Do you know Your PORT/STARBOARD???

windslayer · Since 30 Apr 2007 153 Posts Stoked

If you are a straight line type of kiter, please remember that STARBOARD (your RIGHT side) always has right of way. If I see that there is a MAJOR swell in front of you, I will bare off............STARBOARD HAS RIGHT OF WAY!!!! TOO many people NOT paying attention. Look at your RIGHT HAND----STARBOARD--RIGHT OF WAY!! Now look at your LEFT HAND--PORT--NOT RIGHT OF WAY! Tired of almost getting into a collision because the PORT--NOT RIGHT OF WAY feels that they can do what ever they may want. STARBOARD---RIGHT HAND FORWARD---RIGHT OF WAY!! I have heard excuses from friends, people I know, and peeps I dont responding that they dont really know the right of way on the water.

Vessels passing head-on shall keep to the right.

Boating Encyclopedia: Right of Way
Forgoing your rights is the safest way for small boats
One of the most puzzling and worrisome aspects of the collision regulations is that you are bound to hold your course if you have the right of way, so that the give-way vessel can maneuver clear of you if necessary. But the rules also burden you with the responsibility of giving way at the last moment if the other vessel fails to do so in time to prevent a collision.Obviously, you can’t know the maneuverability of every vessel you come up against. You can’t possibly know how quickly she can get out of your way, or how late the other skipper is going to leave it, or even if she has spotted you at all. So if your nerve cracks and you start to give way, and the other boat starts to give way at that same moment, you can find yourselves heading for the same spot, causing a swift last-minute collision with no way out.The rules make no concession to size. In open waters, a large freighter is obliged to give way to a tiny sailing dinghy. Fortunately, sailors themselves tend to apply the rules with common sense, which usually means that small maneuverable boats give way to clumsy leviathans whether or not they have the right of way.If you find yourself on a collision course with a larger vessel, your safest course is to forgo your rights under the collision regulations and get out of her way. However, you must make this decision early on; don’t leave it until the last moment. Change your course early, and change it substantially, so that the other vessel understands your intentions.

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Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

If you sail around expecting everyone on port tack to yield to you - you are in for a lifetime of disappointment

a nice to have - would be to have the downwind person lower their kite while you pass - newbies will screw this up (not such a big deal - just keeps you on your toes around other folks - which is never a bad idea)

- pragmatist

Wave riding is a different story - if you drop in on me on a nice wave I might not be so pragmatic

hamlindp · Sat Sep 20, 08 8:36 am

The person traveling towards his/her right has the right-of-way, right?

Is "not having the right-of-way" where the name, "Port Whine" came from?

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2626 Posts The 503 METAL

Whineslayer, Blah blah, STARBOARD!!! Yield to me, whine whine.... Rolling Eyes

Plus your description doesn't even sound right.

If you're right hand is to windward then you are on a starboard tack...and if you're windsurfing or boating you can hold your course and claim right of way.

Yay.

windslayer · Since 30 Apr 2007 153 Posts Stoked

YEAH....you know your starboard Wind Slitherrrrr. Great JOb!!!!!

Nak · Sat Sep 20, 08 10:30 am

There are times that it would be nice if folks gave up their right of way. You should yield to someone riding a swell or wave, as mentioned. Also, if someone is struggling to get upwind back to the launch at a place like Stevenson, it would be nice to yield to them if you're powered up well enough to ride upwind. A lot of times at Stevenson the wind can drop off, as most of you know. People launch with bigger kites, and then try and force right of way over the poor riders struggling to get back to the launch. Not everyone does this, but there are a few.

SalmonSlayer · Since 27 Nov 2005 648 Posts Addicted **CGKA Member**

For anyone reading this that gets confused with Port and Starboard, just remember that Port and Left are both four letter words.

When I was commercial fishing NONE of the right of way rules were followed. I doubt that anyone knew them. The right of way was given to the fisherman that liked his boat the least or the sturdier hull. I had more than one hole poked in my boat over the years.

hamlindp · Sat Sep 20, 08 11:14 am

Another excellent way to remember is, starboard sounds like cardboard and to do the right thing, you must recycle cardboard, and when you recycle cardboard at night, you're under the stars, and if your recycle bin is resting on a board, to keep it out of the mud, you can easily remember starsboard sounds like cardboard sounds like starboard. See?

