Etiquette under way

Andy Du Port draws upon more than 50 years' sailing experience to discuss etiquette under way

- Andy Du Port

Give a friendly wave as you pass

The actions we take to avoid collisions at sea are set out in the Colregs, which we must obey, and nothing which follows should be taken in any way to override them or the requirements of SOLAS or local regulations. How we interact with our fellow sailors while underway, though, is a combination of common sense, courtesy and etiquette.

Etiquette - 'what most people do' - is subjective and constantly changing, and my aim here is to share a few thoughts with you on such diverse subjects as fenders, overtaking, waving and avoiding embarrassing close encounters with ships.

Fenders

Having a fender dangling over the side when under way is very definitely not the thing to do. I don't know why, but it has been that way from time immemorial.

Having a full set of fenders rigged is less heinous than just the one, perhaps, because a single fender must be a mistake whereas three or four could be for a good reason.

By all means secure your fenders to the guard wires in good time, but keep them inboard until you make the final approach to your berth. If you're short-handed, they may need to be deployed slightly earlier; you don't want your view obstructed by the crew scurrying about making last minute preparations.

When setting off, get the fenders inboard as soon as it is prudent to do so. They can be stowed away in slow time.

Ropes

Lines dangling over the side look sloppy and can be a real hazard if they become wrapped round the prop. So try to keep them out of the water at all times.

Anyway, you really don't want wet lines mouldering in the cockpit locker.

If you are tempted to point out someone's errant fender you may not get the thanks you expect; if you indicate that a rope is in the water, though, you could prevent a disaster.