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Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:26 pm
by Matt Flynn

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:43 pm
by got-none
matt with the diver below flag how many meters in distance do you keep away from the boat with flag up.
reason i ask is around east arm near the catalina creeks theres a heap of work boat with the flag up, they "claim" its 300m i thought it was 100m
long story short they chased me and if i kept 300m away i wouldnt of been able to leave the creek as their right near the mouth

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:52 pm
by nomad
Good on you Matt

Here's a quiz to test everyones boating knowledge.
http://www.safetyonthewater.com.au/quiz/

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 6:13 pm
by cuddlescooper
got-none wrote:matt with the diver below flag how many meters in distance do you keep away from the boat with flag up.
reason i ask is around east arm near the catalina creeks theres a heap of work boat with the flag up, they "claim" its 300m i thought it was 100m
long story short they chased me and if i kept 300m away i wouldnt of been able to leave the creek as their right near the mouth
I dont think there is a specified distance that you have to keep away under NT law in general. I believe that "You should pass at a safe speed and distance of a vessel displaying the code alpha flag (blue and white swallow tail flag)" is all that is stated but by order of the Darwin harbour master on that project they requist 250m no entry zone. It is in the notice to mariners if you wish to check it listen to channel 67vhf @ 0800 and 1700.

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:21 am
by jeffish
nomad ,,A bit rusty but still got 23/25 then 25/25 3Rd attempt,,good quiz should be compulsory :roll:

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 1:46 am
by MattyA
got-none wrote:matt with the diver below flag how many meters in distance do you keep away from the boat with flag up.
reason i ask is around east arm near the catalina creeks theres a heap of work boat with the flag up, they "claim" its 300m i thought it was 100m
long story short they chased me and if i kept 300m away i wouldnt of been able to leave the creek as their right near the mouth
At least they chased you. I was going past about 100 metres from the boats. A red polycraft with two blokes in it comes screaming out of nowhere from my starboard side. They drive straight across my bow and if I hadn't slowed and taken action to prevent it, there could well have been a crash.

They then started following me. I was with the missus and had no idea who they were so naturally just kept motoring along at about 15 knots as I had already been doing, seeing the diver below flags.

These blokes then start motioning to me to stop. I said who are you blokes? They didn't answer so I kept motoring. They kept motioning at me to stop. I let them get close but be buggered if I was going to let two blokes I don't know who wouldn't identify them selves board my boat, let alone touch it.

Eventually they decided that they weren't mute anymore, and advised me that I had to keep 200 metres from the boat, which I duly did. I still don't know who there were.

That was a couple of weeks ago and it was 200 metres then. I don't think they have a lawful power to enforce it though, but in the interest of safety I was more than happy to comply once I knew what it was they wanted.
Cheers

Matt

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:02 pm
by got-none
mattyA exact same thing happened to me, i didnt want to bring it up but same mob different boat didnt give way to me and followed me same thing, kinda annoying when the guys that think they know the rules actually break them trying to "tell" you the rules about distance.

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:30 pm
by pagey
MattyA wrote:
got-none wrote: A red polycraft with two blokes in it comes screaming out of nowhere from my starboard side. They drive straight across my bow and if I hadn't slowed and taken action to prevent it, there could well have been a crash.
Matt
Correct me if I'im wrong but if they were on your STBD side then that would have made you the give way vessel?

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGS)

Crossing situations(Rule 15)
When two power-driven vessels are crossing, the vessel which has the other on the starboard side must give way and avoid crossing ahead of her.[4] The saying is "If to starboard red appear, 'tis your duty to keep clear".

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:54 am
by MattyA
yeah mate, correct but I was doing about 15 knots and checking to make sure I didn't encroach too close to the blokes diving (off to my port side). They were flying along, really unnecessary in the situation and I didn't see them until they were quite close; it is quite likely that they actually came up from my starboard rear quarter initially then turned in. Sorry if I didn't explain it very well, it was quite a dangerous, silly situation that they put me and them selves in but maybe you had to be there, or maybe my command of the English language isn't too goed!

Cheers

Matt

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:39 am
by pagey
Matt

Wasnt having a go just identifying the rule.

After talking to a mate this morning it would appear that these people are serial offenders with little to no regard for any rule themselves. From what he told me, you and other have said I sounds like its only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:39 pm
by smed
Was surveyed today at Dinah beach by good old bloke. He went through a series of questions about targets, catches, whether we thought numbers had increased/decreased etc. One of his questions was in regards locations that I would/wouldn't go. I said that I won't go to Catalinas any more. His ears pricked up & he asked why. I mentioned that a number of forum members have had dramas with the red polycraft/s. He took notes & said that this would be relayed to the powers that be as he suspected that the survey feedback was related to the development of the new plant and this was the type of info they wanted as they want to be seen to be doing the right thing.
Only time will tell....

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:01 pm
by Peterdrc
Rule 13 overtaking

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:20 pm
by Trier
I assume that this is the notice Cuddlescooper?


NOTICE TO MARINERS
DIVING OPERATIONS ______________________________________________________________ _____
TO: PORT USERS FROM: HARBOURMASTER
REF: NTM 2012/70(T) DATE: 10 July 2012 ______________________________________________________________ _____
Mariners are informed that diving operations will be conducted during daylight hours from Wednesday 11 July through to Tuesday 17 July 2012 between Walker Shoal, Old Man Rock, East Arm #13 buoy and Blaydin Point.
Up to 10 dive teams will operate from dive vessels Echo, Eagle, Equity, Dolphin Diver, Katmando, Sea Sprint, Shadow, Scout, Sabre and Sentinel. All dive vessels will display flag Alpha and monitor VHF Channels 10, 16 and 71.
All vessels are requested to remain 200m clear of the dive vessels and to pass at a safe speed. Up to four tender vessels will be in the area to assist in maintaining the 200m dive zone.
Captain Ian Niblock Harbourmaster


If this is the applicable notice, then obviously the distance being talked about is 200m. BUT vessels are 'requested' to remain clear etc etc., and to me that means ASKED to remain clear.
If vessels are 'directed' (told) or an exclusion zone created, then again (to me) that is another matter.

As far as I know, CS is right about the alpha flag; ie., keep a safe speed and distance.

Too tired to look up the Collision at Sea regs., but I'm sure there will be something in there about using 'due care and diligence' as well, and not driving like a corkhead like those blokes in the polycraft appear to. Certainly common sense says so. Unless they are police or fisheries inspectors, it would be very tempting to tell them where to go, give them the bird and keep going about your business (as long as it was lawful!!)

These clowns sound like a fair pair of tossers.

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:22 pm
by Lats
My misses lets off sound signals all the time, especially when on the ciders. She seems to turn to STBD quite a lot

Re: Marine safety flag signals and sounds

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:42 pm
by Trier
:rofl:
As long as her stern turns to starboard, and you are (were) on her port side! :lol:

PS. I hope she doesn't have a login to this site!