Near Miss - Great Lakes Freighter vs Sailboat
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2021
- A bunch of alarm horns by Canada's bulk carrier Cuyahoga making a sharp turn towards the bridge and a quick maneuver by the sail boat at the last minute averted a collision in Port Huron, Michigan.
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To all those claiming the ship intentionally aimed at the sailboat: go google a map of the St. Clair river at Port Huron and look at the shape of the river there. The channel is in the middle.
What was he supposed to do, go straight and run aground?
The channel is almost 800 feet wide. Until 1974 simultaneous up bound and down bound freighter traffic was allowed under the bridge. I was surprised the freighter turned into the path of the sailboat rather than passing to it's stern as it had sufficient room, and as the sailboat clearly expected it to. As an afterthought, if you read about the collision and sinking of the Sidney E Smith you realize that the limitation for these freighters in this part of the river is not just the width of the channel, but keeping the current equal on both sides of your boat at the same time. They are limited in their ability to go across the current at all. If the Cuyahoga was leaving the government dock at Sarnia, and entering the river, it could not continue very far into channel before turning up-river without risking loosing control and having the bow pushed down-river.
@@vidaliasoleil2714 freighter would take too long to stop and would probably run aground. 800 feet is barely a shiplength.
@@drforjc I am not talking about the freighter stopping in the channel, but wondering why it did not pass to the stern of the Catalina. There is certainly enough room in the channel for it to pass either behind or ahead of the Catalina. Choosing to make the disabled sailboat (it had lost it's engine) that was already making poor headway fall off to get out of the way at the last minute, as the freighter turned seems a poor choice on the part of the pilot. I am wondering what the pilot was thinking. Luckily, the Catalina was able to fall off and sail away from the path of the freighter in time, and the pilot did not loose control of the Cuyahoga.
@@vidaliasoleil2714I sail that area and there is a 5kt current. The ships must pivot there to go to the lake. If they falter it would be a shipping disaster. Everyone in the area knows this. There are points on the land the ships follow
@@kylefng I believe I covered all that in my comment. I have also sailed the area, and the current can be considerable at times. A true shipping disaster would have been hitting another vessel.
As a sailor, I try to know and follow all the right-of-way rules. But the paramount rule for me is the "rule of tonnage." Always give the great big boat the right-of-way. A related rule is "Let the Wookkie win."
Definitely try to keep a good distance from large ships... but it's also important to remember: it's up to the give way vessel to maneuver in such a way to advertise its intent to avoid a collision. One of the most dangerous scenarios occurs when oncoming vessels counter each other. It's usually best to let the give way vessel make the first move.
In that case, it seems that the captain of sailboat was in serrious trouble with the stream.
" the "rule of tonnage." Always give the great big boat the right-of-way."
Also, "never argue with anything that's got more wheels than you've got lungs".
Cheers
Chris
Was the horn blowing twice the signal that the freighter intended to pass on the port side? Or just a get the F""k outta the way dummy, signal?
@@eshootziscrs2868 5 blasts (or more) is “danger”. Two blasts means “I intend to leave you on MY *starboard* side (my right: clearly he intended to leave the sailboat on his left...). This captain has no clue what he is doing. Too much speed, turned in front of another boat, gave the wrong signal... pure demonstration of incompetence.
I was a sailor for many years. I learned that some people should not be allowed in boats.
This is my 34th year sailing on the Great Lakes and seen some very stupid boaters over the years your exactly right
Yeah but the Captain of the cargo seems to be a maniac like the truck driver in the 1971 movie " Duel".
@@jacque7736 "Maniac"...because he took drastic maneuvers to keep from running over a sailboat who obviously doesn't belong on the water? This guy learned how to "sail" in the bathtub, obviously!
View from the hill Swift the same can be said for automobile drivers (and semi drivers)!
@@jacque7736 The ship was the stand on vessel and did exactly as he should have.
This is the grave of Mike O-Day, he died maintaining his right of way, his right was clear, his will was strong, but he’s just as dead as if he had been wrong.
I think the ship has right of way as it’s restricted to a channel. Nice rhyme though😀
Sums it up. Technically the sailboat always has the right-of-way.....however there were river currents, so there may not have been room for the freighter not to run aground.
@@vampireslayer1989 Not true... large ships have right of way. Even small ships when they are sailed for profession.
Ships have the right of way here.
I like it...
I've been a sailboat sailor for 25 years. That guy shouldn't be out in a shipping lane or channel. He doesn't know how to control his boat and he's unfamiliar with current. And he doesn't think ahead.
Despite your conjectures, he still has right of way.
The current in that river is intense. It can often out-power, or at least nullify, the wind. You can see him drifting sideways in the first few seconds of the video. My only guess is that he couldn’t get his motor running. I’m sure the captain of the sailboat was yelling in an epic way.
And for what it’s worth, the five blasts of the (freighter’s) horn are standard protocol. Not a panic.
Having to send out the warning at least three times is a bit more than protocol.
@@judytreischl6899 You do it 'til it works.
The five blasts are code for:
YOU ARE GON - NA DIE!
@@TonyWesley I have heard it as "Get out of my way!" but that also works :)
@@TonyWesley Yes, I believe those are the lyrics to that tune. The second verse is: Pa-per work for days!
I’ve 50 years experience at this spot in the St. Clair River. Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron all empty into this monster current. Stay close as possible to the Canadian shore and keep your engine running in case you need it.
You hear 5 whistles from a ship coming at you. You get the hell out of its way.
Yeah as soon as he saw the freighter he should have fired up the engine lower the sails
What did the old chapman's guide say ? Johnny was right up until he got run over by a tanker / ship and died .
The ship could have changed corse 5 minutes before this is attempted Murder
@@landofwaterfalls On the Chesapeake Bay. We have knuckleheads that sail right at an 11000-foot container ship screaming on the radio that they there a sailboat and they have the RIGHT of way. Amazing!
That guy sails like I would. I don't know how to sail.
He sails the same way a lot of people drive.
🤣
Sail boats have the right of way
@@56username not in shipping channels
@@56username International collision regulations: Rule 9
Narrow Channels
(b) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel which can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway.
I remember them saying, sail power has right of way? Last thing before they got crushed by a ship that could not stop.
Nope. Large vessels have the right of way.
There is an international hierarchy, within COREGS, listing various vessels in various circumstances. In open water, steam gives way to sail but in a channel with restricted maneuverability, the restricted vessel is the 'stand on" vessel. However, inland fresh water system (such as this seems to be) can have their own, unique rules.
I was taught that the "less maneuverable vessel" had the right of way. Most often that would be a vessel under sail, but not always.
I grew up and live in PH. I go swimming and diving at the boardwalk near the orange building in the background in the video.
Orr boat definitely has right of way. Constrained in ability to maneuver.
@@kevintwiss3495 that’s a good first pass, but like the road, there are lots of specific places that isn’t true. Channels are somewhat like a freeway, in that when somethings coming, you can’t cross, even if other clever phrases make it sound like you can.
In this case, the sailboat was either on the wrong side, or was crossing or blocking. Either way, regardless of vessel size or type, he’d be wrong.
