Collisions with Whale Watching Vessels & related dangers

[KUS]

Stalker: Hey all you boarders out there. Its really cool to watch you guys do your thing on the water front in the rough stuff. However, as a power boater my primary obligation is to the safety of my vessel and passengers. You're the ones that will eat my twin 225's should you mis judge and cross my bow. Its very hard for one to safely maneouver in the big stuff. Be careful I'd really hate to see someone get hurt. Thanks - Jun 19 11:56PM

Near misses and messages like these serve to stir the pot but don't do anything to resolve the very real issue of continued near misses around Finlayson and Clover Point with Whale Watching vessels and kiters/windsurfers.

Mf4: Driving defensively for the whale stalker means cutting back on the throttles if he is in any doubt about where the boarder is going. He MUST give right-of-way. He shouldn't be driving a commercial boat if he doesn't know basic maritime rules. And a whale watching boat with twin 225s is in no way a large commercial vessel with limited manouving ability. As boarders, driving defensively means keeping as steady and predictable a course as possible to allow the motor vessel to alter course to keep a big safe distance. It should be safe for the boarder to cross just behind the powerboat in order to wake jump, but don't assume the power boat driver knows that! There is no way the whale watching boats need to come any closer than several hundred metres from the main kiting/windsurfing area. As someone who often takes a long time to waterstart, I know I'm nearly invisible to these guys. If they have attitudes like 'stalker' it scares the hell out of me! - Jun 20 9:53AM

It is my personal opinion that whale watchers try to give their clients an extra bit of entertainment when they circle sailors/kiters or come close to them or try to avoid rougher water further out on heavy Westerlys. Also some I think believe that the wakes they create actually serve as decent waves for us, whereas they generally create difficult, hard on gear, and wave-disturbing chop. At other times they try to time a passing wind or kitesurfer on a tack so no speed reduction is necessary and are then taken by surprise when a quick sailor's gybe places them on collision course, resulting in near misses, three of which I have been involved in as many years, one just two weeks ago

I'm not sure what the issue is for these operators of going around this very small sailing area as all other pleasure and commercial traffic does without a problem (and I think this is a significant fact!!) or at least slow down but someone's gonna buy it if we don't address this, any thoughts people? We have had recent collision events, like Frank Peters being run down at Harrision (in hospital for months) and I believe Bear? at Nitinat hitting the alu skiff (broken board, bruises)

Anyhow, it appears in order to resolve this, a group of us might want to send a written message or make a presentation at the whale watchers skipper meetings they have regularly (as per the Harbour Patrol). Is an information leaflet something we could put together to be tabled at their meetings? Something like the kiter/windsurfer safety bulletin drafted for Nitinat?

[more force 4]

Geat idea, Kus, I had been thinking along similar lines, copying the thread to the whale watching companies and cc'ing Coast Guard and Harbourmaster - didn't know about these 'skippers meetings' they sound perfect!

I've noticed the boats adding boarders to their wildlife viewing ("look at the kiter spyhopping, they do that to look for predators or prey, the spinning gives them a quick 360 degree view"!) I wouldn't really mind them coming in close IF they slowed right down, give us the right of way, and really knew what they are doing and what we are likely to do. But if there is any doubt, they should just stay the hell clear!

[Russian Dood]

Great idea, guys.

Those boat loads of orange penguins give me chills. I try to stay away from them as far as possible, but if the guy wants to come closer anyway my sail is not a match to one of those "twin 225 stinking hp". And I've seen them doing that.

I find it hard to believe that Zodiac boat can't handle conditions we usually sail in. Except may be those 35+ knots days, but they shouldn't take people out in conditions like that, should they? And if they do ( out of grid, stupidity, or both ) they shouldn't brag about "safety of my passengers"...

Anyway. Next time one of those idiots comes close, I'll try to remember registration number/company name/whatever ( something to help ID ) and notify the authorities.

[Gareth]

I'm not orange, just Thirsty!

Great idea if there is follow through.

[AC]

The person who names himself stalker should probably
not be driving a whale watching boat.
Obviously does not know how to control
one of the most manuverable vessles in the ocean.
And not to mention driving passengers around.

Whale Watchers have a -30 speed limit and have to stay at least
200 meters from shore. That is the rules.
anyway stalker
You piss me off
Have a great day and stay away from me or i will ding
you props
Ha

[jump'njibe'njim]

I'm pretty sure a vessel under sail (or kite I should think) has right of way over any powered vessel. Period. I think it's, like, the LAW. Any lawyers out there? The letter sounds rather threatening to me. Can you utter threats on line? Hmmm. I was once told to carry a small bag of rocks on my bicycle to throw at cars that came too close. Might be worth a try. They'd learn real quick, I should think.

[asscrack]

Sailing vessels generally have the right of way.Depending on the situation.Having power gives the vessel much more control,and should give way.

[more force 4]

Does not apply to power vessels with limited manouverability, such as larger ships in a shipping channel, really large ships period (they can take miles to change course or stop), or tugs with tows. As I said earlier, no whale watching boat would qualify for having limited manouverabilty, regardless of sea conditions.

[jump'njibe'njim]

You know, having thought about this, I would be concerned about getting run over while IN the water. I don't sail there but I've seen the conditions you guys go out in and a person and their gear down in the water is hard to see when the swells are becoming sizeable. Add to that the fact that it's always difficult to see over the bow of a boat AND that these guys figure they have to go fast as well. It adds up into a dangerous potential. Imagine you've broken down or hurt yourself: and THEN you get run over by a whale chaser. It would be pretty crappy.
I wonder if the owners of the whale chasing companies realize the financial liability they would encounter should their driver ever run any of you over.
They come through Bennett Bay (where I sail) trying to get to the whales as they go through Active Pass. They've been OK but it's the Gulf Islands so they're reasonable. They know they're not terribly well appreciated so they seem pretty well behaved.

[KUS]

So the whalers were out again in full force yesterday, one coming up hard on my butt off Clover point threatening to cut me off from my beachbound tack but then backed off and went around me, 20yrds off. I was quite a ways out I admit but still a bit too close for my comfort tho appreciated being given the right of way

One of them also tried to rescue a drifting sailing boat apparently out of fuel, points for that guys although as Ross rightly pointed out what's a sailboat doing running out of fuel drifting and not throwing up a bit of cloth to get him home, go figure. His GPS was probably down too, ha

Anyhow, very much appreciating the slower speed and wider berth the boats were giving us yesterday, even stopping to watch a ways out,

Thanks Whaleboat Captains

[more force 4]

Kus, was this a result of them seeing these posts? Did you ever contact them directly? I was going to but have been swamped with work the last week.