Signaling when passing

PascalG

PascalG

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while at the helm of a recreational vessel, how often do you signal and/or attempt contact by VHF when you are closing in on a slower recreational vessel ?
 
I picked rarely, but truth is, in a trawler I rarely have the occasion to close in on a slower vessel...
 
I admit I don't always signal unless the overtaking is in relatively close quarters, thus my "sometimes" vote.
 
I often try but no radio response or more commonly no response to horn signals is the result. My tactic is to always give a wide seperation. I cant say that the courtesy is frequently returned.
 
I voted always, only because I USUALLY do it. The "Sometimes" choice seemed a little too infrequent. "Usually" means about 75% of the time.
 
I also picked sometimes but it is more often than not since we boat on a river (somewhat limited in width at times)and always want to give the other vessel the option of a flat pass or the ability steer into my wake
 
When I travel the ICW, everytime I intend to pass another boater I call on Channel 16. If no answer, the horn is next. If no reply I maneuver close enough to verbally hail, (scream), and be ready for any sudden movement by the other boater. [:-banghead]
 
i picked very rarely...

i shoudl say that I have NEVER heard a call on 16 between 2 rec vessels... NEVER. and my VHF is always on when i operate the boat. The pros, yes... tour boat, tugs, etc.. on 13 but never a rec vessel.

I have also NEVER been passed by anyone who sounded any signal. It has never happened, even in fairly narrow channels.
 
It is not unheard of here for a call to offer a slow pass.
 
I'll hail a tow and ask what side he wants me on. Recreational boaters up here: 1)either don't have VHF, 2)don't know how to correctly use VHF 3) think VHF stands for "very hot food"

Honestly, the water is big enough where there is plenty of room to pass at a distance.
 
As I boat on the Great Lakes I almost never pass anyone close enough to give a signal to them that I am about to pass. If there is someone ahead of me that is travelling at a slower pace, I will alter course to pass at least 1/8 NM away from them. In narrow channels, I would never pass anyone as there are speed limits which would prevent overtaking a slow vessel.
 
I spend a lot of time in congested areas on the Great Lakes. On the Detroit River, where there can be a fair amount of traffic, lots of boaters sound a prolonged blast before entering a channel. That's fairly well undertood. However, in bays and channels between the islands, it seems that most people don't recognize horn signals and take it as a form of aggression.
 
I voted rerely becouse as Pascal said it is just not practiced in this area.

Sandy
 
In the delta, almost no recreational boater signals and don't know what they stand for anyway! Often they do not have a VHF or do not answer....whatever. So just try to keep a safe distance or slow down and do not pass if conditions are questionable.

One time on a light very traffic day, I was in a shipping channel with a freighter coming up while I was going down channel. I slowed for his wake then while going slow checked my chart. All of sudden I heard two toots. That surprised me! I looked around and saw a beautiful Grand Banks approaching me and wanting to pass on my port. I tooted back. Turns out the vessel was from San Francisco. No delta boater would have tooted a warning.

I only use the 5 toot danger signal.......
 
One would think a sailboater would always be the boat being passed, thus signaled for passing by faster vessels. Truth is, in Narragansett Bay there are typically more sailboats on the water than power and with my relatively larger diesel, especially when navigating tight waterways, we power much faster then them.

I use the VHF sometimes when overtaking other sailboats and dottering trawlers - but rarely have I received a reply. My assumption is that they either don't have their radios on, or it's down below at the nav station (an all too common arrangement on sailboats).

Steve
 
It depends!

IF I know who it is and that they know the rules, certainly.
If we get into close quarters would concider it. Although in general expect most recreational boaters will respond by telling me I am number 1 in their book.
 
I voted "very rarely". Truth is, in Narragansett Bay, if everyone followed the signal rules all you would hear is constant horns going off.

Like Pascal, I have never heard rec boats using proper signals or VHF protocol when overtaking.
 
Very rarely to never,

Newbies broadcast their intentions with horns and radios......the rest know how to boat safely by giving such newbies a wide birth and watching what others are doing at all times AND knowing the condition of the currents and winds effects of your movements.

You can spot a newbie rather quickly around the docks and fairways.. Look for the admiral or first mate on the bow with the boat hook fully extended and standing at attention while the Captain usually is yelling at someone....LOL

Safe Boating !
Mark
 
Down here there isn't a lot of direct rec boat signaling, but flow remains fairly orderly. My local area includes Galveston Bay which is split down the middle by the Houston Ship Channel and includes several security zones. We live with the CG ever present, usually sitting right along the edge of the channel to the rec marinas on Clear Lake. Out in the Bay it's all about the Channel. There is a VTS for the Channel and Port, and the big guys out there (and I mean 600'-800' freighters) signal everything via radio using lingo from horn signals. Check out the local knowledge:

http://www.uscg.mil/d8/vts/houston-galveston/localknowledge.htm

The fun part is watching the wake surfers maneuvering to catch bow wakes off the bigger freighters.
 
On the ICW I always initiate signals when overtaking - and always answer the few signals I get from people overtaking me. On the Chesapeake Bay and open ocean I hardly ever signal. Come to think of it, the only times I remember making signals on the Bay it was 5 shorts!!! Luck. Dale
 
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