Besides, we can argue which of those two vessels had more maneuvering options, and I would say the sailboat could have left the area in any direction but up, but the ship had no choice but to continue down the channel at speed or lose control and ground it.
Civilians have a dangerous misconception that sailboats and kayaks can get in the way and have right of way because they move crappy. Not true.
IMO the freighter capt'n made the right call keeping the sailboat on his port side, given the speed (2.2-3.4 kts) and direction of the current, the direction of drift (COG) of the sailboat, and the need to stay in the centre of the shipping channel as the river bends to starboard towards bridge just up ahead. If you watched the video to the near end you get a sense of how strong the current is as the freighter goes under the bridge. As for the shipping channel being 1000 ft wide (less than 2 boat lengths of the Cuyahoga) at that point in the St. Clair River - the implied inference, according to one commenter, being that this is plenty of room for a 620 ft long, 20,000 tonne freighter to manoeuvre - nothing could be further from reality.
Yeah when the bridge comes into view it gives you a point of reference and you really get idea of how fast the current is by how slow the boat is going.
A nasty moment for both skippers. Apart from the current and light wind seems to me the sailboat skipper wasn't sure which side the ship was going to go and actually did the right thing in not turning until he was sure the ship was passing port to port. Can't have been nice when, at one point, the ship was heading straight for them. But don't forget telephoto lens probably made it look closer than it was.
Hopefully someone on that sailboat was wearing their brown pants.
My interpretation is that both boats behaved reasonably, given inadequate communication largely attributable to the sailboat. It looks like the sailboat was (barely) holding position upwind/stream to allow the Cuyahoga to pass below. The Cuyahoga had to turn to make the bend and knew the turn would be close to the position of a sailboat pinned and making leeway. They blew the short 5 signal and turned upwind, hoping the sailboat would take the easy downwind/stream (and port to port) pass. The sailboat was slow to respond, which made it unnecessarily close, but the Cuyahoga could have gone full astern to give them more time. (They had headway to steer sharply, so don't claim their maneuverability was less than the sailboat's at this point.) A little VHF communication or an early single (or double) signal might have eased the situation.
I had to replay it, so good! Coolest Seaway video I've seen in a while. All the way from near collision to passing the Blue Water Bridge.
My understanding of the rules of the road is to pass port to port the Freighter made the correct maneuver to come down the port side of the sailboat. The Sailboat then did the correct maneuver by jibing to starboard allowing the pass on the port side. The sailboat was stalled in the channel by the current and by changing course they also started to make way. Then there is the issue of forced perspective of the telephoto lens making the two vessels look closer together than they were. All in all it looked as though both skippers did the right thing.
It looked like the freighter made a potentially bad situation worse by turning, bringing it closer to the sailboat than it would have otherwise been. But as Jim says above, it could have appeared that way because of the telephoto lens.
Twice, the freighter did the 'you're screwing up, you need to stop" signal.
@Glenn Watson Glenn i never said the sailboat had the right of way. I said the rules state you pass port to port the freighter was following the rules of the road to avoid a collision rule 2a. Also there must have been enough room for the maneuver and the vessel was not restricted in its ability to maneuver. The sail boat may or may not have had the right of way. One of the rules i always follow is might makes right get the F out of the way of ships if you are a personal water craft.
"port-to-port" only applies in a meeting situation, not a crossing situation, and, really, is more of a guideline than a rule, especially between boats with equal burden. You can toot twice, take the oncoming boat to starboard. If you're a sailboat pinching on starboard tack, meeting a powerboat, you might not be able to move further to starboard, so, you fall off a bit, show your starboard rail.
This example is a crossing situation, and the commercial vessel was constrained by his draught, needed to stick to deeper water. Initially they are looking at each others' starboard rail, which is just fine, but, the freighter had to turn to starboard to avoid going aground, or hitting the bridge. He's now looking straight at the sail's starboard rail. If they were both private power yachts he'd still be the stand-on vessel. But, he's commercial, with a much larger draught.
The sailboat should know where the channel is, and give it to the freighter, whether that means moving to starboard, or to port. Which he did. He's either a much more confident sailor than I, or a less cautious one.
@@dalydegagne1839 There isn't too much room for the big ships to really turn on the St. Clair River, that's why boat owners are usually seen hugging the Canadian side of River, leaving the larger ships room to make their turns on the American side.
5 horn blasts = warning. I use to live three streets from the Chesapeake bay and would hear this all the time.
The old CUYAHOGA is very maneuverable!
I see that’s why he Was going to hit a sail boat and put a few people prop wash
Also has a bow thruster
Maybe, but looking at the state of the hull it wouldn't be the first time it's bashed something.
@@davidjones332 Those things are the dump trucks of the shipping business.
@@davidjones332 rub marks from the docks
Looks like the sailboat got stuck in the current and tried to fight it...but made no headway. They should have jibed sooner to avoid, but it is easy to be armchair captain from home after the fact.
The freighter was upbound and the sailboat was downbound which means he was going WITH the current, which is pretty intense. Years ago, I took my 25 ft sailboat up the St. Clair River and at that exact spot, was barely able to make headway under power. Max speed on my boat was 7 knots and I people walking along the shore were moving faster than I was. The sailboat probably didn't realize he was in the channel when the ship turned. We ate dinner at Freighters restaurant the night before which is just to the right from where the camera is situated and it's fun to watch those huge ships navigate that narrow area. The pilots are excellent at their jobs but it's not uncommon to to see people on jest skis and power boats maneuver very close to those big ships.
Under the international rules of navigation Sailing vessels have the right of way. When the ship first gives 5 blasts of its whistle the sailboat made a turn to port to avoid an accident. At that time the Ship made a starboard turn right at the sailboat. He had to swing over to a starboard tack in an attempt to again avoid a collision.
@@felyhiggins1584 Commercial vessels have right of way over all recreational vessels including sailboats.
@@felyhiggins1584 under the international rules of common sense, keep your little recreational water craft away from the working bulk carrier.
@@jima28080 Commercial vessels do not have the right of way over recreational vessels. Sailing vessels under 20 meters are required to stay out of the way of vessels that are obligated to use a restricted channel, and this sailboat certainly tried to do that.
When I'm sailing in a situation like this my rule of thumb is: That guy is working, I'm not. He shouldn't even have to think about me!
This person (the captain of the sailing boat) is probably one of those guys who walks really slow and methodical across the crosswalk at an intersection.
@@guntherultraboltnovacrunch5248 Your comment crystallizes the problem. You have to prove some type of proficiency to get a license to drive a car. However, in most of the US, certainly California, you get the keys to a multi-ton vessel, that that operates in a liquid medium, is subject to the forces of current, wind, prop walk and has no brakes, and PRESTO!! YOU'RE A CAPTAIN! 😆😟
They are making rudimentary attempts at some type of certification in California. But I stress RUDIMENTARY!
@@carlwilliams6977, who is giving those keys away?
Precisely. Just stay the hell out of his way and let the man work. Your out on a leisurely sail (with friends or family that should NEVER agree to go out on your boat again with you) so maybe play it safe and steer well well clear of any working vessels that could possibly run you over and kill you.
