Report dangerous licensed water taxi captain?

The ONLY right any boater has is to own, rent, or operate a boat and be on the water. In the Navigation Rules "It is also important for you to know that the Rules grant no vessel the right of way except when downbound in certain narrow channels of the inland waters" and those exceptional water will be marked on the charts.
If you are using the term "Right of Way" you are at least 30 years behind in keeping a valid, up-to-date copy of the Navigation Rules and knowing them. There is no Right of Way, there are only Duties and Responsibilities.
 
quote:
Originally posted by pdecat

Again Kurt would be required to signal his intention to turn as the vessels were in sight.
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Bruce, I find it interesting that you and I are reading the same thing and interpreting it differently. One of us just might be right! :-)

How does one signal a turn to an over-taking vessel?

quote:
I still do not see any provision anywhere where one skipper can stop another from doing something.

He can acknowledge the signal and agree or signal disagreement but nowhere does it say he can take command of the others actions as Kurt implies.
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This is the section that I was acting on: If, however, from any cause, the vessel doubts the safety of the proposed maneuver, she shall sound the danger signal specified in paragraph (d) of this Rule and each vessel shall take appropriate precautionary action until a safe passing agreement is made.

I know if I hear 5 blasts I'm going to figure out what's going on before I continue on my merry way. I expected that taxi jock to sound 5 back. Then 2 and I would have replied with 2 as it was perfectly safe to over-take me on my port side.

Of course we could have used radios except that the Baltimore Water Taxis do not monitor VHF! (note: This has been confirmed to me by the company before). I wouldn't think that was legal for a passenger line, but that's how it is.
 
You signal just as he did but nowhere does signaling grant control of the situation. Except where radio talk is required the rules are straggly silent on what to do if boaters disagree, other than avoiding collision.
 
What is the signal for turning to starboard?
 
In Inland Rules it is a signal of INTENT, NOT a signal that your are turning!!
 
quote:
Originally posted by pdecat

Keith:
You are correct here is the inland rule 34 I don't see any difference in the first section. Again Kurt would be required to signal his intention to turn as the vessels were in sight.

I still do not see any provision anywhere where one skipper can stop another from doing something.

He can acknowledge the signal and agree or signal disagreement but nowhere does it say he can take command of the others actions as Kurt implies.

—INLAND—
Sound and Light Signals
RULE 34
Maneuvering and Warning Signals
(a) 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:
(i) shall indicate that maneuver by the following signals on her whistle:
one short blast to mean “I intend to leave you on my port side”; two
short blasts to mean “I intend to leave you on my starboard side”; and
three short blasts to mean “I am operating astern propulsion”.
(ii) upon hearing the one or two blast signal of the other shall, if in
agreement, sound the same whistle signal and take the steps
necessary to effect a safe passing. If, however, from any cause, the
vessel doubts the safety of the proposed maneuver, she shall sound
the danger signal specified in paragraph (d) of this Rule and each
vessel shall take appropriate precautionary action until a safe passing
agreement is made.
(b) A vessel may supplement

.............. continues

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This is for "meeting or crossing" situations...

-Chris
 
I tried to point Bruce to the correct section of rule 34 (see first post of this page), you folks really, really need to read, study and comprehend the book "Farwell's Rules of the Nautical Road". The information in the book will get you past all the miss conceptions set forth by all the dock side wanna be admiralty attorneys and experts. Proper adherence to the Navigation Rules is not simply following one rule at a time. In the situation set forth by "Mixer" in the original post several rules would come into play not simply Rule 34.

In admiralty matters, a person/vessel is never found to be "Right" or "Wrong", if a collision occurs the Courts will find that all involved were "Wrong" and then the court will assign percentage of fault to each party based upon the known facts, testimony of the parties involved and the testimony of any court qualified "Experts". You could be involved in a collision and only be found to be at 10% fault. That doesn't sound like much fault, but if the damages to the other vessel is say 5 million dollars, you are on the hook for 10% of the total or $500,000.00. As my uncle "Fast Eddie" is want to say, "Even a broken clock is RIGHT twice a day".

Mixer keeps asking--
What is the signal for turning to starboard?
How does one signal a turn to an over-taking vessel?

The answer to your question is a VHf radio and talking to the other vessel operator and agreeing on the overtaking arrangements. Very simple, very effective and very much required by the rules.
 
Keith:

I am aware that VHF communication is required on certain inland rivers and maybe advisable elsewhere but is it required in Baltimore harbor?
 
