Intentional near-misses... Experiences?

[s/v Faith]

I just posted an account of what seems to be an intentional near miss in the AIS thread (the one on the standard horizon radio)

I recall an account of a similar incident by a Sailor here in the Bahamas a coupe years ago where he seemingly angered a local island trader and was rammed and lost his rig.

I have had incidents where shrimp boats (not fishing) came across the channel on the ICW, and another where a shrimper lowered his outriggers while passing while I was anchored in Georgia and nearly putting his dolphin though the rig of the Southern Cross.

  I don't know that the intent in any of these cases was actually to cause a collision but I think sometimes there is a message intended.... "You ain't from around here" or maybe "these are MY waters".  Please note that I am well aware that this is not always the case.... Often tugs will seemingly swerve for you without warning simply because that is what they have to do.  Other times boats will just try to "bully" you out of the good water to pass.... Happens fairly frequently on the ICW with large power boats.

  Have you experienced this?  What was the outcome?  What do YOU do? (VHF hail, sound, making deliberate evasive moves)....

[CharlieJ]

GrimE had a tow boat deliberately try to run him into shallow water once, over in Louisiana.

Personally I've never had that problem

[rorik]

The only "deliberate" encounter was close to home coming into Gig Harbor, WA. We were motoring in Mathilda through the harbor entrance which isn't very wide to start with http://www.1gigharbor.com/gifs/chart.gif , and gets much more narrow and shallow at low tide. There wasn't anyone coming out of the entrance but I stayed to the right of center just to be safe. The ~40' ChrisCraft behind us decided that that was a good time to pass us on our starboard side. Then, when we got close to the Tides Restaurant public dock, he cut across our bow, turning a full 180 degrees to moor directly in the middle of the empty ~75 dock, leaving nowhere for us to tie up but at an adjoining dock covered in goose droppings.
When I thanked him for leaving room at the harbor entrance and at the dock, he said "Sorry, didn't see you." and walked away.

[Oldrig]

I've only had two intentional near-miss experiences, each more than 10 years ago.

Incident 1: I was single handing on Buzzards Bay, Mass., crossing the ship channel from east to west in an area with plenty of room. I noticed a long-liner heading southwest in the channel, headed probably for New Bedford. I held my course, when I suddenly noticed that the fishing boat was speeding up and heading for me (I was now out of the channel).

I immediately tacked, and the long-liner veered again in my direction, passing so close to me that I was broadsided by his wake. At the time, I was sailing an 18-foot catboat with no VHF, so I never knew if the fishing boat had hailed me to change course.

This was very strange ... I've always stayed out of the way of commercial vessels, especially fishing boats, because I respect the hard work that goes into making a living on the water. I've been sailing in the Buzzards  Bay area for more than 50 years now, and this is the only time I've had a negative encounter with one.

Incident 2:
My wife and I were sailing our catboat from Vineyard Sound back into Buzzards Bay. We were passing through Woods Hole Passage, one of the most treacherous passages in the Northeast. Going with the current, propelled by our 6-hp outboard, we stayed as far to the right of the channel, almost running on the rocks, to stay out of the way of the heavy commercial and recreational motor traffic. Several lobstermen veered into the channel and slowed down as they passed us.

Suddenly, a very large, very fancy sports fisherman, I think it was a Viking, came roaring into the passage, leaving an enormous wake and passing everybody on the right. We moved over so we could actually see the rocks, and the s.o.b. came so close to us that we took waves over the port gunwale. I was so angry that I wrote down the boat's name and homeport (Boston), but I never did anything about it.

Again, I had no VHF at the time, although I did have a cellphone.

When I mentioned the incident to a colleague, who also has a Master's Ticket, he said I should have written a letter to the Coast Guard. Then the skipper of the boat would at least have had to attend a hearing.