@@jasonpilla easy to say that, but from the camera angle it *looks* like the sailboat didn't expect the freighter to change course.
Cuyahoga is the name of the river flowing through the middle of Cleveland. This summer I watched one ship maneuver in, then another maneuver out. Lots of sharp turns. Fascinating to watch.
Glad the camera zoomed out as it gave what was going on context that I wasn’t seeing. Cheers!
When the clip began, the sailboat was oversheeted for the point of sail, thereby stalling his sails and was drifting only sideways. He had no control of the vessel until he turned left (into the ship's pass. Only then could he make the turn that saved his boat. More sailing experience would have prevented the near miss.
Please explain what you mean by "oversheeted for the point of sail". I am guessing you mean the sails are too close to the center for the direction the wind is blowing. Initially, the Catalina seems to be close hauled, or on a close reach judging from the trim of the sails. It is hard for me to determine exactly what direction the wind is actually coming from in this video. It is also hard to tell how much forward progress the Catalina is making, as we have primarily a stern view with a telephoto lens, although the current is certainly pushing her down stream. When the Catalina turns left, it appears to be trying to tack or come-about, to get out of the way. She is unable to tack against the current. She then seems to fall off, turning to the right and moves out of the Cuyahoga's path. There does seem to be little adjustment of sail during the whole episode.
@@vidaliasoleil2714 The first forward progress occurs only after the left turn. This indicates the boat was oversheeted to begin with. Your description of the term "oversheeted" is almost accurate. I would edit it to say "the sails are too close to the centerline of the vessel for the apparent wind direction." Apparent wind is a vector between the true wind and the boat's motion. All vessels (and vehicles) create wind when they are moving; a sailboat must take advantage of the apparent wind when sailing.
@@DeadEyeDave HMMMMM. Interesting alternative thoughtful interpretation of the exact same data. As I said, it appeared to me that the Catalina was attempting to tack, and that accounts for the turn to the left. It was unable to complete the tack due to the 7 knot current. Of course, when the boat is broadside to the camera, its forward motion is more apparent. In my experience, being oversheeted (what I would call overtrimmed) would not stop good forward progress but you might not make maximum speed. It is notable that the Catalina does not seem to adjust her sail trim when she falls off. And I am sure there was a long moment of indecision waiting to see if they were on an intersecting course with the freighter, where attention was on the Cuyahoga and less on the sailboat. I know my first impulse would be to tack, rather than falling off towards the oncoming freighter.
He was oversheeted and his pants were overshitted.
As a sailor for 49 years I can tell you that this river has 5 to 8 mph current and that can confuse any sailing vessel. The freighter however turned into the sailboat and confused the situation completely....I guess the captain of the sailboat should have known this was the "new course" of the freighter and the sailboat could have let off and gone down wind a bit sooner but even freighters have to steer clear and provide room for a now powered boat IF the freighter is changing course.....
If the freighter hadn’t turned she would have run aground,read the chart in that area.
Reminds me of the cover of an Archie comic book from the 1960s Reggie and Jughead are in a rowboat. Reggie is pulling hard on the oars and sweating profusely as the bow of an enormous ship is bearing down on their boat. Jughead is reading The Rules of the Sea and saying to Reggie, "Don't worry, according to this, we have the right of way".
Tired old mechanic...
LOL 😂 Thanks for that story. That one gets two thumbs up. It speaks to that old adage ...
"You can Be Right or You Can Be DEAD Right".
Kinda depends on just how far you want to go to prove you are right. 🙄
In spite of the wide variety of notes produced by individual vessels, one thing all ships horns seem to have in common is an eerie, ominous tone.
Consistency is important when it comes to safety. The sound should be immediately linked to 'danger'. Keep the 'fancy stuff' for your iPhone :-)
This is more of a Huron, than Erie tone.
@@ptinvite7942 LOL! Everyone's a RUclips comedian nowadays. Speaking of cellphones, I think that some of those sounds would make perfect ringtones for calls from ex's, creditors, bookies...
There was no need for the freighter to turn into the sailing vessel. As far as I see, they could have passed starboard to starboard easily. It is obvious, that the channel was not too narrow to maneuver in that way. It seems to me, that the sailboat´s captain did not imagine, the freighter would make such a drastic moneuver. So it came they reacted late. imo
Did you ever stop to think the sail boat was in the channel ? The only part that the large ship can navigate safely ?
Think before you post garbage...
I worked on tugs in NYC for thirty eight years. Most pleasure craft operators have no clue about where the Chanel is or what the rules of the road are. Sailboats are the enemy, they will attack with out reason.
@@fredmertz9950 Just take a look at the nautical charts. Then you will see, that there was enough water at the port side of the freighter. Even close to the shore there is min. 35 ft depth. The draught of the freighter is max. 18 ft. So check the facts before name someone´s post garbage. Just saying ...
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Thats a misnomer. a near miss is a double negative which would indicate a collision. should b nearly a hit.
The freighter has to keep to the channel and has to turn right. He gives 5 blasts on the horn "danger potential collision". The sailboat should react immediately. He does the right thing belatedly and avoids a collision.
Yeah turning on the motor and back winding the jib? Uh. Inexperience.
@@sailingadventuress5489 he definitely took the wind out of the jib at the last moment. Just saved his ass!
@@AWBepi that doesn't work with commercial vessels, they have the right of way in channels or rivers such as in this video
@@muumoo111 they’re draft restricted although the sailboat is the stand-on if it were sailboat under power to sailboat under power. Shit gets complicated!
5 blasts actually means ‘your intentions are not clear’ . You can assume the ship is constrained by its draught although it should be displaying a cylindrical day mark if that were the case. In my view the sail boat was foolhardy to be mid-channel progressing at such a slow SOG. Poor seamanship. Their first response should have been to bear away and gibe as they eventually did.
That looked incredibly responsive for a big ship. (and good thing, too!)
Those lake boats usually are, at least compared to their sea going cousins, also those guys on the C-30 what the hell, really..
They have bow thrusters to help maneuver in tight locations, doesn't look like it was used here though. The ore boat was traveling through the water pretty fast since it was going against the current.
@@tomhath8413 Cuyahoga is an old lady, built in 1943. She does not have bow thrusters, which are rare on lakers.
@@markhamstra1083 come on man. Stop writing thing that you don’t know !
Cuyahoga is equiped with a bow thruster. The proof if you need one is that circle white mark paint with a “prop” in it meanning that bow thruster is below the water line below that mark !
If you need to find it it s on the bow. Below “CUYAHOGA” ship name.
@@olivierfolliard8629 Yup, thanks. I was looking at her history and some old dry dock pictures instead of what was clearly in front of me in the original video. Looks like she was refitted with a bow thruster, maybe at the same time that she was repowered to diesel.
My guess is that the sailboat was initially under sail power alone but barely making headway with light winds and a vicious current. With just a few seconds to spare he started his engine, gave it full throttle (not fast on a sailboat), and power-jibed out of the way. His nearly catastrophic mistake was not doing that MUCH sooner.
