Re: (almost nothing to do with, but started from) New Year's
Seacout-Net List Manager (listmanager@seascout.org)
Sun, 17 Jan 1999 12:02:52 -0500
Original-From: Mark Ritter <RitterME@stny.lrun.com>
Original-Reply-To: seascout-net@mail.sea.scouter.com
Original-Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 17:24:46 -0500
OOPS ... Brain overboard!
Yes, I realized that "helm" was refering to the *tiller* and not the
*rudder* about 30 seconds after I clicked on the SEND button, about 2
seconds after I'd turned off the power on the PC to head to work. Sigh
..
I don't want to start any squables between the "ragmen" (sail boaters)
and the "stink potters" (power boaters). Both have their proper place
in the grand scheme of things. I happen to be both myself; I own 2
sailboats, and have owned 2 others, all are/were tiller operated. Ship
90 owns and uses several sailboats, all tiller operated. But I've been
a guest aboard many a power boat, served as crew aboard many including a
few USCG vessels (under 50'), and spent 4 years as "Vessel Operator" for
USCGAux patrols (16' up to 65'). I've studied for both the NY State
"Joint Pilot and Engineer's license and the USCG Captain's license, but
never taken them because I've had no need for them.
My certifications as instructor for USCGAux Sailing and Seamanship,
USCGAux Boating Skills and Seamanship, and Red Cross Sailing have
expired, but I'm still an instructor for the NY and PA Young Boaters
Safety Courses and a counselor for the BSA Small Boat Sailing MB and
Motorboating MB (using mostly tiller-steered outboards). As far as I
recall, ALL of these sources teach that steering orders MUST be given as
RUDDER orders, and NEVER as TILLER orders, because of exactly this type
of confusion. (They also teach that orders MUST be given in terms of
RIGHT or LEFT rudder, and NEVER in terms of STARBOARD or PORT rudder.)
I have not taken the US Sailing course yet, so I don't know how they
teach it. I'll have the opportunity to find out in January.
I am by no means an expert in maritime law, and have no knowledge of any
actual cases that have ajudicated this point. But the course materials
I've seen state that a collision or grounding caused by a helmsman
responding incorrectly to a licensed officer who gave steering orders in
terms of PORT or STARBOARD instead of LEFT or RIGHT is grounds for
revocation of the officer's license, and a finding of negligence on the
part of the officer. I suspect the same would be true of a licensed
officer who gives "TILLER" orders instead of "RUDDER" orders. I havn't
seen this explicitly stated, probably because there aren't very many
tiller operated boats that require licensed officers. But I do know of
at least one, and I'll pose the question to the Captain.
I certainly meant no disrespect to the USPS or any of it's members, and
don't want to start any squables between members of the USPS and the
USCG Auxiliary. Both are fine organizations; and I'm proud to be a
member of both myself, and hold the grade of Advanced Pilot in the USPS.
(I had started the JN course one year, but couldn't make enough time
available to finish it. I want to take it again in when I can.)
My most enjoyable days as a USCG Auxiliary Vessel Examiner were those
days spent doing USPS vessels at their annual rendezvous. The owners
were always eager for their CME, and their boats have a very high
"award" rate on the first examination. The most common reasons for
"withholding" the decal from a USPS member is because of a burned out
light, blown fuse, or a short/open/corrosion condition in the wiring or
a switch. All of which were easily corrected. Of the several hundred
CMEs I'd done over the years for USPS members, all but two problems were
corrected within an hour, the CME was repeated and the decal awarded the
same day. Both exceptions needed a part after the marina store had
closed for the day, both were resolved within 48 hours, and the CME
repeated and decal awarded within a week. My best single day was 29
boats examined, 28 decals awarded, with credit for 10 additional CMEs
due to repeats. My best "first time" day was 23 boats examined and
passed, with only 3 repeats.
In my own impression, this actually *appears* to be a better "pass" rate
than boats owned by USCG Auxiliary members. However, I don't think
that's a reliable impression. Consider that at a USPS rendezvous, I've
frequently been the only examiner present on any given day, so I do the
repeats myself and know the final result. On the other hand I've rarely
(if ever) been the only examiner present when doing multiple auxiliarist
owned boats, the repeat CME is frequently done by another examiner, so I
frequently didn't know the final result. I would expect and do suspect
that the overall "pass" rate for auxiliarist owned boats is at least as
good as the "pass" rate for USPS member owned boats.
Also high on the list were boats owned by members of any organized boat
club, or yacht club, and boats berthed at a private marina. (Yacht
clubs and private marinas frequently REQUIRE a current CME decal.)
Boats at public marinas had a far lower "first time" pass rate. And it
seems like I rarely got called back for a repeat CME after the problem
was corrected. If/when I made my rounds at that marina again, some but
not all of them would have decals awarded by other examiners. I have no
idea of the final "award" rates. It could be as high as the others; I
just don't know that.
My least favorite times as an examiner were those days spent at the
public boat launch ramps. Those boats rarely passed. And that was
depressing. My worst day was 0 passed out of 19 examined. And that was
part of a 0 passed out of 97 examined season. My best day at a public
ramp was 4 passed out of (I think) 14 examined, and my best season was
less than 20 passed (18, I think) out of 80+ examined (82, I think). Of
all the boats I've examined at a public launch ramp, I've only had 1
request for a repeat CME.
It just happens that several of my most humorous indicents as an
examiner have happened while doing CMEs on a boat owned by a USPS
member. But it's not coincidence eit
