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RS400atC View Drop Down
Really should get out more
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Joined: 04 Dec 08
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: port /starboard obstruction
    Posted: 12 Sep 12 at 2:41pm
When you spot the 3m of rope on the surface, a pot marker can suddenly become an obstruction.
But once someone has hailed you should accept their hail and protest if you think they are wrong.
Once the group of boats were on port and clear of the pot marker, the most leeward one might need to call for water to tack to avoid the incoming starboard boat, which will be an obstruction. If there is not room to tack back avoiding the pot marker, the whole group might have to duck the starboard tacker.
The original hailed boat might have done well to call 'you tack', duck the tacking boat and leave the others to argue about it.
Just mind you don't get the pot marker around the rudder :-)
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JimC View Drop Down
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Posts: 6662 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 12 at 2:05pm
As is almost always the case you need to go to the definitions in the rule book...
Obstruction An object that a boat could not pass without changing course substantially, if she were sailing directly towards it and one of her hull lengths from it.


A single buoy marking a lobster pot is unlikely to be an obstruction, but a chain of them could be... But for sure as soon as the port boat is clear of the obstruction they are obliged to tack back if a starboard boat is coming. There are a fair number of cases on the subtleties of the obstrction rules in the case book: well worth a read.

Not great practice to set a start line with a genuine obstruction just to windward, that's for sure.


Edited by JimC - 12 Sep 12 at 2:10pm
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fudheid View Drop Down
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Posts: 241 		Post Options Post Options   Quote fudheid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 12 at 1:36pm
Just after the start gun and clearing the line a group of yachts on starboard. the most leeward yacht (committee boat end) calls for water for a lobster pot and tacks onto port encouraging 3 others to tack onto port . 
One yacht on starboard (from pin end) closing in on these yachts hails 'Starboard' only to be told by the first port tack boat that there is an obstruction - ( might have been for the committee boat but we think it was for lobster pot). we were forced to tack to avoid a collision.
1. is a lobster pot an obstruction? or channel markers can you call water for them?
2. what should have happened?

FYI we hailed protest on (we were starboard boat) the other boat carried onunfortunatley we did not have protest flag. So this is to see what our peers think.
I have never heard any call a lobster pot an obstruction or call water for one??
Cheers you

only me from over the sea......
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