for anyone else". I haven't read any indication that the sailboat did anything 'wrong' (though passing with only 10 feet is certainly discourteous, unnecessary, and may have constituted poor judgement). If I were coming in an inlet and the wind were favorable I well might prefer coming in under sail as well. If I found myself overtaking an 18' I/O and he chose to keep moving toward the rocks I can't control that. The law says I have to maneuver around him, if he keeps moving to one side I can't control that, and then if he is not in front of me I have no action to take. To say that the wake from a sailboat is 'excessive' is (usually) a bit of a stretch. If I am coming in a nasty inlet I'm going to do it in the way that I have the best control of my situation, which is usually also the safest.

Re: Sailboat vs. Powerboat and Rights of Way.

Ned L said:

Really no question here. If the sailboat was overtaking you, you were the stand on vessel and were obligated to hold course & speed, and the sailboat was the give way vessel and was obligated to alter course & or speed. In this situation (sailboat overtaking a powerboat) it makes no difference that he was a sailboat. That's the law.
As for his decision to come in under sail, if the wind was favorable he may have had MUCH better control under sail than under auxiliary.

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