"don't adhere yourself so much to the rules that you can't make good decisions" - probably applies everywhere in life

"Let's fire up those mains, and get things underway" Here I'm thinking it's a metaphor to get the video started then he literally starts the boat engines lol.

The law of tonnage applies to the neighborhood moms as well.

Retired from 45 years at the helm of tugs, and other large vessels. I would recommend this video to all newbies, and even many not so new. Setting here reminiscing, and remembered a ditty I learned 50 years ago. "Green to green, red to red, all is well so go ahead. If in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout" Supposedly educated yachtie/pleasure boat types have made me pull out more hair than just about anything else.

Right on the money! I'm sailing NY Harbor and I'm staying out of everybody's way, especially fellow sailors... It does not matter if I'm the stand-on or give-way vessel. I'm responsible for my beauty.

Nice video. It's interesting to see that very early on the ColRegs support what you are saying with "(b). In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make a departure from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger. "including the limitations of the vessels involved" is the part many people seem to read and then ignore. Around Sydney Harbour you will hear many calls of "Green to green" over the radio to confirm a two whistle pass with an oncoming vessel.

I am a recreational sailor, and no better advice can be given to my fellow pleasure boaters than what is contained in this video. I'd like to shoot this knowledge right into their puny brains. Ships and tugs are ACTUALLY WORKING, so get the heck out of their way! I myself would often like to give the same advice to the many powerboaters and jet skis in new York Harbor and Raritan Bay who clog channels, drift with fishing rigs, and buzz around the mooring field. Thank you Tim, for these wonderful videos - I've been sailing this area since 1973, but I never appreciated all the hard work going on around me until I started watching your videos.

Tim, I'm a pleasure boater myself. I think EVERY skipper, pleasure and commercial - jet ski to ULCV - should have to watch this video! Thanks a million! And keep 'em coming!

Being mindful of each other’s inertia is probably the best mindset. Shame there are recreational and commercial bridge crews without that mindset and think it is the America’s cup out there.

Here lies the body of Michael O' Day Who died maintaining his Right of Way. He was right, dead right, as he sailed along, But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong! Classic Qoute from the Charlie Wing Book, One Minute Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road that I studied while obtaining my Captains License.

Tim, I started sailing and learning seamanship at my father’s knee, in the ‘60s. He served in the Royal Navy from 1934 to 1945. We had a stock of Royal Navy, Canadian Navy, and even a few US Navy manuals of seamanship and navigation in the house. He emphasized prudence, anticipation, and safety. Your perspective very much matches what father taught me. He passed away nearly 30 years ago-your videos are an echo of his wisdom. I have in 50 years of sailing more than a few times encountered the ColReg adhérent who quotes line and verse but overlooks the fundamental rule (which is actually part of ColRegs and which I have used to rebut these by-the-book but not with common sense types) that a master of a stand-on vessel who-by asserting his rights where other options are readily available-increases the hazard for a give-way vessel, they are at fault. I have subscribed.

I'm sorry, but it is regulation that the phrase "I can't change the laws of physics" _MUST_ be said in Scottish accent. Please expect a call from the office of nerdy references.

Love the channel. In emergency medicine, we call it street smart vs. book smart. I'll take a street smart partner that is gonna help get me home in the AM vs. a book worm that is hard to work with any day. I've been off ambulance for 12 years (I'm a emergency medicine physician assistant in ND in a small hospital) and all the "street smart" guys I worked with are also either PAs, docs, etc. Those are the people that miss most, and would gladly have done anything for. Sure, it helps to have knowledge. But ultimately, not being an asshole is what makes the world go round. Again, love the channel. So does my kid. Future mariner? We will see.

The official rule(s) that govern these situations is “Rule 2 Responsibility (a) Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner, master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case. (b) In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make a departure from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger.” Note that last sentence.

Great Video ! I am a Licences FG Master Unlimited Tonnage,... Every summer my brother-inlaw who owns a 40' sailboat loves to tell me about what he know of the Canadian Co-Regs (Rules of the Road), and tells me about "problems he has with commercial traffic. I hope he and other "dudes" like him watch videos like this one and can someday put themselves in the shoes of Captains and Pilots who safely navigate these ships everyday and appreciate the difficulty and skill it takes.