--Joe

[okawbow]

A couple years ago, while sailing our Cheoy Lee 31 ketch from Cape May, NJ to Rhode Island; about 2am, I spotted lights from a fishing boat ahead. We were sailing wing and wing, but I was able to change direction enough to pass about 1/4 mile to his stern. I tried to call him on the radio to be sure he knew I was there, but no answer. As soon as I put the mike down, the fishing boat, with net in tow, turned 90 degrees and came straight for me. I started my engine, and turned 90 degrees to starboard. The fishing boat immediately turned 90 degrees to match me. I flashed my spotlight, and sounded my airhorn 3 times, and turned 180 degrees. The fishing boat turned again and headed straight at us. About 20 yards before he reached us, he turned away. I could hear what sounded like drunken laughter as they blew their horn, and went on their way.

I'm afraid my opinion of commercial fishermen went down a bit that night.

[s/v Faith]

So...

  A Chris Craft, a Viking, a tanker, and 3 commercial fishermen....  I am seeing a trend here.

  I too respect commercial fishermen, and try to contact them and give them a wide berth whenever possible.  Of course we know that when engaged in fishing they do have right of way... I think some of their antics are the result of bad experiences with others....

  rorik said he talked to the Chris Craft, and Oldrig took info down.  Hs anyone ever had any success in addressing these examples of "seamanship"?

[Sooner]

2 mud tugs tied front and back to a single barge running empty with every light blazing on both tugs at 0100 on the GICW cut across the dogleg at lake Misere in Louisianna.  At that point Sooner and I had about a minute of life left.  Did what no one ever wants to do, cut across in front of them - wide open throttle - they cleared my stern by less than 20 feet.  I Went hard aground on the north side of the waterway.   They turned all their lights out and disappeared going west. The next tow going through the dogleg - a huge tug pushing six barges called me up and volunteered to report what happened as they knew those guys.  He also offered to stop and help me off the dirt.  I wasn't sure I wanted to go anywhere at that point.  Next tug through, another six pack, called me up and said he would be powering down and go through real slow so as to not push me harder aground.  As I hadn't had any luck contacting the Coast Guard decided to try getting off - told him to blast thru and I'd try to use his wave to get back off the hard spot.  He came roaring through kicked his stern to the right and a 4 foot wall of water washed me right back out in the waterway.  So there you are 2 idiots and 2 really great Captains in less than 90 minutes.  For me AIS is needed.  You need to know who your dealing with.  Do commercial fishermen have to have AIS active?
jim

[CharlieJ]

lake Misere in Louisianna :D

VERY familiar with that place- been through there 6 times now. We call it "Lake Misery" ;D

I've found the vast majority of tow boat skippers to be extremely courteous. But there are a few jerks, like anywhere else.

We had one pull his tow off the bank and move across to shield us when we ran aground while having engine problems. Then had his crew launch their skiff and pull us off the bank, and THEN escorted us through the Leeland Bowman lock. We had engine parts waiting in Intercoastal City.

Want to see what a 25 foot sailboat looks like from the wheel house of a big tow boat? Toured this one while I was stuck  at Great Bridge lock for two days- lock was broken. Number one captain was 26 years old

[Jim_ME]

I've found the vast majority of tow boat skippers to be extremely courteous. But there are a few jerks, like anywhere else.

This observation and others' experiences described in this thread brings to mind the passage from John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath about the turtle crossing the highway...

Now the going was easy, and all the legs worked, and the shell boosted along, waggling from side to side. A sedan driven by a forty-year-old woman approached. She saw the turtle and swung to the right, off the highway, the wheels screamed and a cloud of dust boiled up. Two wheels lifted for a moment and then settled. The car skidded back onto the road, and went on, but more slowly. The turtle had jerked into its shell, but now it hurried on, for the highway was burning hot.

And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it. His front wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink, spun it like a coin, and rolled it off the highway. The truck went back to its course along the right side. Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time. But at last its legs waved in the air, reaching for something to pull it over. Its front foot caught a piece of quartz and little by little the shell pulled over and flopped upright. ...