NYCkayaker New Safety Meeting, with NY Waterway Co. Pics and a Note

[TomBrooklyn]

> From: "Dan Starer" <danstarer at gmail.com>, 6 Jun 2008
> 
> *The Captains **&** Paddlers Day  The Guild has
> followed up with them and their safety officer has invited local paddlers to
> meet with them at the NY Waterway tour terminal, Pier 78. This meeting may 
> include a visit to the wheelhouse of one their ferries.


1. I put up a few pics taken on the NY Waterway Ferry Wheelhouse on my flickr page
TomBrooklyn.   I didn't get many, but there's a few.   

2. Thanks to Dan Starer for organizing the meeting and Al Warren, Safety Officer,
the Ferry Capt and Crewman and NY Waterway Mgt for providing us with that
enlightening trip to see the water and kayakers as they are seen from the
perspective of a Ferry Wheelhouse.    It so happened a kayaker was crossing between
our stern and the setting sun and he got lost in the glare.   

3a. Al Warren mentioned the use of 1 or 2 whistles (horn) in a meeting between a
ferry and kayaker(s) to indicate it's intention to pass to either starboard or port.
 This was quickly dismissed by one of the kayakers as useless because "most kayakers
don't know what whistle signals mean."  

b. While whistles are commonly used only between power vessels, and kayakers don't
generally carry horns, I found this tendency to quickly dismiss and excuse kayakers
from needing to know standard boating signals disturbing and said so.  IMO, any
kayakers paddling in a busy commercial port who don't familiarize themselves with
the meaning of whistle signals are being overly lax at best and negligent at worst. 
 It was agreed that most kayakers need to be trained in this area and that training
would be encouraged and/or given (in some way left unspecified.)  

c. I further found it interesting that the Waterway's Safety officer and the
attending Coast Guard representative had no comment on the "most kayakers lack of
whistle knowledge" point.    I suspect this is likely due to them having given up on
expecting recreational boaters of all ilks, motor and sail included, to know the
Rules of Navigation.  (While some do, many don't.)   If kayakers want to share the
water with the big boys and be respected out there however, I think it is imperative
they know the rules the big boys play by. 

d. Even if a kayaker is not directly involved in a whistle exchange, understanding
the exchange between two motor boats operating in it's vicinity might be helpful in 
anticipating the actions of the power vessels.  

e. The whistles are pretty easy to remember because in the US we drive on the right
and faster vehicles generally are required to pass slower ones on the left.   The
same is not a requirement for boats because boats don't travel on linear roads, but
it is still the preferred method for boats that are meeting head on or passing
directly from the rear.   i.e. veer right and pass port to port or be overtaken on
your port and be shown the overtaking vessels starboard.   This corresponds to one
short whistle.     

f. Two short whistles indicate a passing or overtaking on the other side.  i.e. veer
left and pass starboard to starboard, or be overtaken on your right or starboard by
a vessel showing you it's port. 

http://www.unigard.com/NR/rdonlyres/F019DB4C-EFA4-4C44-84B7-C8214E72CF2A/0/136720e.pdf

http://www.boatdocking.com/other/Sounds.html

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/33/chapters/34/subchapters/i/parts/d/sections/section_2034.html

Cheers,
TomBrooklyn