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2027 Posts Windward

ya,
but we're Sailors Rolling Eyes

(Not stinkpotters)

keep yer kite low when downwind

does not count if riding UPWIND on a wave
or anything else other than DOWN THE LINE dtl

hamlindp · Sat Sep 20, 08 11:25 am

NateDogg · Sat Sep 20, 08 12:12 pm

I 'left' 'port' this morning.

eli_anderson · Since 04 Jun 2007 507 Posts Addicted

WHOOPTY DO....ANY ONE SEE 10/4...where the kiter slams the photagrapher standing in his way,,,knocked him shiteless!

sweet poems about recycling bins and stuff...cool...

US SAILING

Summary of the Rules That Apply When Boats Meet

Simplified, Condensed, Unofficial

Below is a summary of the sailing rules that apply most often on the race course. This summary is intended as an aid to sailors and not as a substitute for the Racing Rules of Sailing, a copy of which all racing sailors should own. See reverse side for more information about the Racing Rules of Sailing.

RIGHT-OF-WAY RULES
PORT-STARBOARD. Port-tack boats must keep clear of starboard-tack boats. (Rule 10) Note: You are "keeping clear" of another boat when she doesn't have to avoid you.

WINDWARD-LEEWARD. When boats are overlapped on the same tack, the windward boat must keep clear. (Rule 11)

ON SAME TACK, ASTERN-AHEAD. When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, the boat clear astern must keep clear. (Rule 12) Note: One boat is "clear astern" if she's entirely behind a line through the other boat's aft-most point, perpendicular to the other boat. The other boat is "clear ahead." Two boats are "overlapped" if neither is clear ahead of the other.

TACKING TOO CLOSE. Before you tack, make sure your tack will keep you clear of all other boats. (Rule 13)

LIMITATIONS ON RIGHT OF WAY

If the other boat must keep clear, you have "right of way". Even if you have right of way, there are limitations on what you can do:

AVOID CONTACT. You must avoid contact with other boats, but a right-of-way boat will not be penalized under this rule unless the contact causes damage. (Rule 14)

ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY. When you do something to become the right-of-way boat, you must give the other boat a chance to get away from you. (Rule 15)

CHANGING COURSE. When you change course, you must give the other boat a chance to keep clear. (Rule 16)

ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE. If you are overlapped to leeward of a boat on the same tack, and if just before the overlap began you were clear astern of her, you cannot sail above your proper course (i.e., the course that will take you to the next mark the fastest) while you remain overlapped. (Rule 17.1)

PASSING MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS
There is a set of special rules for boats that are about to pass a mark or obstruction. However, these special rules don't apply between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward. (Rule 18.1)

Except at a starting mark, you must give boats overlapped inside you room to pass a mark or obstruction, and boats clear astern must keep clear of you.

There's a two-length zone around marks and obstructions, and a boat's rights and obligations with respect to another boat are "frozen" when the first of them enters that zone. If you are clear astern of another boat when she enters the zone, you must keep clear of her until both boats are past the mark or obstruction, even if you later become overlapped inside her. (Rule 18.2)

TACKING NEAR A MARK. Don't tack within the two-length zone at a windward mark if you will cause a boat that is fetching the mark to sail above close-hauled to avoid you, or if you will prevent her from passing the mark. (Rule 18.3)

ROOM TO TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION. When boats are on the same tack on a beat and come to an obstruction, the leeward boat gets to decide which way they are going to pass it. If the leeward boat hails for room to tack, the other boat must give it to her; but the leeward boat must give the other boat time to respond before she tacks. (Rule 19)

OTHER RULES
Before your Preparatory Signal, and after you finish, don't interfere with boats that are about to start or are racing. (Rule 22.1)

If you break a rule while racing, get away from other boats and do two 360-degree turns; if you hit a mark, do one turn. (Rules 20 and 44) Note: Sometimes the Sailing Instructions require you to fly a flag acknowledging that you broke a rule, instead of doing turns.
(Rule 44)

If you start too soon, keep clear of others until you get behind the line again.
(Rules 20 and 29)

Copyright © 2001 United States Sailing Association

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

I usually get out of the way if the person I'm playing chicken with seems to care more about making it upwind than I do, seems to work like that for most people, I could care less if its starboard or port.

hamlindp · Sat Sep 20, 08 1:06 pm

Werd, Spike. Me2

HoodRat · Since 30 Mar 2008 199 Posts Stoked

kooks have the right of way.

DROCK999 · Since 31 May 2007 852 Posts Left Coast Opinionated

pdxmonkeyboy · Sat Sep 20, 08 10:48 pm

I smell a windsurfer....