I think this video should be required to be viewed by any and all people before launching a boat, and renewing a registration! I've played on a few boats, from a 14ft row boat to sucking up lobster bedrooms in the channel from miami to key west in a 60ft Bertram in the dark. (there's some other people that need some lessons of how things work) That has to be THE most pleasant and proper way to say "don't be a jacka**" that I have ever heard....Well said!

Thank you very much for your channel. As a recreational boater, it's great peace of mind to get your insight and clear explanation.

what a thoughtful and level-headed approach to sharing the road. i sure which everyone had such an approach whether on water or land. life would be so much more pleasant and enjoyable. thanks for showing us the best of what it means to be a professional mariner.

Very clear explanation from the perspective of the "bigger" boat. I'm always in the smaller watercraft so I make every effort to stay out of the way of the bigger guy, and I'm sure they appreciate the fact that I'm not trying to cut across their bows at the last second. When encountering ships in the open ocean where my compass reading say that I'm on a collision course, I simply start aiming at their stern as they get closer. I probably lose a few minutes doing this, but my heart rate stays low and I'm always assured of a safe crossing.

This is all very valuable information.. my story.. many years ago, when I was taking a sailing course out of Weehawken, NJ... at the end of the course, my son and I were sent out in a very small sailboat... (no motor, no radio).. we just needed to sail out into the lower Hudson harbor.. everything going great, having a wonderful time and then.. The wind died... totally.. nothing.. so .. here we are in the middle of a very busy channel going nowhere!!!.. coming down on us, heading out to sea, a very large garbage barge... We immediately started paddling our butts off.. the tug sounding it's horn... us paddling!!! we managed to get out of the way.. but I noticed that with no wind the tide was going out.. drifting towards the open ocean.. Having looked at the charts of the area we were sailing in, i had noticed some very shallow water near the base of the Statue of Liberty... between drifting and paddleing we managed to ground ourselves, lightly.. After about 90 minutes, somebody from the sailing school came looking for us.. scolding us about running aground... I mentioned to them that the choices were, get hit by a barge, drift out to sea, or run aground...

As a guy working on a bunker barge in the port of Rotterdam it keeps amaze me how different inland shipping is in America

Also sort of works for driving on the narrow back roads, the guy in the smallest vehicle backs up first!

Great topic! A good friend is a Ches. Bay pilot and the area from just south of Annapolis to Baltimore is choked with sailboats and powerboats most weekends during warm months. His biggest fear is to inadvertently run someone over despite his horns and hails on VHF. It's surprising how little knowledge many "skippers" have, especially around big commercial ships.

100% agree Tim, I ran a commercial fishing boat for most of my working life and we could work in really close proximity to other fishing vessels without getting into grief, you became really aware of how the the other guys were manovering and a quick shout on the VHF if you need to let them know your intentions.

I'm Subscribed - love the easy mellow fact following reasoning you provide, PLEASE keep these video's coming...

When I was a kid we had a 25 ft sailboat at the Long Beach Naval station when the battleships USS Missouri and New Jersey were docked there along with the odd submarine. Wide doesn't begin to describe what a low deck wide cross section ship looks like in person. They went out to sea a few times why we were sailing. The law of tonnage is VERY apparent right there and then and should be common sense for all boaters with ships larger than they are. Unfortunately common sense is not very common.

Radio, radio, radio! Communication is a wonderful resource! Thank you for mentioning channel 13.

daysailor here.wee sailboat n skiff. i know the rules. however i always gave way to larger vessels. thanks to your views on this, i realize i was properly prudent and not overly cautious. enjoy your info. THANKS.

