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Passing on the left - visual signals


billS

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I used to do this, however I stopped after saying this is what I did on here a while ago and was told that it was too arrogant or dictatorial (can't recall the exact word used) to direct another boater to do what you expect them to do.

 

I wonder if the same member will pop up and say the same in this thread.

 

Personally I still think it's OK, as obviously does Athy.

 

I this situation someone has to take control and any perceived arrogance or dictatorial overtones are secondary to the safe passage of both vessels.

 

I've taken control in a couple of situations and it's really been appreciated - perhaps because I'm giving way at the same time, but nevertheless, the other boat followed my instructions, everything turned out fine and I was left with a smile and a wave. I think I probably took control in those situations because looking at the other boat I had a gut feeling that I was the more experienced and could assess the situation and make a decision quicker than the other party - but I could have been wrong about that. To some extent you just have to improvise in these situations.

 

The only thing I can see going wrong with this approach is if the skippers of both boats are arrogant, dictatorial types!

Edited by blackrose
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I suspect that there is even more chance of a horn signal being misunderstood by a casual user of the canal, for instance an inexperienced hire boater.

 

I always thought what is lacking about sound signals is a dedicated sound signal that says "have you got any idea what sounds signals are?" with an appropriate sound signal as a positive response. smile.png

 

I got berated by a full on Captain Pratt type (big white beard, Captains hat) once for not responding to his signal. I could not hear the bloody thing. His horn was at his end I was steering my end and there was road noise.

Edited by mark99
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A Blue Board is visual so no matter how much noise there is.

Phil

Just googled this but can find nowt. What is the Blue Board? I noticed green boards on barges on the Rhine which had a flashing light in the middle. Is this something similar?

Cheers.

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Some time had passed and Phil was feeling the desire for a flagon or three of Gruntfuttocks Best so set about devising a plan to get past the Coat Faerie.

Phil took the grubby mac that the Coat Faerie had given him and cunningly turned it inside out to reveal a plaid lining. Phil donned the said plaid coat and uon his head placed a home knitted tea cosy in a sort of Tam O Shanter style.

Studying himself in a shop window (must stop doing that) Phil decided that at a pinch he could pass for one of our northern brothers and to help carry off the disguise Phil threw in a few Och Aye the Noos and babbled nonsensically about *lec Blue Boards are the accepted way on the Continent of signaling that a vessel needs to hold a course the will mean passing an oncoming vessel green on green, maybe to do with needing extra depth or some such.

The board may or may not hace a flashing white light, protocol dictates that the oncoming vessel replies by also displaying a blue board.

Quite why the boards you saw on the Rhine were green is something I cannot comment on. (Maybe paint faded)LOL

Phil

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Thanks for explanation. Not on home computer broadband all the time so searching is a little difficult at times. Maybe it was faded paint, or maybe my eyesight has come out in sympathy with my hearing :)

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The Collision Regs are very clear and have been created for a reason. As long as everyone adheres to them there is no need to invent new signals that others may not understand. There is also no reason to pass on the left. If you need to change course, you wait until the oncoming vessel has passed and then cross behind it. Any failure to observe the Colregs will count against you if there is a collision and an insurance claim.

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The Collision Regs are very clear and have been created for a reason. As long as everyone adheres to them there is no need to invent new signals that others may not understand. There is also no reason to pass on the left. If you need to change course, you wait until the oncoming vessel has passed and then cross behind it. Any failure to observe the Colregs will count against you if there is a collision and an insurance claim.

I can think of a very good reason to pass on the left. If I'm going around a corner to the right, I need the deeper water around the outside of the bend, and so will be on the left hand side of the cut.

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I can think of a very good reason to pass on the left. If I'm going around a corner to the right, I need the deeper water around the outside of the bend, and so will be on the left hand side of the cut.

 

Me too, but mine's different.

 

The idiot coming the other way has forgotten he's in a boat, not a car.

 

:)

 

MtB

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I can think of a very good reason to pass on the left. If I'm going around a corner to the right, I need the deeper water around the outside of the bend, and so will be on the left hand side of the cut.

Not fair if the boat coming the other way is as deep or deeper drafted as you. CRASH, BANG WALLOP.

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Not fair if the boat coming the other way is as deep or deeper drafted as you. CRASH, BANG WALLOP.

The only thing likely to be deeper is a loaded boat- but if the other boat looks old and deep, then I would try and swing a bit tighter towards the inside to give us both as much room as possible, without getting the back end too near the shallows to get sucked onto it and swing my fore end right onto that of the oncoming boat!

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The Collision Regs are very clear and have been created for a reason. As long as everyone adheres to them there is no need to invent new signals that others may not understand. There is also no reason to pass on the left. If you need to change course, you wait until the oncoming vessel has passed and then cross behind it. Any failure to observe the Colregs will count against you if there is a collision and an insurance claim.

 

Really?

I doubt that 75% of all canal boaters have ever heard about them, especially all the hire boaters.

Do they actually apply to the canals?

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Why would you want to pass on the left anyway?

If I seen any one of you lot waving and pointing and tapping on your chests I'd probably just pull over as I would instantly interpretate your reckless body language as a medical emergency or life in danger.

Really why would you want to pass on the left?

You'd get no change from me, I'd just hold my course.

I'm glad someone else said this, I couldn't work out what I was missing.

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Really?

I doubt that 75% of all canal boaters have ever heard about them, especially all the hire boaters.

Do they actually apply to the canals?

Yes, they do. Rule 9, keeping to the right. There are exceptions which call for radio communication, but not hand signals.
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So in the situation where two boats approaching one another have succesfully managed to negotiate other hazards such as bends, narrow bridgeholes, badly moored boats, overhanging trees, etc. but in the process both find themselves on the wrong side of the canal, should they just carry on and pass smoothly on the wrong side, or should both have to steer sharply across the cut in order to pass on the 'right' side, with all the attendant risk that if one doesn't get quite far enough across in time there will be a collision?

  • Greenie 1
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The Collision Regs are very clear and have been created for a reason. As long as everyone adheres to them there is no need to invent new signals that others may not understand. There is also no reason to pass on the left. If you need to change course, you wait until the oncoming vessel has passed and then cross behind it. Any failure to observe the Colregs will count against you if there is a collision and an insurance claim.

But there are very good valid reasons for needing to be on the "wrong" side, a deep drafted or heavily ladened boat may well need to travel on the outside of a bend to avoid shoals on the inside, for this reason the continentals adopt the Blue Board which everbody understands. No point trying to demand that you have right of way just to be bloody minded and to make a point, no sane skipper navigates on the wrong side for no reason. Try it on the Rhone when a BIG fuel barge is barreling towards you or on the Rhine. In these circumstances if you see a Blue Board you know there is good reason and allow the bigger deeper draughted boat to have some room.

Phil

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Yes, they do. Rule 9, keeping to the right. There are exceptions which call for radio communication, but not hand signals.

 

You still haven't shown any proof that the ColRegs apply to the canals.

Please supply evidence of that.

I note others are saying that they don't.

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I don't find the need to pass on the "wrong" side very often, but there have been a few occasions over the years. I know of no other system on the canal other than the aforementioned hand/horn signals. That doesn't mean they don't exist, but if they were commonplace I am sure I would have heard of them by now.

Edited by Guest
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