How to handle altercations at sea ?

[boristhebold]

How do members handle altercations at sea ?

After a day of avoiding other boaters speeding through harbour, jet skis, boaters navigating along on the wrong side of channels etc I was proceeding up a channel in poole harbour at 10 knots (speed limit) and could see in the distance a boat approaching from my left (port side) whoose course would intersect mine (collision) in a short time, being the standon vessel (according to rules of the road) I maintained my speed and watched him, I could see he saw me very clearly, kept watching him and he kept watching me, however as he did not reduce his speed or alter course and I could tell it was becoming evident an issue would arise I reduced speed and stopped (which wasn't great as other boats up my backside), at the same time he also reduced speed and stopped.

He then shouted a load of abuse at me stating I should have gone behind him, bla bla bla. Normally I would have shouted some mild abuse at him but I thought no I will take the higher ground and just shouted "look mate why dont you pop into the library and borrow a book on navigation regulations called the rules of the road" more abuse thrown my way, I just carried on and left him ranting to his poor wife.

So how do you guys handle altercations, especially when the other party is clueless or even worse when the other party things they know better which is more dangerous. Ive found a day on the water in busy areas can be more stressfull than a busy motorway.

[willk]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

So how do you guys handle altercations, especially when the other party is clueless or even worse when the other party things they know better which is more dangerous.

I think you've accurately described the two parties found in most altercations. Personally I'm blessed to have miles of ocean and virtually no other boats to get embrangled with but I make a point of giving other water users a wide berth and exchanging nothing but pleasantries - even when I know better than the other clueless party...

[Max...]

+1 with the wilk and as the signature of another member says - you can't argue with an idiot (and win). I'd just stay well away and ignore them. As on the roads treat everyone else as a brain dead idiot who want to crash into you and do all you can to anticipate their crazy driving.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Max...

+1 with the wilk and as the signature of another member says - you can't argue with an idiot (and win). I'd just stay well away and ignore them. As on the roads treat everyone else as a brain dead idiot who want to crash into you and do all you can to anticipate their crazy driving.

Imo navigating the water is no different to driving on the roads. There are idiots everywhere, to whom the rules don't apply. I drive the boat as I do the car; defensively. Give way to the idiots & let them get out of your way & become someone else's problem.
The first rule in the ColRegs should be "Big always wins"[emoji6]

[gpsguru]

Sometimes the consequences of those that flout the rules are tragic ………….

Locally we had a couple of race powerboats that had obviously been bought by inexperienced boaters. These guys would just race up a down the harbour navigation channel and also cross it at speeds of 40knts (ish). A couple of times I needed to take evasive action and I also noticed that both boats were badly chine walking at speed and it was obvious that these guys were an accident waiting to happen.
Anyway, one evening I landed on the slip as one was coming in and got a whole load of abuse ‘blah,blah,blah, I’ve had boats for years ,blah, blah, blah, etc. As I had grandchildren with me I said very little………..


Fast forward 2 weeks and I was sat in the harbour carpark watching the Seine & Gigs coming back in from a rowing race and one of the powerboat clowns was again using the navigation channel for his almost suicidal antics ………… I watched him do a tight J turn at speed near a yacht that was coming in. There was an abrupt stall to the engine and I saw both driver and co-pilot in the water. The yacht turned and went to their rescue and within a very short space of time we had the lifeboat out, an Air ambulance, 2 land ambulances, paramedic car, doctors car, and the duty coastguard all in attendance ……………….it seems they turned to quickly and were ejected from the boat and one of them stopped the engine as the prop caught his leg, which I now understand has been amputated from the knee down ……………… apparently the driver was not using a kill cord.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by gpsguru

Sometimes the consequences of those that flout the rules are tragic ………….

Locally we had a couple of race powerboats that had obviously been bought by inexperienced boaters. These guys would just race up a down the harbour navigation channel and also cross it at speeds of 40knts (ish). A couple of times I needed to take evasive action and I also noticed that both boats were badly chine walking at speed and it was obvious that these guys were an accident waiting to happen.
Anyway, one evening I landed on the slip as one was coming in and got a whole load of abuse ‘blah,blah,blah, I’ve had boats for years ,blah, blah, blah, etc. As I had grandchildren with me I said very little………..