Wish people on the road would understand that the amount of people who cut off 18 wheelers in their little Prius is absurd

Awesome videos Tim! I just discovered your channel and it's great to hear first hand tips from a tug Captain. Keep it up!! I'm taking my bridge watch rating to work as a deckhand on tugs in western Canada, and have no experience working on any ships yet. Your tips and footage are just making me more excited to get underway! :)

Love that common sense perspective. People read the books, but there's so much of boat handling that is common sense. I would be considered a recreational boater, but that doesn't mean I can't practice that common sense and respect for those I share the water with. If you're bigger then I am, or have restricted maneuverability of draft, then I am in a position to move away and just make things easier for all. And I would second Ch 13. Communication can make all the difference. Thanks for making these!

My dad told me years ago that "leisure veers for bread", i.e. those sailing for recreational should keep out of the way for those who sail for a living. I've kept to that "rule" all through my years of sailing our Swedish waters. Thanks for sharing.

"Red-to-Red, Green-to-Green, When in doubt, go in-between!" "Tonnage Rules, cap!" I've actually used that exact phrase to ease the mind of the captain as he was going off-shift and his happy-go-lucky mate asked if I (a mere technician) wanted to drive for a while. Cap stopped in mid-step as he was headed down to his bunk. I could tell he was (justifiably) uneasy with his mate's offer. Cap looked out on the horizon and saw a large cargo container vessel heading out to sea as we were heading inward. She was a good 5 miles distant. Cap asked, "Son, you see that large cargo ship off to our port?" "Yes, sir." was my reply. "What are the rules of the road in this situation?" "Tonnage rules, cap." "... Good enough. Wake me when we hit the sea-buoy." Mental high-five...as I fish-tailed through the cut for the next 2 nm. Good times.

Love the video! You can't argue with the laws of physics, they are absolute!

We did the ColRegs in our powerboat training. What it boiled down to is that if you're in a powerboat you are bottom of the food chain, so get out of the way of everything else. But it is also important to know the waters if you want to operate out of channel. On the South Coast of the UK, between the mainland and the Isle of Wight there is a very deep beach by the town of Ryde. On high water it mostly floods but there is not that much water under your keel. Many a time has an unaware powerboat Cap turned his boat into a plough in this area. Sadly, in UK waters, you don't legally need any training to jump in a boat and kick up a wake. A couple of years ago there was a collision between a Ro-Ro ferry and a pleasure craft. The pleasure craft Cap had zero knowledge of the ColRegs. So we have the additional challenge that you can't expect the other guy to know what he's doing.

Excellent advise. I have always found that if the other boat doesn't appear to know which way to go, I make a definite change in direction to signal to the which way I intend to cross/pass etc. That way you can make a 5 fingered wave and all is good. Might of way is very hard to argue with.

Very good video - gives us all a good insight into the "Law of Tonnage". Keep up the good work @TimBatSea

USCG retired, Law of Gross Tonnage “ HE WHO IS BIGGER WINS”. Nice E.R.

I hear you, Captain. During my 20 years of driving a big truck, I had the same problems. You were Tug vs pleasure craft and I was truck vs car. You are so more diplomatic than me.

A nostalgic surprise to see the Norwegian Gem! I worked on that ship for a year and always loved watching you guys bring in the barges in the morning for bunkering. Thanks for the video :)

And here in San Diego; military ships have the right of way PERIOD !

Good job. I've had dudes cross my bow cause they just got their ticket and think they have to pass port to port.

I must be one of the few recreational boaters that think the way you do, I was finding myself thinking I would do things before you actually said it. Still learned something from this video so thanks!

We always called it "The Bigger Boat Rule". I'll never forget a radio exchange one summer afternoon (hazy, wind SW 10-15, 2-3' chop) in Buzzards Bay waiting for the current to turn East in the Canal. Ch16 "Calling the tug and barge off Wings Neck-this is the sailboat off your right side, I intend to keep going and pass in front of you" 20 seconds of silence, you could almost feel the wheels turning in the wheelhouse of the Bouchard tug with the large gasoline barge all shortened up on the wire- then in a total Brooklyn accent " Well Skipper it's your boat -go ahead if you think you'll make it" No response but 5 minutes later the sailboat came about and headed back towards the Cape.

The one I like is “constrained by draft”.

