www.facebook.com/reel/461646906608770

Other than the possibility he should've sounded his horn.. Yep..

The audio doesn't work for me, but the yacht is cutting things way too fine - maybe a singlehander getting some sleep - but that is a bad look.

Basic rule of the sea is to avoid a collision. The yacht was on a port tack but the powerboat made no attempt to avoid a collision so he is in actual effect the dickhead! Powerboat was stationary but the engine is running.

Interesting how my message count is stuck on 7529. Guess it's better than going backwards again!

What tack the yacht is on has no bearing when it comes to power vs sail. But there is so much context missing from this video. Is the motor boat anchored? Is he an operating commercial fishing boat? Does he have divers down, is the vessel not under command? Is he showing the day shapes to indicate any of the above? Where was a crew member on the yacht? Certainly not on deck, and if they were where was their attempt to avoid a collision (ok granted they didn't collide).

Yachts don't have a blanket right of way.

smells like a setup for clicks to me

There's some more detail within the Facebook comments, supplied by the fishing boat; trawling at the time, did alter speed to avoid collision, did repeatedly sound horn and attempt vhf comms, had AIS on. Seems like the fishing boat did everything by the book, and was happy to let the sailboat pass close for dramatic effect with the benefit of meeting their daily quota of swearing

Mid February 2014, sailing Batemans Bay to Sydney, passing Wreck Bay. Mondo returning north from S2H. She sailed up and would have rammed the transom of our Top Hat if I hadn't avoided the collision. Tried radio, horn, shouting but got no response. I thought maybe the skipper's had a stroke or heart attack, but as Mondo made it home safely, I guess it was just poor seamanship.

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Bushdog said..
Mid February 2014, sailing Batemans Bay to Sydney, passing Wreck Bay. Mondo returning north from S2H. She sailed up and would have rammed the transom of our Top Hat if I hadn't avoided the collision. Tried radio, horn, shouting but got no response. I thought maybe the skipper's had a stroke or heart attack, but as Mondo made it home safely, I guess it was just poor seamanship.

Disgrace.

Rule 5, anyone?

Oh, and rule 6

I'll put my hand up.

3rd morning of a 3 night passage 30nm off the WA coast abeam Port Hedland. Was a foggy morning and I was feeling ok but had been a busy morning talking to the tankers coming into and out of Hedland plus a few other boats. My VHF is at the Nav table, need to add another radio to the cockpit. AIS on RADAR on.

The fog had just lifted and the sun had risen. I had a look around, went down to grab a cup of coffee, came back up stairs, had another look and sat down in the cockpit (where I usually sat during my 'watch' of most of that 4500nm journey).
Staring out the back watching the sun on the water, and what do I see come into view down the starboard side not more than 20 meters away, but a 16' aluminum dinghy.

And that was after doing most things right.

I still wonder what the crazy idiot was doing that far out in a small tinnie, but I guess he's allowed to be there.

None of us are infallible.

Last Friday, I was motor sailing single-handled (yes, I know that means I'm motoring) up the Adelaide coast in the thickest fog I've ever experienced in these waters. Two memorable events:

A power boat moving w-a-a-a-y too fast suddenly appeared out of the fog. Fortunately, I saw them approaching on radar and was able to slow down from 5 knots to 4 knots. It was just as well, as they cut in front of me with barely 50m to spare. They seemed to think it was great fun to cut me off in the fog!

Second, a tinnie, which appears to be drifting, suddenly appears off my starboard bow. I passed with about 50m to spare, so no dramas. They then proceed to follow me in my wake for the next five minutes. My theory is that they were lost and they used me to get a bearing back to North Haven, my destination.

It was dark before the fog finally burned off that day.