Got that right, the sailboat should have headed to either side of the channel ten minutes before they got to this point of near collision.
Look at the video again. I bet he was under engine power and could not overcome the current. Some of these Cat 30s have a very underpowered diesel. Once he turns with sails luffing his speed picks up and that is not due to wind IMHO.
@@mpgarr Ten minutes earlier, he probably couldn't see the freighter coming up the river!
Actually, at that point in the river you have a pretty good view of downriver. Review the video and note how the view changes.
Narrow field of view with a video, especially when zoomed in. Just careless or a sailor with insufficient knowledge and skill... Distracted by the sights hmmmm???
It does not appear the sailboat ever started his engine, he was sailing as fast as the current was taking him back. Tacking just allowed the current to whisk him to the port side of the freighter.
The sailboat was well into the marked shipping channel. There is a very sharp turn at that point in the river with a strong current and the large ships have their hands full maneuvering there. It's no place for a greenhorn in a sailboat. There is another video in the same area as this where a freighter crushes a sailboat.
I cannot find said video.
The SV has the perfect right to be in the channel (a lane is offshore dear) the rest is debatable. The ships should have sounded 7 short blasts and one prolonged blast anyway.
@@superbmediacontentcreator The sailboat has a right to be in the channel, however he can not impede the course of a vessel under restricted maneuverability. The ship must remain in the channel, the sailboat is not obliged to remain in the channel. The sailboat is the giveway vessel, the ship is the stand on vessel.
This ship was DELIBERATELY aiming at the sailboat !
Note his correction swerving left after he 'MISSED ' then right again to line up for the channel.
Bloody fool.
@@pieterbezuidenhout2741 No the ship was staying in the channel as it was required to. The sailboat was impeding in the channel and was obliged to move. He simply either didn't know this or didn't know how to, although his last second maneuver suggests that he misplayed the situation.
Sailboat and her occupants are lucky. When I was in the Navy, a sailboat cut in front of us in the San Diego Harbor Channel.....my ship blocked the wind and they went dead in the water directly ahead of us. We had nowhere to go. Thankfully, we only clipped the stern and she slid down the side of our hull....wrecked the paint pretty good but no one died. That was 30 years ago and I won't forget the faces.
I don't think the sailboat cut in front of the ship. The ship turned to the sailboat. Lets say the sailboat was a row boat. The ship has no right to run it over. Or maybe it does. I think the ship should have blown his horn earlier or maneuvered differently.
@@captainmorgan3773 The freighter took a sharper than usual turn toward the right to avoid the sailboat, which for whatever reason started to head toward the freighter's turn before turning around.
@Daniel Michaels... First of all a rowboat would never, should never, be out there. Second, a freighter is restricted to a narrow channel due to its draft. Thus, the blowboat and it's wayward skipper are burdoned and thus at fault. The freighter's skipper took considerable evasive action, during a required turn, to avoid making that idiot a Darwin Award Winner. Good thing the ship's Captain was paying attention because it's obvious the blowboater had no clue.
BTW... The ship had make the turn he made at this point. Actually he went farther to starboard to avoid the blowboat. If he went straight as some felt he should have he would have run into a steel and concrete seawall. So, to those who question why he turned toward that nice innocent sailboat... That is why. Problem is that a video provides a limited field of view depriving us of all that the sailboats skipper could see. Thus everyones confusion.
@@captainmorgan3773 Oh Daniel. I forgive you for not knowing the laws of physics and the ultimate Law of Ships: The Law of Gross Tonnage, which states, in part, that thou shalt get crushed if thouist gets in the way of thee which is much larger and cannot maneuver in mid-channel. Also think of it this way, if you step in front of a moving car, it is not the car's fault.
@@zubrickadvisors6742 So your saying that a sailboat or any boat for that matter that is in distress and cannot move for whatever reason is going to get run over by a freighter! I was not there, but just looking at the video to me the sailboat was not in the path of the freighter nor did he deviate into the path. The freighter turned into the path of the sailboat. The sailboat was not moving and seamed to be stuck. I understand the laws of nature and I would have contacted the freighter to find out just what his intentions were. All I'm saying is from the video the sailboat did not deviate into the freighters path. He was already there. The freighter turned into him. On Superior we have lanes for the ferries, but even then they will contact you or blow the horn well in advance if you are in their path. Your analogy of the car does not make sense because the sailboat did not step in front of the freighter the sailboat was sitting there and the freighter turned into it. A better analogy would be if you are in a car and turning a corner and someone is crossing the street do you just run them over because they are in your way!
Navigation Rule 9 (b): “A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway.”
I agree, the yacht shouldn't have been there.
(Or maybe it might have been there, but not on that course)
Still, i think the freighter aggrivated the situation by insisting to pass in front of the yacht.
Had the freighter maintained it's course at 0:44, the yacht could have kept going, and there would have been enough separation once the freighter passed astern of the yacht.
After that the freighter could have followed the channel. Now he had to make a correction after he passed the yacht.
I state: In solving the problem created by the yacht, the freighter made a mistake.
Many armchair sailors here think it's all the yacht's fault.
I think the 'professionals' on the freighter also made a mistake.
I'm guessing you know a channel tends to be deepest on the outside of a bend.
On Google Maps ( in satellite view ) you can see the channel is quite deep along the quay.
Also, as there are no markers at the quay side, the quay IS the edge of the channel.
When you zoom in front of the casino and further south you can see the channel markers on the Canadian side!
It's easy to blame the amateur, but the 'professionals' also bear a responsibility.
Every day in traffic we have to react on situations that shouldn't have occurred in the first place.
It's our reaction which determines if the infringement of the rules is going to have serious consequences or not.
I normally like your tips, but I don't think this rule really is the issue here. The Catalina clearly wants to get out of the way of the Cuyahoga. It had lost it's engine and was probably making for the relative safety of Sarnia Harbor. It was crossing the channel at close to a right angles and was probably well into the channel before the Cuyahoga was even visible. The Cuyahoga had just entered the river from the Transport Canada docks. The channel is 800 feet wide, and the current about 7 knots. The speed limit for the Cuyahoga is 10 knots. It appears to me the Catalina is unsure if the Cuyahoga will pass to it's stern or turn onto an intersecting course. When the Cuyahoga appears to be on an intersecting course, and sounds it's horn, the Catalina tries to come-about (0.40). It fails due to the current. It then falls off (1.05) and moves out of the Cuyahoga's path. What do you see differently?
The Coast Guard calls it the “Rule of Gross Tonnage”….
So sail boats don’t have the right-of-way?
@@marybethlosch6641 I believe when it comes to pleasure craft,non powered craft get right of way meaning sail boats,,freighter ships are not pleasure craft.they are working vessels..carrying weight,,they are harder to manover..
@@marybethlosch6641 In cases of sail and power generally the sailboat has right of way but when dealing with a freighter that takes over a mile to stop the sailboat must yield or become another great lakes statistic.
@@marybethlosch6641 sail boats never have "right of way over a vessel that takes 1/2 a nautical mile or more to slow down... duh!!!