There’s no replacement for displacement.

Thank you for this video. I know everyone’s different but good to know that a call from a smaller vessel can be appreciated. I tend to just get names off the AIS early as I can and have the vhf at the ready and err on the side of not distracting you guys with a call unless, in my judgement, it seems helpful or necessary.

Once a great captain told me to give way to people who are working on the sea, just out of respect. We were sailing for fun. For them that situation was: earning a living, they had to cross, it was livelyhood, probably stress etc. It was years ago but I am still following that rule be it on water, driving or walking. When I am a tourist/passer by, then I give way to people who are working. Respect.

Good stuff people listen

I mean,.... if he’s bigger, he’s gonna win Quite smart to stay out of his way

I am the same as you but always go by ColRegs Rule 3 (General Definitions), "A vessel constrained by her draught" has right of way to a smaller vessel by which the smaller vessel is more manoeuvrable to the larger, and Rule 18 in the ColRegs. Most recreational vessels just go by their feeling if they will get past or not.. and being an Australian Volunteer Coast Guard skipper for over 10 years I see this very often in Port Phillip. If each person like you say use a bit of CDF (which is not as common these days) we would all get along nicely and safely, but some just have to push their chest and beat their drum for the rules when just a slight change of direction in advance would change it all and make things so much easier and more pleasurable for everyone. Great stuff.

Ive always thought of the Steering and Sailing Rules as meant to help other predict where my vessel will be. Communicating early (as you mention) is a great way to reduce the risk of collision.

9:00 pulling into Buckeye Baltimore Md. I load a truck tanker out of there almost every day.

Move drilling rigs on land, same rule on bush, ice, or even high grade road. Why? Cuz a kenworth can hookup to pickup truck & pull him out outta the ditch, but it dont work the other way around.

"we all do what we can do to stay out of each other's way" is a good way to put it

This is something I've always applied to the road because it simply makes sense. I'll tripple check those crosswalks because sure as a pedestrian I might have what I call 'theoretical right of way' but those cars and trucks have the real right of way

Some great points of common sense, Capt. Tim .. and what you are saying can be construed under Rule#2, Responsibility, as the Rule of Good Seamanship and "necessary to avoid immediate danger" .. nothing wrong with "two shorts" or a call on the Radio. Another fine video .. love your channel.

About 45 years ago, I was domiciled in PR. A doctor friend of mine bought a new sailboat and since I had a fresh "6-Pac" in my pocket he asked me to give him some hints on operating the boat. We were sailing in San Juan Harbor on a tack toward the narrowing opening off of El Morro Fortress. The doc had put up the sails and killed the engine, and up behind us came a cruise ship intent on passing out to the Atlantic. I called out the traffic, but the doc did not move. The ship sounded 5 with the horn with crew members now out on the wings of the bridge and forward looking at us. Again I pleaded for him to tack out of the way immediately or start engine and clear the channel. He replied, "I'm under sail and I have the right of away". We began to argue for control when his 4'9" wife appeared in the companionway and delivered in the best New York Puerto Rican accented Spanglish a dress down that would have made an Admiral blush. The engine started and we tacked immediately. It was a very quiet sail back to the marina, but I knew who in that family had the real command ability.

Thank you for the view of the Bayone Bridge. You provide excellent advice to anyone willing to listen. Size, indeed, does matter.