Fast forward 2 weeks and I was sat in the harbour carpark watching the Seine & Gigs coming back in from a rowing race and one of the powerboat clowns was again using the navigation channel for his almost suicidal antics ………… I watched him do a tight J turn at speed near a yacht that was coming in. There was an abrupt stall to the engine and I saw both driver and co-pilot in the water. The yacht turned and went to their rescue and within a very short space of time we had the lifeboat out, an Air ambulance, 2 land ambulances, paramedic car, doctors car, and the duty coastguard all in attendance ……………….it seems they turned to quickly and were ejected from the boat and one of them stopped the engine as the prop caught his leg, which I now understand has been amputated from the knee down ……………… apparently the driver was not using a kill cord.

Karma is a very powerful force in the universe.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

Normally I would have shouted some mild abuse at him but I thought no I will take the higher ground and just shouted "look mate why dont you pop into the library and borrow a book on navigation regulations called the rules of the road"

I’m not sure shouting back is the higher ground, even if you thought you were providing some helpful advice. If my boating was as busy and stressful as yours I’m not sure I’d bother.

[breezeblock]

a big lump of spare rope and toss it in front of him easy solution if he's gonna shout abuse then see what he's gonna say

[rnwright1969]

Up here a quiet word in the ear-hole back at harbour is the accepted way forward, there are just too many tourists and 'salty' language isn't really a good way forward....... that said there have been times when a piratical boarding option has been considered, especially when coded skippers are ignoring dive flags and motoring over divers who have launched DSMBs!

[paintman]

Treat everyone else as an idiot, expect them to do something stupid & that way you hopefully won't be surprised when they do & can stay out of their way.
That applies to the road - where theoretically they have had instruction & passed a test - and to water where any fool can buy & launch a boat with no knowledge or training whatsoever.
Trying to give helpful advice frequently ends in abuse - or worse - & frankly isn't worth the hassle.

[rocknrolla]

As Pikey as stated Karma is good advice,but privacy first and foremost then fill um in IMO

[badbaws]

I drive ships for a living, have been a life long boater on RIBs and those ones with bits of string and flappy wind stuff too. I have a big horn but still some people just don't get it and are blissfully unaware! as regards small boats it is usually in and around harbours where they can go to show boat and be idiots so now just try to avoid them. I wrote a letter on this about 15 years ago to a boaty magazine and then sent me a bottle of whiskey for a star letter! If you go look at a big ship in your boat what might be a nice course for you to come take a photo or give us a wave may look like a collision course to us when we are deep draught in a narrow channel.

I have stopped with Rule of road and just gone back to might is right!

as regards altercations... get a faster boat than them and some water bombs!

[Pecheur Anglais]

Noticed a bit of kit at a defence/security exhibition which would be useful in that situation. Basically, aim it at anything with an engine (boat, car, etc.) and it jams their electronics and cuts their engine. You can then, from a safe distance, explain to them in a calm and polite fashion, the error of their ways as they drift helplessly.

If that failed, there was also a range of interesting weaponary on display http://www.rib.net/forum/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

He then shouted a load of abuse at me stating I should have gone behind him, bla bla bla.

You wont like this. But your correct response should have been a polite apology. Not that you actually believed you needed to. But it is the best way to avoid an altercation...

Something along the lines of "Oh sorry, I thought I was the stand-on vessel". Not shouted in anger, just said calmly. If the other boat actually knows what a stand-on vessel is he can explain why he thinks you are mistaken (sometimes the perception from the other vessel will be different ranging from there was no danger of collision, to they perceive you to be overtaking when you perceive them to be crossing your path) - might even learn something - even if it is just about how another boat perceives your actions!. If he doesn't understand "stand-on" he can accept that he isn't sure what you are talking about and google it later. (no-one really uses a library these days!)

shouted "look mate why dont you pop into the library and borrow a book on navigation regulations called the rules of the road"

You called him "mate" when he wasn't.

So how do you guys handle altercations, especially when the other party is clueless or even worse when the other party things they know better which is more dangerous. Ive found a day on the water in busy areas can be more stressfull than a busy motorway.

Like others - I try to avoid busy water. In much the same way as I avoid motorways given a choice. Yes I use them to get from A to B where there are no decent alternative choices. But I wouldn't say "lets go for a drive" and then take to the motorway... ...so why would I say "lets go on the boat" and go somewhere so busy I'm on edge... especially as the scenery will be about as exciting as a Moto Service on the M25...