@@marybethlosch6641 not always ;-)
Any sailor should know that ships have always the right of way in a channel. Ships cannot stop specially in a current because they could go aground. Stay out of their way!
You could see the ship had to maneuver in order to follow the channel and not get swayed by the currents .
The sailboat seemed to be turning into the current then changing course , confused and out of it's level of comfort .
I have been in a rather similar situation 30 years ago in a 23' boat with a couple friends of mine, owners of the boat, and the woman was 8 months pregnant. It was between Brooklyn and Sandy Hook, New Jersey, an extremelly busy shipping lane, and it was horror in slow motion. I believe they sold the boat immediately after that event; a wise decision, since neither one was a good skipper.
Ya gotta luv Gov’s Island & the Big Orange Battering Rams Stat!
I was on a US Coast Guard cutter and this always happened to us when we were coming in or out of port. Even with all engines astern you would never be able to stop in time to avoid these small boats. So we just kept on at 10 knots hoping not to hit one. The rules of the road at sea are simple to follow yet ships continue to crash into each other because they're ignoring those rules.
If you reversed hard you couldn't control the bow, it'd swing out and likely hit shallow waters or shore
Well you can see Mr. and Mrs. Howell on deck with Gilligan and the professor .... Skipper was below deck with Ginger and Mary Anne .... NO ONE TO DRIVE THE BOAT!
I had a very similar incident on SF Bay with a Matson container ship. I was caught in the wind shadow of the city, just south of the Bay Bridge. We made a bow to starboard collision. I was lucky that the tug skipper on the same side went behind the ship. The apparent wind from the ship allowed me to jibe and sail away to starboard. If the outboard had started, I would have missed the experience.
First of all, that wasn't "sailing", that was flailing.
"Might makes right"
The freighter was the stand-on vessel in this instance because of its limited maneuverability and the fact that it was in a deep water navigation channel.
There was no RAM or NUC sign on the freight so limited maneuverability rule 18 pecking order does not apply and it should be treated as power driven vessel. It was a narrow channel and I don't see if sailing vessel has downward cone to indicate it was power driven. But given the sailing vessel last minute maneuver, it indicates that it has motor on it and thus making it power driven vessel. So both freight and sailing vessel become power driven vessel. Per rule 15 it was a crossing situation and sailing vessel was on the starboard of freight making it a give way vessel. This is what actually freight tried to do by turning starboard. But given sailing vessel was underway and not making way, freight should have kept going straight and turn when finally past and clear of sailing vessel. If sailing vessel was not powered, then per rule 18 it is at the higher pecking order and freight, a power-driven vessel, was give away vessel. Per rule 9, under narrow channel, sailing vessel not to impede power driven vessel in narrow channel but when risk of collision exist, which it was in this case, rule 15 takes precedence and freight becomes give way vessel.
So that was the rule, but in reality Sailing vessel was moron and should have kept out of way of freight.
@@jayd6098 The sailboat was under sail alone. She made a normal tack. The sails fill on the new tack to move the boat, and there is no sign of discharge or cavitation that would indicate that she was under power. The freighter could have and should have both begun the turn earlier and sounded the danger signal well before the start of this video. (She may have signaled before the footage we can see, but she should have been signaling continuously.) The sailboat was attempting to keep clear, and the freighter kept turning into her. The Law of Gross Tonnage does not exempt larger boats from the requirement to make their intentions clear, nor may they turn directly into the path of another vessel with limited maneuverability.
@@StevenBLevy From purely COLREG point, no vessel had limited maneuverability (no one had NUC or RAM day shape displayed) and COLREG does not talk about law of gross tonnage so that is out of the window. If sail had no power, then under rule 18, it was in higher pecking order of stand-on and freight becomes give away vessel. I agree with sound signal and other avoiding actions. And onus falls on both vessel to avoid collision but it does not discharge give away vessel (Freight) of her obligation to keep away at safe distance by taking positive and early avoiding action to prevent collision which includes, changing course, speed, and using sound signals. This does not mean sailing vessel was not a dick to keep clear of freight but legally they will be less responsible in case of collision.
He wasn't in any way limited. That channel is well over 700 feet wide and 40 feet deep the whole way across. The sailboat was the stand-on vessel.
The captain of the freighter would absolutely be charged if a collision occurred. They were the give way vessel, and the sailboat was the stand-on vessel. This one isn't even open for debate.
Having said that, the captain of the sailboat must have damn near had a heart attack. The camera angle makes it hard to tell, but it seemed like they weren't prepared for the freighter's change of course.
That freighter is very nimble. This would’ve been a disaster if the captain didn’t react quickly
Why didn't the freighter just turn less and go behind the sailboat if he was that nimble? was it too shallow behind the sailboat?
@@alan6832 you have to consider the momentum and speed and what else is in the area that we can’t see in the frame. Not to mention how erratic the sailboat was moving because at the end the sail boat turned in the direction that you were suggesting the laker to go anyway. They did the best decision possible. Hell, what if the wake of the laker ended up pulling the sailboat under?
@@HesJustSteven I don't see it. in particular, the sailboat only turns once at the very end and that's after the ship rapidly turns from behind the sailboat across to in front of it. The only explanation I can fathom is shallow water behind the sailboat.
@@alan6832 Not enough water.
Let's assume the yachtie saw the ship...there's quite a current running through there and a light wind and it almost looks like an effect of being hove to, without meaning to. Hard to starboard would've been my decision. Might has right!
So does a working vessel
Also the ship had restricted maneuverability due to channel constraints. He had legal right of way.
You’d think people would have the same intelligence where semi trucks are involved…. Huh, it’s crazy 🤔
it looked like the skipper was trying to come about but almost in irons because of the current. It also looks like they got the lump running and didnt actually gybe but fell way off the wind. Looks like a pretty stiff breeze judging by the flag on the ship. and with no momentum its pretty tough to swing a boat through the wind...
@@josephparker7278 there's a time to Jib there's a time to tack. Before he entered the close quarters of the channel when he got sight of that big freighter it was time to drop the sails and fire up the engine.
Western rivers rules come into play here and the sailboat is the stand down vessel for both up and down river traffic if I am not mistaken.
You are not mistaken
Good rule. It should apply in all inland waters of the U.S.
More broad definition this situation falls under is "narrow channel":
A vessel proceeding along the course of a narrow channel or fairway is obliged to keep "as near to the outer limit of the channel or fairway which lies on her starboard side as is safe and practicable." The same Rule obliges a vessel of less than 20 metres in length or a sailing vessel not to impede the passage of a vessel "which can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway."
@@True_BabaYaga These waters are no where close to me but is this channel fall in the western river rule area? I understand the " narrow Channel" rule.
@@redsammy7789 I have to plead ignorance, since I do not sail in inland waters, but doesn't "western rivers" mean "Mississippi River, its tributaries, South Pass, and Southwest Pass...". Since the action takes place near Port Huron, I am not sure it falls under the definition of "Western Rivers". Can be wrong though.
What did the old chapman's guide say ? Johnny was right , up until he got run over by a tanker / ship and died .