The "law of tonnage" harks back to the days of the Greek city-state of Rhodes, which codified one of the first laws of the sea, which was "The larger ship shall have the right of way", or words to that effect. But that was often hard to judge, so modern rules of the road have various categories which replace "the bigger vessel" with "vessel under sail", "vessel constrained by draft", "vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver", etc. Perfect example of that: back in 1981 I was conning the ship I was stationed on (USS Niagara Falls AFS-3) out from NAS Alameda, under the Bay Bridge, hang a left at Alcatraz, and out the Golden Gate to the sea. Just after we made our starboard turn from the air station channel onto the northerly track we had to use to go under the Bay Bridge I saw a little sailboat off our starboard bow. I remember it clearly - it was about a 25' long, maroon hull, under sail, close-hauled on a port tack, approaching our bow from starboard to port, and pretty much CBDR (constant bearing, decreasing range - or, in other words, a collision in the making). I eyeballed him through my binoculars and could see this guy was watching us closely, so he knew what was going on. I kind of had the feeling that there might have been some "stick it to the military-industrial complex" thoughts bubbling through his head, but who knows - maybe the guy just liked playing "chicken" in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Whatever. I glanced up at the signal shrouds and was reassured to note that there was a large black cylinder - the day shape for "vessel constrained by draft" - blowing in the breeze for, as I knew, one of the few times that a vessel under power, such as our ship, has right of way over a vessel under sail is when the vessel under power is "constrained by draft" - which is short for "everything outside of the buoyed channel is too shallow for me to stay afloat in, so I get to stay in the channel and you, little sailboat guy, have to get out of my way". So I grabbed the mic and said, "Bosun's mate of the watch - sound three short blasts on the ships whistle". BOOOOMP! BOOOOMP! BOOOOMP! Little sailboat dude tacks to port about 90 degrees and proceeds down my starboard side shaking his fist at us and, if the motions his mouth were making were any indication, hurling invectives in our general direction. Wanted to tell him, "Friend, if we collided you wouldn't do so much as scratch our paint - and due to our inability to maneuver we couldn't even stop - all we could do is call the Coastie's on Yerba Buena Island and ask them to fish your sorry butt out of the bay" but I contented myself with a smile and a friendly wave.

The elbow cross ledge in the Delaware Bay used to be an amazing place to fish but in recent years has greatly declined do mostly to dredging in the upper part of the river. My parent's had a place in Fortescue NJ, Just sold it 2yrs ago I was always amazed how big some of those ships were close up navigating that channel because there's only about 15 to 20ft of water on either side of it. The steep drop off is what attracted a lot of fish.

Captain, A great review of boating etiquette and some very practical advice for all boaters. Thanks! I think I always understood the "Unwritten law of Tonnage", just never had it presented in such a thoughtful manner! CUOTO

Awesome well stated. Here in the Europa / Netherlands it is a law .. that bigger has the right of way. No questions asked. To add to you comment about staying away give room , pleasure boats divers can monitor the vhf radio and even ask for intentions / instructions. Keep the talks brief and simple. Also if you drive you little boat with the ‘stay free , in open water ‘ you can enjoy all the big ships passing not bothering any or get in danger.

I like the last part of your video, when you're tying up to the Hess fueling station and right next door is Corman imbach Marine, I used to work there when I was just Imbach Marine as a barge crane operator. Brings back a lot of memories. I enjoy your videos keep them up please

Once more again, thank you Capt Tim! Always informative.

Thanks, Capt., enjoyed riding along. As a non-mariner, I enjoyed the insight of the law of tonnage. It seems to be a principle one can apply to many areas of life, not just to the sea.

Points well made! Recreational boaters have little to no practical on-water experience. They either think they can do anything they please, or they think they only pass port to port and must stay in the channel no matter what. My favorite is that they actually think the helmsman on a 1000 foot ship can see a 15 foot boat dead ahead 100 feet off his bow. I hope one day recreational boaters will have to be licensed similar to commercial mariners. At least in high traffic ports and rivers.

Here in Seattle, in the Montlake cut we have rowers by the dozen. As you said, they never realize how much closer we are to them than they are to us. Perspective.

Very informative. Thanks. I'm the weisenheimer that made the "hairy fire hazzard" comment a few weeks ago. I really like this channel. I'm a land sailor but I'm familiar with~ 95+% of all the scenes. Thanks again.

Thank you for this video Tim, love watching this type of content about the brown water fleet.

Something i listened to as a USN Midshipman, "Here lies the body of Michael O'Day. He died maintaining his right of way. He was dead right, but he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong ..."

You could be right ... dead right! Followed by ... "HEY, I'm trying to make a living here!" Good stuff Tim.

