Ian McColgin
10-07-2007, 12:29 PM
Here is Elu’s Near Incident at Can 19. (Elu II really. Elu means something very general in Hawaian. I often call that lovely old Rhodes HulaHula.)
Yesterday afternoon Elu was outbound under power from the Inner Harbor, hard on the green side, and had just turned from a southeasterly course to more south to follow the channel after rounding C 19. The cargo ferry was inbound and blew two as he seemed to turn port much to my friend’s alarm. At last he put the sloop hard port and crossed the ferry’s bow, attracting five whistles, and looking back saw the ferry making the turn in passing very close to C 19.
So he called, while driving over the Sagamore Bridge and seeing what I mistook to be Donna and Howard below, to pick my brain as to what was up.
We processed a bit, I using the “benevolent Socratic” method – questions that lead gently rather than humiliate by exposing ignorance. Cutting to the chase: It was near low tide and the steamship needed most of the channel to make her port turn. Elu could have been edged out of the channel or, less alarming for the steamship, put hard port for the red side a bit earlier.
Like most sailboats, Elu’s VHF is a bit out of reach from the helm and I don’t think my friend had his horn handy to acknowledge the signal. The whole experience would have been calmer had my friend been listening on 13 or had a horn at hand for timely use. The ferry undoubtedly did a security call or even an attempt to reach the sloop because with the low tide he knew he’d have to swing in close to C 19.
The steamship's two whistles was timely but Elu didn’t respond, seemingly content to hold course on the green side. This situation was probably fine – a port bow to port bow passing tight against the green side. A good horn answer from Elu would have been one whistle and a visible effort to get more green. I suspect that’s what the steamship captain was expecting, which is why the five when Elu crossed his bow.
With modern waterproof handhelds, there’s no reason a skipper can’t sail and communicate at the same time. And the horn should always be right at hand. Yachties who do monitor 13 and have a reason to say anything should be sure they stay professional, no “Ten Four Big Buddy.”
G'luck
Yesterday afternoon Elu was outbound under power from the Inner Harbor, hard on the green side, and had just turned from a southeasterly course to more south to follow the channel after rounding C 19. The cargo ferry was inbound and blew two as he seemed to turn port much to my friend’s alarm. At last he put the sloop hard port and crossed the ferry’s bow, attracting five whistles, and looking back saw the ferry making the turn in passing very close to C 19.
So he called, while driving over the Sagamore Bridge and seeing what I mistook to be Donna and Howard below, to pick my brain as to what was up.
We processed a bit, I using the “benevolent Socratic” method – questions that lead gently rather than humiliate by exposing ignorance. Cutting to the chase: It was near low tide and the steamship needed most of the channel to make her port turn. Elu could have been edged out of the channel or, less alarming for the steamship, put hard port for the red side a bit earlier.
Like most sailboats, Elu’s VHF is a bit out of reach from the helm and I don’t think my friend had his horn handy to acknowledge the signal. The whole experience would have been calmer had my friend been listening on 13 or had a horn at hand for timely use. The ferry undoubtedly did a security call or even an attempt to reach the sloop because with the low tide he knew he’d have to swing in close to C 19.
The steamship's two whistles was timely but Elu didn’t respond, seemingly content to hold course on the green side. This situation was probably fine – a port bow to port bow passing tight against the green side. A good horn answer from Elu would have been one whistle and a visible effort to get more green. I suspect that’s what the steamship captain was expecting, which is why the five when Elu crossed his bow.
With modern waterproof handhelds, there’s no reason a skipper can’t sail and communicate at the same time. And the horn should always be right at hand. Yachties who do monitor 13 and have a reason to say anything should be sure they stay professional, no “Ten Four Big Buddy.”
G'luck