"Oh I'm a sailboater! You have to go around me"!
This is under the Bluewater Bridge in Port Huron. I sailed under that same bridge in 2017 and the same freighter came up behind me.. He honked his horn and I moved aside, as he was directly behind me but coming up stream with a lot more speed. The current there is about 6 knots so I was only making about 1 knot. He was doing 8-10kts
The sailboat was making no headway against the current. Freighter Captain made the right call and changed course to go upstream of the sailboat but, he should not have had to.
The freighter was staying in the channel.he had no other maneuver options..sailboat should have tacked over sooner!..gotta know the rules of the road.
@@mrabrasive51 He could have killed the people in the boat and not gone aground.
The pilot of the sailboat is one of those blokes who walks very slowly and deliberately across a busy intersection's crosswalk to make himself feel important (to have kept all those people waiting).
Vessels restricted by draft have right of way over vessels under sail. Rules of the road
Ah,but was the ship displaying the correct symbol shape a "cylinder". Rules of the Road..
No such rule as *constrained by draft* in the Inland Rules. Nearest is Rule 9; "shall not impede".
That boat really pulled off a quick last second gybe to get out of the way. Clearly they were stuck in some current and weren't moving. Glad everyone was ok
I think they used the iron genoa
Captain of the ship should loose his license
@@56username why?
@@bazbbeeb7226 because Earl doesn't know his arse from his elbow that's why...
@@olsim1730 in Australia we always give way to commercial vessels, im thinking its the same over your way?
It gets crazy narrow for the big ships in that stretch of the river, not much wiggle room at all. Best not to loiter in the middle.
Most captains call in for an experienced local pilot to maneuver the ship down river just before entering this point.
The freighter is a vessel that is restricted in its ability to maneuver.
Looks like a strong current, light wind, lack of attention by the skipper = potentially disastrous combination. Smart ship's captain!
Check the flags and pennants on the bridge of the bulker. Big wind, cross-wind. The sailboat morons were trying to beat to windward, with the current against them. They are lucky to be alive.
@@briggsquantum
BS. The freightship never maintained a steady course. It behaved like it was hunting the yacht down.
Caveat: I have no knowledge regarding water depth.
@@xFD2x The freighter has to make the turn to stay in the channel and there is a very strong current. Sailboat was in the wrong, nearly was drift wood.
@@Niftynorm1
The yacht was sailing more or less perpendicular to the channel, and was making headway. So that is okay.
The yacht could have thought the freighter would pass him astern. Only when the freighter turned at the yacht ( 0:48 ), and beyond, the alarm bells should have rung.
At 1:05 you see he has propulsion from the engine, and turns away.
I doubt i would have done it much better.
The correction the freighter had to make after his encounter with the yacht shows he made a mistake also by insisting to pass in front of the yacht.
many ppl think power boaters are the idiots.... and there are many of them.... but sail boaters can be just as stupid.
A tad too close! Bet someone is gonna have some bad dreams about that close encounter.
Seen much closer during the spring walleye run 😜
The more I look at it the more I remember what I heard in another video. The Great Lakes not only host the Cool Lake Freighters, but they also have recreational users and their Boats as well.
It’s nice to compare modern little boats with older large ships. Also, at 2:44, you see that little Speedboat bouncing up and down with the waves, while the large Lake Freighter remains level.
The big tonnage boat had the best visit billeting and understood what was in front of it, it was completely inappropriate to keep accelerating it should’ve cut the power about 1 1/2 minutes prior, this is way too close of a potential crash. Severe penalties should be against the captain of the ship. That was a pure ego driven thing to do and he should be dismissed as a captain
Apparently there's a wicked amount of current so cutting power might not have just reduced steering authority. :/ It's hard to say what was really happening from the video, but yeah ... could have been tragic.
Those people were fortunate it was a sharp skipper on the freighter.
More like a dull eraser
He had more then 5 minutes to maneuver or not move until a boat under sail went safely by
@@56username No, fool. No.
The ship can't maneuver without running aground outside the channel.
Nor does it have the option of not moving- because that current would smash it into the shore. All boats must remain under power to steer.
Can’t Make an excuse for your posts nor Fix Stupid
Afterwards, the sailboat crew does a group shorts check.
The boat's skipper seemed to be at anchor in the channel, with a freighter bearing down on him. Not at anchor, he wasn't making any appreciable headway., yet he seemed determined to cross the freighter's bow before a collision. Maybe his engine wouldn't start. At the last moment he turned away from the freighter's path and, with help from the wind, disaster was avoided. I wonder how many passengers on that boat were about to abandon ship!
Are we sure the freighter turned at all to avoid the sailboat? Just looked like freighter captain was following dog leg in the river, sailboat be damned!
No, the rewatch the video, the Cuyahoga made a sharp turn to starboard to avoid the sailboat, the captain or pilot was doing all he or she could do to avoid the pending collision.
The fact of the matter is, the ship had to make a turn to starboard or run into the steel and concrete seawall. The river turns up toward the bridge and the cut. Our "skipper" had a clear view well downriver (at and before this point) of the ship approaching and should have known the ship had to turn toward him. One must question if he reviewed his charts before entering the river from the lake or if he even understands them. Because the ship is forced to remain in the channel the blowboat becomes the burdoned vessel and must yield to the freighter. A prudent sailor knows his surroundings and plans ahead. This guy obviously did not.
Better watch the video again
I'm not sure I'd want to try sailing without power on that river. Look at the current.
you should see some of these sail boats trying to go upriver. Right under the bridge is the strongest current, and at full power they can barely move
@@asmera4547 unless they hug the Canadian shore, there’s a back eddy that helps a lot
To put the “Rule of Gross Tonnage” into perspective, the Cuyahoga is a 184m bulk carrier (from 1943) with a gross tonnage of a little over 10,500 and a summer deadweight of 15,850 t … while the sailing vessel is a 9 m fiberglass Catalina 30 weighing in @ a measly 4.6 t … I’ll let your imagination take it from here.
Btw. while the skipper of the sailboat did the correct thing (albeit a bit late), I am pretty certain he did not have the right of way. The Cuyahoga appears to be headed north on the St. Clair River, navigating a fairly narrow channel just south of the Blue Water bridge (before entering Lake Huron). There also appears to be a good bit of current against her, as seen by the Catalina’s sideways motion - in fact that vessel appears to almost be stalled, drifting south with the current while apparently attempting to cross the channel (or effectively doing so while tacking).
The International and Inland COLREGS (Collision Regulations) specify that vessels restricted by channel depth or maneuverability have the right of way. If you must cross the channel, cross it quickly and in a perpendicular fashion. If you're near the channel, maneuver early on to indicate avoidance (the key word here is early). Move out of the path of the ship when it's still far away, and maintain your course once you have made the change.
As opposed to many countries around the world where holding a captain's license is a requirement to operate a boat, most recreational skippers in the US never get one (USCG, RYA Yachtmaster, or similar), but that is where things like this would be taught ... and could potentially same lives.
He made a sudden course correction that lead to the near collision. Freighter is completely at fault.