You are a commercial vessel restricted by draft, people trying to push the boundaries with rights on sailboats is not a smart move. I learned the lesson of gross tonnage wins all arguments from my dad when we started racing sailboats. Respect is key. I remember one day a guy decided to anchor up on a marker that was going to be the windward mark for a relatively large regatta. While they had the right to be there, Race committee reminded them they were going to have 30-40+ ft sailboats coming at them all day, probably interrupting their fishing. They took the hint and choose a different spot. Thanks for the tip about 13, i was unaware of that requirement.

Probably the best rule of all, especially when you're a recreational boater interacting with people that are making their living on the water -- be courteous. When I was a kid, it was called the Golden Rule. Treat others as you'd like them to treat you. It's just as important on the water as anywhere else. Especially, it seems, these days.

Excellent explanation. Created in a very professional manner

GREAT video, thanks! As a small-boat sailor my favorite feature of my AIS transponder is that I can see the names of the commercial vessels on my nav software and then call them on 13 to let them know that I'm going to maneuver to stay WAY THE HELL AWAY from them. The captains are always extremely courteous, especially the WA state ferry captains. Recreational boaters should be maintaining a watch on the VTS channel also IMHO, if for no other reason than to hear how the pros communicate on the water.

Always remember the rule of Hong Kong Harbor. "Big ships go first" look forward to next week's edition. Thanks Tim!

I'm studying how to sail and I knew part what you said but the other part was really helpful I also thought it was like a road that you had to stay on one side of the river it was the ships pass you on the other thank you and if I see you on the water I make sure I'll stay out of your way

Thanks for bringing me along. I come from Tug boat family. I miss tooling around the NYC area on a tug. It brings back fond memories.

Nice to hear the sound of air starters. We had them on our draglines.

As a Seafarer from Australia I cannot agree more. In the ColReg's it is stated that each master of a vessel is responsible in the case of a collision, meaning that all parties are accountable for failing to avoid a collision. This rule should be taken on land!

If I were to become a merchant seamen I would be fourth generation seamen. I'm 43 and thinking about making the move. Something about ships, I just find fascinating. I love tug boats. My father was a engineer for McAllister and Moran. I should have followed in his foot steps. Last name is Papuchis my grandfather was a agent at the union hall here in Norfolk Va

Really enjoyed the different views and seasons. Love the channel!

Thanks for your video and appreciate the common sense approach towards seamanship. I've tried to explain the 'rule of tonnage' to friends that boat recreationally but I lack your gift of diction. Mainly wanted to say hello from the West coast of Canada and the Fraser River! Next time the salmon are running and we're coming into the river I'll fire up the go pro and you can get a look at the sports fishers hanging on until the last possible second to get out of the way. We tow nearly everything on the wire here, and I think there is a misconception that all we will have to move is the 80' tug and not the 300' barge to evade someone. Thankfully mishaps are uncommon and usually everyone stays out of the cabbage. Looking forward to next week's video!

I was learning to sail in Boston harbor going across the channel from the city to the airport when my instructor yelled at me, " For God's sake steer straight so that ship has a CHANCE to miss us!"

I have always loved tug boats and love this channel. I would have liked to get involved in the waterways if time and circumstances ever permited. I do have some East Coaster still in my blood. Keep up the good work with the videos. You cant argue with the law of Physics

Great videos! RE: recreational boaters and misjudging distances of ships: I had my Coast Guard Captains license while I boated the 1000 Islands. I taught charting and instrument navigation to boaters at various experience levels. A consistent issue was teaching them to be vigilant for the big ships. They are fast, virtually silent and seemingly invisible against the ever changing shorelines -- and that was during the day! Love your approach and content! You take a virtually unattainable position and subsequent experience and make it applicable for the dude weekending on a 17' Bayliner. You should do a vid on properly deploying an anchor.

Absolutely love your videos and your kind demeanor. I love boats of all sizes and watching them and your videos is like a great meditation. Really appreciate your manner of teaching nubes like me. Keep it up and thank you!

