From: "Dennis OConnor" ad4hk2004@yahoo.com
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: GL: 4 Whistle / Horn Signal

"I will be splashing on the Intracoastal near Fort Myers on Saturday...

So anyway here we are, the first day sail on the brand new tug; I'm
starting to back out of the slip and I sound 3 short blasts...? Within
seconds there are people peering at me from their Bay Liners and Sea
Rays and shortly the radio crackles to life... It is the harbor master
(marina manager) asking me what the problem is???? When we got back to the dock I had several people (I won't call them
sailors) come up and say they don't appreciate the NOISE... A few more
episodes of people (not sailors) getting their undies in a wedgie over what
I understand to be following the Colregs (and tradition) and I went to
stealth boating - no horns, no colors, and silently steal away...

up good and loud for ten seconds to make sure it is "warm" - and the
bellowing exhaust is the proper signal that I am going in reverse... Then
throw it in reverse, toss my empty beer can towards the cabin, where it
bounces around with a clatter, while loudly calling down, "hey, need a cold
one up here!"...It is clear that I don't have what it takes, anymore..."

Those people may be smarter than you gave them credit for. Because as I read the Inland rule for 3 short blasts it states: "When power-driven vessels are in sight of one another and meeting or
crossing at a distance within half a mile of each other, each vessel
underway, when maneuvering as authorized or required by these Rules:"
So unless there was another vessel underway that you were in sight of, your neighbors were right, there was no need for you to sound 3 short blasts. What you should have been sounding is one prolonged blast. "(g) When a power-driven vessel is leaving a dock or berth, she shall sound one prolonged blast."

Of course they would have most likely bitched about that too. But at least you would have been in the right. :-)

Capt. Bill

Dennis: Keep operating your boat in your professional manner. Others will learn from you. 
 Every day is a learning experience
 
A friend of mine noticed one time his dock neighbor on this big SeaRay started up his engines with out turning on the blowers. So my friend inquired of his dock neighbor, "Dont you turn on your blowers for a few minutes
before you start those engines. The reply he got "No the Dealer did that for me when we put it in the Water"
Also many years ago A dock neighbor was leaving his dock with his n ice Trawler and he said " I guess I will go out and play with the Sea RAys's " Well naive me, at the time thought he was talking about Fish.
 
I learned pretty quickly from experience what he meant. Now it makes sense. Not totally against Sea rays, Lord knows theysell a pot load of them, but some people have no business out on the water in a boat.
Since we started full time crusing some 20 months ago, we  have met many who could use a Boating Safety Course. We were sailors for 28 years before making the switch to the Trawler. My time in the USCG
gave me a lot of exposure to recreational boaters.
 
Safe Cruising
 
Capt Bob
Onboard ALLEZ! Lying Marathon,FL. 

Capt Bob Kovach
M/Y ALLEZ! MT50 WB
MTOA 2631 AGLCA 1969
USPS CHARLESTON S.C.
EMail: my_allez@yahoo.com

From: A H FOSTER capt.bill11@verizon.net
To: "great-loop@lists.trawlering.com" great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 12:10 AM
Subject: Re: GL: 4 Whistle / Horn Signal

From: "Dennis OConnor" ad4hk2004@yahoo.com
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: GL: 4 Whistle / Horn Signal

"I will be splashing on the Intracoastal near Fort Myers on Saturday...

So anyway here we are, the first day sail on the brand new tug; I'm
starting to back out of the slip and I sound 3 short blasts...? Within
seconds there are people peering at me from their Bay Liners and Sea
Rays and shortly the radio crackles to life... It is the harbor master
(marina manager) asking me what the problem is???? When we got back to the dock I had several people (I won't call them
sailors) come up and say they don't appreciate the NOISE... A few more
episodes of people (not sailors) getting their undies in a wedgie over what
I understand to be following the Colregs (and tradition) and I went to
stealth boating - no horns, no colors, and silently steal away...

up good and loud for ten seconds to make sure it is "warm" - and the
bellowing exhaust is the proper signal that I am going in reverse... Then
throw it in reverse, toss my empty beer can towards the cabin, where it
bounces around with a clatter, while loudly calling down, "hey, need a cold
one up here!"...It is clear that I don't have what it takes, anymore..."

Those people may be smarter than you gave them credit for. Because as I read the Inland rule for 3 short blasts it states: "When power-driven vessels are in sight of one another and meeting or
crossing at a distance within half a mile of each other, each vessel
underway, when maneuvering as authorized or required by these Rules:"
So unless there was another vessel underway that you were in sight of, your neighbors were right, there was no need for you to sound 3 short blasts. What you should have been sounding is one prolonged blast. "(g) When a power-driven vessel is leaving a dock or berth, she shall sound one prolonged blast."

Of course they would have most likely bitched about that too. But at least you would have been in the right. :-)

Capt. Bill

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