Right of way vs self preservation. Very similar to the big truck rule.
Except under the Collision Regulations the freighter very definitely has right of way in this situation and the sailboat is absolutely required to get out of its way. The ColRegs are designed to prevent situations such as this for marine safety. I imagine that was a fun interview with the Coast Guard for the sailboat skipper.
We say “limited by draught” but Caribbean rules just sensibly say “De big ship got him right of way” 🤓
My mom calls it "right of weight".
Like trucks in India.
Sailboats always have right of way that ship purposefully turned into that sailboat path.
The freighter Captain turned into the sailboat, he could have passed him Starboard side. He was careless. I don't give a hoot about bigger gets right of way, the freighter Captain was careless. I have been in a situation with large fishing boats in the northeast with our sailboat. They don't care, just set a course and go.
@@sndspderbytes not true, mate. Big commercial ships like this have the right of way here.
That definitely was a brown trousers moment for the people in the sailboat.
Think that thay were to stuped to know thay could die
In the sailboat’s defense, when the wind suddenly dies or the sailboat gets in dead air, you can’t move quickly. It looked like there was little or no wind in the sails until they made a jibe.
Most sailboats (deep water there) have engines. Unfortunately those type of experienced Capt’s also have giant steel cajones in the stubborn Dept. “I know my rights”
@@shanec4441 There was plenty of wind, but more current. And there was no jibe - watch the headsail remain sheeted on the same side throughout the maneuver.
Hope the coast guard or harbor patrol pay him a visit.
I hope the coast guard brings down the hammer hard. Pleasure sailing in a river? GTFO
"As such, commercial vessels should do their best to stay out of the way of sailboats. But this is not always possible, and sailboat operators need to stay diligent around commercial vessels and take steps to avoid collision when it appears that the commercial vessel will be unable to stay clear."
@@johnriley7053 sailboats have rights on recreational power boats only when sailing (not under power). When it comes to freighters - especially in this channel, freighters have rights… Thats because freighters have less maneuverability.
Thats also why sailboats under sail power have rights over recreational power boats - its easier for the power boat to get out of the way (ie they can turn up wind)
The rules come from the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) which is consistent with US maritime law - and this is a channel between canada and US where this would be enforced
@@simonstoesser1142 ??? And thus that sailboat operator should be fined and cited for disrupting shipping traffic...
@@johnriley7053 oops I meant to reply to comment above you
@@phone5bigmack182 That is absolutely not true. Large vessels restricted in their ability to maneuver in a channel has right away over a vessel under sail.
Sailboat skipper was in the wrong. The ship is in a restricted passage with limited maneuverability, in open water the sail boat under sail would have the right of way. He is lucky
Sailboat has always think they have the right away. A freighter is strictly constricted by the deapth of the channels. It cannot stop and spin around to avoid a tiny sailboat. Don't sale in front of a freighter
I think Wilfred Darr (above) has a point: the sailor was surprised by the drop of wind when crossing in front of the freight vessel. It was the sheer size of vessel that cut off his wind.
@@biesbrk Initially, the Cuyahoga is clearly downwind of the Catalina. The Cuyahoga could not have blocked the wind until the Catalina had already turned to starboard and was moving away.
Looking at NOAA Chart 14582, one can see that the river at this point - in the area of the A66 & A68 markers - is approx 1000' wide, with 40'+ of depth from very nearly shore to shore. Lots and lots of room, and lots of depth; summer draft for the Cuyahoga is 25' 5"'.
Why then did a vessel under as much demonstrative control as the Cuyahoga exhibited need to turn onto a course which crosses the bow of a smaller vessel under sail, one which was clearly having issues maintaining headway?
Based on what I see on the chart and in this video, Cuyahoga could have easily stayed her original course, easily passing aft and port of the sailboat. It is obvious that this is where she goes after having made the sailboat alter course, and having come far too close to a collision.
Looks like to me someone was just 'throwing their weight around'...
Exactly, and I'm surprised everyone here is quick to blame the s/v. The Cuyahoga doesn't even attempt to slow to minimum speed, just barrelling straight toward the s/v. I can only imagine that there is something off camera that we're not seeing - another vessel perhaps...
Agreed. I'm an experienced sailor. Have seen many a power vessel do the same thing. The sailboat clearly underpowered given the current/conditions. The captain of the freighter could have easily throttled down a bit only losing seconds on the schedule.....
I think the intention was to go ahead of the bow to allow the sailboat to go away from danger by current alone, sensible as ship bulk would eith block wind or disrupt it according to direction, so the current is the important factor/vector. Going astern would mean any loss of wind, and the sailboat would be carried towards a collusion without any method of getting away. Note the turning force of powered vessel is flattened by the current.
1000 ft for a 620 ft long freighter "lots of room" to manoeuvre? I don't think so. Furthermore the river bends to the right towards the bridge at about that point so the Cuyahoga Captn had no choice but to steer hard to starboard in order to stay in the channel. The sailboat skipper obviously lacked a combination of good judgement and local knowledge in putting himself and his crew in danger.
there is a very strong current that the ship has to negotiate. the sailboat was in the deep water shipping channel, out of control.. the ship was put in a dangerous position by the ignorance of the sailboat, the sail boat should have used its engine to get out of the middle of the shipping channel.
I hope they got the sail number on the that sail boat and they got a stern warning. Just because your a sail boat does not mean you always have the right of way. The sail boat was crossing a navigation channel.
Western river rule.
@@Mordalo You are incorrect.
@@Mordalo That is simply not true
@@Mordalo A fishing boat with nets, a boat in RAM ( dive boat,dredge ect) and in certain rivers sail boats do not have right of way to power driven vessels.
Sailboat was caught in some current without sufficient wind to make headway. Not saying they were in the right but freighter did take sharp turn towards them without visibly slowing. Unclear if freighter had a choice as they may have also been concerned about current if they slowed too much.
Those big ships really creep me out. No way I'd ever get anywhere close to one of those monstrosities.
Well what you said was what this guy said and then the big ship quickly changed course and was on him... krazy::::
Huge props to the Captain. It's a laker, not a paddleboat. You see a ship, start making a plan then.
Really exciting sailboat tour $15.00 a person.
I really could not tell whether the big freighter was trying to avoid, or run over the little sail boat..
Neither. The freighter would have stayed on its course. With a ship of that size and the fast current of the St Clair River there isn't a lot of leeway.
This is a cartoon I saw in Mad Magazine. A sailboat is going right in front of a freighter and the guy tells his family "Don't worry he's a powerboat. He has to yield the right of way".
I was always told that turning starboard is what both vessels are supposed to do in a situation like this. Is that standard everywhere in the world?
Geez - right of way is relative... Looked like the freighter deliberately chg'd course to pass up-current of the sailboat which appears to be making no headway. But man that was scary!
You yield to vessels to your right. You yield to vessels in a channel. You yield to one-inch plate-steel !!
That’s ridiculous
That freighter has a fairly narrow path to follow up the Detroit River, through the channels, and finally through St Clair River to get to Lake Huron. Many freighters hire someone to do that and only that because of the expertise and liability they have. This sailboat skipper didn't know what he/she was doing.