Bruce under Inland Rule 34 (h), if vessels reach a passing agreement by radiotelephone they are relieved of their obligation to sound the appropriate whistle signals. That exception does not occur in any other International or Inland rule, that is how important the use of the radio is viewed in inland waters. Failure to maintain a proper radio watch could expose a vessel to violation of Rule 5 or Rule 7, exposing the vessel to the presumption of causation. VHf radios are cheap to purchase, easy to use and maintain and will keep you out of the court house, why take the chance? Make the RADIO CALL.
 
It doesn't matter what Inland Water you are on, the USCG Navigation Center website has the Navigation Rules posted. From that site with regard to the use of the radio states:
"h) A vessel that reaches agreement with another vessel in a head-on, crossing, or overtaking situation, as for example, by using the radiotelephone as prescribed by the Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act (85 Stat. 164; 33 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), is not obliged to sound the whistle signals prescribed by this Rule, but may do so. If agreement is not reached, then whistle signals shall be exchanged in a timely manner and shall prevail." There is no list of any Inland Waters where this is specified or exempted.If no agreement is reached by any lawful method then Rule 2, 7, & 8 apply.
 
Thanks Keith. As often as not tour boat operators seem too busy to respond to radio around here. Horn signals usually get attention.
Big yacht drivers always seem to respond.
 
There are quite a few tour boats here in Miami and they usually monitor ch 13 as well as 16. In some areas where communication with bridges are frequent, most boats will be on ch 9 instead of 16. I wonder if in Baltimore the tour boats and water taxis may be monitoring 9 or 13 instead of 16
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

There are quite a few tour boats here in Miami and they usually monitor ch 13 as well as 16. In some areas where communication with bridges are frequent, most boats will be on ch 9 instead of 16. I wonder if in Baltimore the tour boats and water taxis may be monitoring 9 or 13 instead of 16

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No bridges in B'more I remember, but that was a LONG time ago.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

I wonder if in Baltimore the tour boats and water taxis may be monitoring 9 or 13 instead of 16

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In MD, commercial traffic is on 13. Bridges (what few there are) are also on 13. All other traffic is in 16.

Note this (not you specifically, Pascal), the Baltimore Water Taxis DO NOT MONITOR VHF at all! It is well known locally.
 
quote:
Originally posted by pdecat

Keith:

I am aware that VHF communication is required on certain inland rivers and maybe advisable elsewhere but is it required in Baltimore harbor?

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I was monitoring 16 and 9 (two radios at my helm). There is no such requirement in Baltimore harbor.
 
quote:
Originally posted by SailArmy

In Inland Rules it is a signal of INTENT, NOT a signal that your are turning!!

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I appreciate your input. Did I do right or wrong? I avoided a collision (who needs that problem?). But I expected the over-taking vessel to respect my reply to his request (which he did not).
 
quote:
Originally posted by L. Keith

In the situation set forth by "Mixer" in the original post several rules would come into play not simply Rule 34.

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Why do you always have to take a shot at my user name? Does that make you feel better or something?
 
quote:
Originally posted by mixman

quote:
Originally posted by SailArmy

In Inland Rules it is a signal of INTENT, NOT a signal that your are turning!!

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I appreciate your input. Did I do right or wrong? I avoided a collision (who needs that problem?). But I expected the over-taking vessel to respect my reply to his request (which he did not).

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My interpretation of the situation is more like it was maybe an incomplete conversation.

He whistled, you responded. So far, so good.

But then what? I can't quite tell how the other guy would have known about your intentions to turn to starboard.

Did you follow up with any additional whistle signals? Did he?

Absent agreement (or imminent collision if you maintained your current course), you would have been expected to keep doing what you're doing (stand on), and it sounds like that means continuing straight ahead at your current speed, until the overtaking vessel is clear. (Although I would also have expected some significant reaction to your 5 blasts, including his aborting the whole over-taking idea until you both agreed on a course of action.)

-Chris
 
Bottom line you sounded 5 blasts, he should not have passed.

Is it possible that the water taxis monitor 13?
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

Bottom line you sounded 5 blasts, he should not have passed.

Is it possible that the water taxis monitor 13?

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Not to my knowledge. This information comes from other pro captains in the harbor, marina staff, and even the company themselves when I tried to report an earlier incident. The quote is "they do not monitor VHF". I'm sure they have them, but they either don't turn them on or they keep the volume down.
 
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