Right of Way in Channels
I am new to boating so can anyone help me out with this one. I was coming out of the Serpentine River (green arrow) in a small dinghy and another guy was coming out of the Murray River (red arrow) in a much larger boat. As I'm coming up sitting hard on the right shoulder of the channel he moves right in front of me and cuts me off so I had to stop coz I didn't want to risk running aground on the flats. As he starts turning left out to the inlet, I go to ovetake him on the left and he tells me he's got a line in the water, turns out he was trolling at the same time and I have to wait for him to reel his line in.
Is it my responsibility to give way to the larger boat even though I am heading in a straight line?
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
You stayed safe, so are a top skipper IMO
here is the link to th WA rules www.transport.wa.gov.au/imarine/rules-of-the-road.asp
it is very clear about giving way to the right. IF your new to boating you may find over the years that some people let arrogance drive their decisions.
Everyone has a duty to avoid collision, so in my eyes your a top skipper. Good luck with your boating.
Butters29
Posts: 53
Date Joined: 28/03/13
I agree it would appear you
I agree it would appear you are in the right. Just remember when it comes to collisions/incidents on the water the blame will be allocated to both parties. Whom ever is the most at fault will then have to pay most damages. The rules are written so what ever you do your screwed. Best to do as you did take all way off avoid the dramas and then carry on.
bigmick
Posts: 77
Date Joined: 04/02/13
Here's the bit from the
Here's the bit from the skippers ticket book, which by rights mean you had right of way
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8156
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Cheers mate, I work on the
Cheers mate, I work on the theory that I am going to come off second best so giving way is safer and even if I had the bigger boat I don't want a collision in any case so best to just relax and wait rather than try to push through. Beside squeezing me out, the thing that actually irked me was that he was trolling through a busy channel with the rod at the back of the boat unnattended.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Give way to starboard...
...I would say the one coming out of the Serp (green arrow) has right of way. As far as the trolling goes, technically you're supposed to give way to vessels that are restricted in their movements, but that's a bit of a pisstake during Holiday Season in the Peel waterways!
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
Restricted in movements
Was she day flagged or lit for Restricted in ability to manuever? Or Fishing shapes?
Rob H
Posts: 5822
Date Joined: 18/01/12
.
hit the nail on the head-size technically does not matter and you cannot claim ROW if you arent showing the dayshapes/lights.
There is also the fishing gear-technically with fishing gear extending he could have had ROW if he had the shape/lights up (if he was commercial)
.
Courtesy plays a part though, there is nothing to stop you calling him on VHF and making alternate arrangements BUT BUT BUT! need to make 100% certain you are talking to the vessel you THINK you are talking to!
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Butters29
Posts: 53
Date Joined: 28/03/13
You couldn't claim that you
You couldn't claim that you were restricted in ability to manoeuvre (RAM) in this case as it only apples to vessel due to the nature of their work are unable to manoeuvre as required by COLREGS to keep clear of another vessel. The fact that they had a line out the back of a less than 20 foot boat (I'm assuming) would by no means imply that due to the line they couldn't manoeuvre as required by the rules.
You are correct in saying if the correct lights of shapes were displayed then things would be different.
bigmick
Posts: 77
Date Joined: 04/02/13
You are better off playing
You are better off playing it safe, but if a collison occurs it's exactly the same as the being on the road the person that is at fault is the onethat foots the bill. As for the trolling so what if he loses a bit of gear cos he's an arrogant so and so then so what, the only problem is that you have to make sure the line doesn't get wrapped around you prop
jamey ford
Posts: 174
Date Joined: 25/05/11
All the metro waters are
All the metro waters are cock smoker central at the moment and raffertys rules apply , I have dealt with some absolute fools who couldn't drive a fimger up they're own arsehole let alone a boat , in the last week , all of them need an attitude readjustment as well .
Far Quirk!
sea-kem
Posts: 15048
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Ha ha love your reply Jamey
Ha ha love your reply Jamey and agree entirely. Was with my boys a few weeks back in Melville waters trolling lures when a rich F%$k in his big wank boat cuts right across our back end doing about 30knts. He saw the look of death on my face so I'm glad he didn't stop. But I said to the boys I was resigned to the fact it would happen anyway.
Love the West!
luke t
Posts: 163
Date Joined: 22/02/10
Myself and a mate where kayak
Myself and a mate where kayak fishing from Coogee marina up to Fremantle on Tuesday, had a pair of wankers in a big NAIAD with twin 200hp something or other ,came tearing towards us.
We where well less than 100 metres apart from each other (the kayaks that is) and he decides to split the gap doing 20-25knts. "No worries you rich wankers" I thought.
But it just so happens we where right at fish rocks at the time. A few seconds later !!! BOOOMMM!!
stupid prick runs into one of the bombies about 50m away from us.
Laughed our asses off as they stopped to check there props/gearboxes !!!
funny how they gave us a very wide berth as they limped back to harbour !!!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
common sense (not so
common sense (not so common) says you don't troll in channels. likewise you don't set nets in channels, don't tie up the channel markers, etc etc. you were on the starboard side and therefore had right of way. Unfortunately there are too many people out there that think big has right of way, particularly when they own the 'big'. As far as being restricted in his ability to manourve, he should not have had his line out...
by stopping and avoiding any collision, you have done the right thing, because at the end of the day, avoiding a collision takes precedent over all rules.
well done.
Fish! HARD!
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Yep second that
Avoid a collision at all cost on water it's the best policy talk about who has right of way later no paint scratched no ally dented only feelings damaged.
bushbeaver
Posts: 159
Date Joined: 08/07/13
This is the kind of situation
This is the kind of situation when you wish you had a turd gun on board!
You acted correctly, even though you had right of way.
Willlo
Posts: 1490
Date Joined: 07/10/11
LOL turd gun or a dozen
LOL turd gun or a dozen eggs,dont worry you were in the right (unintentional pun).
Call Sign - BZ785
Haynes Hunter Prowler CC
Ol Tom
Posts: 331
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Its the same as those who
Its the same as those who take over at the boat ramp. dawdling along taking there time. Its just arrogance and no matter how hard you try there is no getting through to these people. You did the righty and he should have given way to the righty. (Now thats funny!!!!)