What To Do When It's Up To You
Here are seven simple rules to keep you in the clear, and tempers tamped down, as you pass boats in a narrow channel
Channels that run from open water to
and from a marina and boat ramp are,
by design, narrow. Here are some tips
to make getting from here to there a
smooth ride:
1. If a boat is passing you, slow down. This
allows the faster boat to get around your boat
and makes the maneuver safer for oncoming
boat traffic within a narrow channel.
2. Remember, sailboats have either a deep
keel or a deep centerboard, so it’s more likely
to run aground if pushed to the outside edge
of a channel.
3. There are always powerboaters who’ve
been running at 40 knots across open water
then suddenly enter a channel and get frustrated
with the slow pace of boat traffic (usually
six knots max). These are the same folks who
are eager to get to the open water but have to
follow the channel to its entrance. While it’s
wrong for them to be in a hurry, be aware of the
fact they may simply push the speed limit and
pass you. As above, slow down and let them get
by. Many boaters may try contacting them on
VHF but chances are good they don’t even have
the radio on — or can’t hear it over the sound
of the engines.
4. When approaching a channel entrance from
open water, be aware of all the boats coming in
at angles and possibly cutting you off. Be ready
to reduce speed.
5. Instead of speeding up to get into the line
that is either going out of the channel or coming
into the channel, many times it makes sense to
simply do a slow 360-degree turn and let the
traffic pass before falling in behind the last boat.
It’s safer, too. Remember the sage advice from
the unidentified captain of a schooner in the
1800s: If you take your time, you’ll get there
more quickly.
6. Channel marker numbers increase going
upstream (toward the marina/boat ramp) and
decrease going downstream toward open water
7. Vessels going downstream on a river have the
right of way over boats going upstream. This is
because it is easier to adjust speed and directions
against the current than with the current.