Awesome video~! I guess same rules apply for driving as well, I still remember the time when I tried to keep to my lane after a heavy snowfall, and the instructor say hey don't step on the deep snow just follow everyone else's track! Makes great sense

Great video and you're absolutely right ....boat smarter not harder and get out the way

One of my favorite videos. it is one of your older posts. So I saw the different format. Fast forwarded video with voiceover. It was so soothing actually hearing all this wisdom. I love it that a Harbor has rules but captaining also requires good common sense and good judgment and just calling on 13 saying I see you and you see me, say can you move over a little bit?

Hey i totally get what your saying I've worked on tugs on the west coast of Canada same issues but not pusher tug.We towed our aggregate barges in the fraser river and out on the coast love your vids.cheers.

This video gave a pretty good bit of input. Thank you for sharing

Great advice and very well put across. Thanks 😊

I loved it. I live in philly and go over the bridge everyday! As a pleasure boater myself. I go to the to the bay, to stay out of your way!

My father had a saying. You may be in the right, but don't be dead right. I owned a 10m wooden inshore motor yacht, took the Inshore Skippers ticket mainly for insurance purposes, but also to gain experience from an old man of the sea. Talking to other boaters they did not gain the knowledge I did as they had younger less experienced instructors. So in the 15 years I owned the boat I sailed the East coast of UK in many of the busiest shipping waters, the Thames estuary, Felixstowe, the Humber. Crossed the English channel many times to France, Belgium and my favourite boating country Holland, the inland boating and commercial freight system is amazing. Crossing the English channel, the busiest shipping channel in the world is not for the faint hearted. But aiming at the stern of vessels and as you say keeping the radio channel open on in our case Ch16. We have dual sets tuned to the local area Ch and Ch16, we did have a run in once with a Thames pilot who claimed the boat in front made him order a heading change and slow ahead, I was following him and he didn't do any of this, but I did ask why he didn't call. He said he did on a different commercial channel that was not listed in the almanac. My answer to that was why not call on Ch16. He walked away then and never did report the boat. By the way may old boat helped in the rescue at DUNKIRK 1940 and is a member of The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. 50 boats will be making the crossing to Dunkirk from Dover, This May to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Evacuation of Dunkirk. The fleet will be escorted by vessels from the Royal Navy, Lifeboats from The RNLI and volunteer Navy boats. It's great to hear the Navy ship call up a cargo ship and ask for a slight course change, when no change was made the navy called again War Ship calling vessel ________ change course to _____ immediately, The vessel complied and as they passed astern the whole crew were out on deck waving at us, they even dipped their ensign, a great sign of respect. Mind you it did course a flurry for as we had to acknowledge the salute. In the skipper course I was taught about constrained by depth, but the best one to remember is I'm bigger than you. Thanks for the video, I'm now a subscriber.

great vid, cool to see commercial tug perspective and good reminders on law of tonnage.

I really enjoyed this video and I gleaned some good information from this as a newbie. Good communication skills is important to a successful outcome in almost all areas of life. It was nice to hear you say talk to the big guys. There are rules upon top of rules, maybe to many rules and that makes some people stupid. But in our effort to follow the rules we should never forget our good common sense to put everyone's safety first.

We were once on a cruise ship getting underway from the Port of Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait is open enough at the cruise port that a ship can use thrusters to get off without a tug. We were watching from the bow on the promenade deck as the ship set out across the extremely busy waterway. We headed right at a big clot of 50 or so tiny fishing boats sitting right in the middle of our channel. They were a ways off and one long blast on the horn got them all busy getting out of the way. All but one. We could see the fisherman frantically wrapping his cord and yanking... one time... twice... three... four... five... that's when five horn blasts came. The cruise ship couldn't do much because a course deviation would have run down other boats. Finally the fisherman's motor caught and he pot pot pot potted safely out of the way. Barely. Everyone understood the unwritten law of tonnage that day, but the fisherman got a personal review of the unwritten corollary on keeping your gear in order.

Happy Birthday Capt. Tim! Thank you for all your informative Videos. And thank you so Much for showing us those Beautiful Caterpillar Mains Air starting. Just Beautiful! Aloha From Hawaii!