tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399150767029697926.post1029243720462845539..comments2024-03-18T07:50:55.198-04:00Comments on Sail Delmarva: Your Closest CallDrew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399150767029697926.post-13235513033467484822012-10-19T15:09:54.444-04:002012-10-19T15:09:54.444-04:00Under sail close passing doesn't bother me muc...Under sail close passing doesn't bother me much, not if I have eye contact. Sailors going to the weather or under spinnaker are often on a long an precise tack for miles at a time and mostly can be depended upon to understand the rules; when to stand on and when to give way. There is no wake to speak of and it's a chance to wave and look over the boat. And for the most part, sailors are embarrassed when they fail to maneuver and behave in a seaman-like manner.<br /><br />Power boats at speed are a different matter. Because of speed alone, never mind the sail vs power thing, they will always be give way, and I think that bothers some of them. Some think it's funny. Most of those that pass too close, in my opinion, don't think about it at all. And of course, there are many courteous power boaters that we shouldn't paint with the same brush. I know many.<br /><br />Close passing bother s me less than inattention. All I can recommend is to keep a compressed gas horn at the helm. They work.Drew Fryehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399150767029697926.post-5361738810273152242012-10-19T11:14:53.965-04:002012-10-19T11:14:53.965-04:00Herring Bay can be pretty busy on the weekends - n...Herring Bay can be pretty busy on the weekends - not my favorite time to sail out there. The larger power boats are the ones that give me most concern. They move so quickly that they make me anxious when they approach us in a constant bearing/decreasing range scenario. <br /><br />Which reminds me, one of my pet peeves on the water is the proximity with which skippers choose to pass. They drive their boats like they drive their cars on the beltway, passing within a boat length or two when they have miles of open water around us, and no other traffic to restrict movement. Why would you want to be that close to another vessel when surrounded by miles of open water?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399150767029697926.post-73799170034542836342012-10-10T08:38:06.635-04:002012-10-10T08:38:06.635-04:00My closest call was a couple years ago aboard my 1...My closest call was a couple years ago aboard my 18-foot Hobie Tandem Island and involved almost being blown downwind into a low bridge and power lines that were close to a boat launching ramp.<br /><br />The bridge/power line combo wasn't close to the boat ramp, but the combination of the wind and current -- especially the current -- was much stronger than I realized and I didn't have any maneuvering room, so I quickly found myself in dire straights. In desperation and less than a boat length from the hazards, I was able to throw a quick gybe and gain enough boat speed to finally pull away from the danger. I promptly returned to the boat ramp, yanked the Hobie and retired to a more sedate launching point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com