Your comment about the freighter deliberately changing course is ridiculous
@@rand49er you are absolutely right
That was way too close for me. Scared me.
Cuyahoga sure is nimble for a 78 year old. I wonder why the Cuyahoga couldn't continue straight to the right of the view and had to cross? The sailboat also should have realized he wasn't making any headway and adjusted accordingly.
A typical yachtsman would say "power gives way to sail".
A bulk carrier captain says "I have right of way so either go to one side of me or go under me, the choice is yours"
Hence the last minute panic by the yachtsman.
Working vessel has the right away. There's probably a notice to Mariners of what time they would be leaving port what their approximate location your job to find out.
@@daffyduck9901 I do know some things about such matters but thanks for letting me know.
@@alfredneuman6488 Roger that brother👍
What a beast of a ship. You definitely don't want to be caught in the path of a vessel of that size😱
try in a kayak. i kayak the river and those freighters come up fast
I wish I could have heard the Captain on the bridge. I bet he had more than a few choice words.
I bet the lowlife is a crack head like so many captains
The captain was probably drunk or on crack or pot and had his hamster on the wheel. The hamster clearly tried to hit the sailboat, changing course on collision course and then changed course back, which is evidence that this was a planned attempt of an assault.
I might be missing something. But, it sure seemed like the freighter was turning right towards the sail boat.
You're not missing anything. That's exactly what happened. People are blaming the sailboat for her inability to make way to wind, but the captain probably didn't realize what the ship was about to do. Maybe he should have; I'm not familiar with the area. Nevertheless, the ship's rate of turn was extreme and had the sailboat kept her course, she woulda been hit. The jibe at the last minute saved her, and that was quick thinking.
This seems like two captains that did their best and narrowly avoided a tragic collision.
They have to follow their lanes, otherwise they will strike shore with that current.
I'm not a sailor (Marine Corps) and though the sailboat wasn't supposed to be there as expert sailors attest,
the Cuyahoga didn't need to keep pushing for a collision since the sailboat was less maneuverable and likely have inexperienced sailors operating it or disabled.
There has to be some commonsense here.
Would you run over a jaywalker even though you had the right of way and they are illegally crossing the street.
It would be up to authorities to issue citations and enforce the law.
If the boat was struck the Cuyohoca would still be at fault for seeing the boat and continuing like robot to a collision that can could lead to lost of life.
How can the captain explain in court they seen the boat and it wasn't suppose to be there and continue straight for it and not slow down or make radio or blowhorn calls to avoid collision.
Right or wrong someone would be dead and it will be on them.
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
Got a question that ship Cayoga, has it been around a long time? I remember the name I lived at the mouth of the Detroit river, but that was over 60 years ago,
Great place to live in those days
I listened to that song yesterday. 🙂
that current! the cargo ship captain was quick to recognize the lack of weigh-on for the sailboat and that they hadn't turned on, or couldn't turn on, their motor yet. It is true that it is hard to know which way to go, when there is no wind, in a sailboat, when you want to properly anticipate how to get out of the way. In this case, the ship captain was quite definitive, making a clear turn, in attempts to accommodate the current and the direction of drift of the sailboat. The sailboat captain and crew were slow to react to that, perhaps they felt that they could not go helms alee and get the bow of the boat to get through the direction of the prevailing light wind, so maybe they really had to choose to "wear about", or gybe, which involved going a great deal closer to the oncoming ship. Way to go, for all concerned.
@TheMallard 33 Thank you
840 comments by arm chair captains in this comment section.
Lol! Right?!? I’ve been in those cross hairs before praying for a bit more wind lol!! We race on the Detroit river n experience this type of shit semi-regularly
839 non imbeciles
I think that the boat may have been in irons because they turned to fill the jib, but either the wind or current was too strong and they got jammed up then the sails worked. I had the conn as JOOD on a tin can going through the English Channel, on a bright sunny afternoon in the summer, you are in this situation at least every 3 minutes.
I agree he was in irons with the currently probably stronger than the wind coming up-river.
Was he trying to hit them?
That horn sounds like the opening to Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum
Pleasure boating requires little to no training, just lots of money. The chucklehead on the sailboat almost broke out more than another thousand $$
I can tell you sail a lot.
So glad it ended well. We sail a commercial port as well and have learned to keep head on a swivel. But hey it was a Catalina... would have bounced off and kept going :-)
As the phrase goes "A miss is as good as a mile." This is a _near collision._
I understand the rules but I have to ask. Did the ship even try to slow down?
Even going against the current it would take over a mile and a half to stop for a ship of that size.
Looks like they were playing chicken---they barely reacted when the first warning horn was blown! They didn't appear to have a problem turning at the last moment so they had control. What fools! Really disrespectful to the Cuyahoga and her Captain! Pathetic!
I think you are reading it wrong, but the sailboat skipper DID handle it poorly, for sure. Looks to me like he was initially under sail power alone but barely making headway with light winds and a vicious current. With just a few seconds to spare he started his engine, gave it full throttle (which is not fast on a sailboat), and power-jibed out of the way.
His (nearly catastrophic) mistake was not doing that much sooner.
If you did not see it on the live camera there were at least three other warnings to this sailboat. He had plenty of time to get himself and his friends out of the way. It’s not like the freighter snuck up on him.
lucky they wern't chewed up and spit out-play around with these ships and you will have a bad day !!
@@kmr8836 Catalina sailboat I don't see a outboard motor and with that current the sail boat doesn't have a lot of options. Which is why they have right away.
@@judytreischl6899 You need to sail then and you can make educated comments. Major current and a sail boat has right away.
"What's that noise " .....
"There it is again " .....
"Woh !
Everybody knows the right of way rules. Sadly, some forget the rule of Gross Tonnage.
Sailboat was clearly trying to avoid freighter. They just couldn’t make headway at first.
They didn't forget the rules, they were just stupid and useless at sailing
@@apprentice_pleb curious what you would have done in that situation?
I know nothing about sailing or rules on that water, but the sailboat wasn't in that ships path until the ship decided to head towards it. Possibly the sailboat crew didn't know the ship's planned route, but I don't think that's an excuse to run them down and potentially kill them all.
Thanks for sharing your ignorance
@@milwaukeevibe you're welcome Mr know it all..
@@richarddavis4378 I don't know-it-all. But I definitely know more than you
@@milwaukeevibe yeah, I said that in my comment didn't I.
Richard, when you look at the image after it zooms out, you see that the freight ship had no choice but make the turn. He has no brakes... so he would otherwise have gone straight into the shore. The sailor should have anticipated this - he should have known that the ship had to make the turn. Problem was that he thought he could get through in front, but then his wind was cut by the oncoming vessel and he came to a standstill in front of it. He should have had his engine in standby...
Once upon a time, long ago, I THOUGHT I had met a small boat sailor with enough common sense to pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the sole. I was wrong.
That old Laker is pretty maneuverable
Whew! Cuyahoga just escaped from another paint scuff on the hull!
She's a working boat...not a shiny showpiece.