Tidewater Barges : (

wsmike · Joined: 07 Jun 2003 Posts: 412

This morning at the Hatch there was a rare occurance that was handled badly in my opinion. Two barges converged right around cheap beach, one headed out to sea the other up the river. I could smell the one coming in from Viento from about 2 miles out, plenty of que to its presence, but it also blew its horn at around 1 mile from Swell, then again, then again. It was easy to spot since it was on the upwind side, and not behind the sail. However, I didn't see the downwind barge until it was damn near on top of me as it never blew its horn (that I could tell). Did anyone hear it blow its horn? or was it just ghosting along downwind and out of sight? pretty shitty policy as it was cruising at about 12kts running with the current.

And no, the smiley face on the side of the barge didn't do much to improve my disposition after that, kind of like the one that Wal*Mart uses, reminds me of the smile people sometimes flash when they flip you off.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I never heard the blasting horn of the westbound barge that missed me by less than an arm's reach minny moons ago. The roaring wind just drowned it out and/or blew it away. I learned that day I almost died that we MUST rely on our eyes. I now stare upwind and downwind on every reach even on inland lakes; it's just habit.

BTW ... their speed is abut 3.5 mph, and the current isn't an approach speed factor because we're in the same current.

\m/

rigatoni · Joined: 25 Feb 1999 Posts: 498

The fact that the barge going up river went wide towards the Oregon side should have been your clue that there was another one coming in the other direction. Look both ways.

wsmike · Joined: 07 Jun 2003 Posts: 412

I sat in the water near cheap beach and watched as they passed, the upriver barge was doing about 3.5mph, the downriver one was doing at least 10mph. I sail back and forth in the same spot so the barge's speed is relative to a fixed point, not the current.

And shoulda, woulda, coulda, until you're under a barge and drowning. Safety protocols like horn blasts are put in place for a reason, to ensure the safety of ALL water recreationalists irregardless of whether or not they look both ways. So "thanks very much" for your smirks and snarky comments but for the time being, I'd like to keep the death toll on the river where it is.

WMP · Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671

I've always complained that barge / tug boat captains either blow the horn way too much, or not at all. Be interesting to find out what "protocol" is and what the law requires. I know freight trains are required by law to blast their horn several times at a certain distance before a RR crossing. Seems there's no such law for barges / tug boats and it's at the discretion of the captain? Sure would be nice to get some consistency in horn blowing on the river. Not too much, not too little.... and not too close to the major launch sites.... common sense is all that's needed, is this too hard?

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

wmike · Joined: 20 Jan 2001 Posts: 207 Location: Maui

I was below the Hatch today when the 2 barges came by. The barge headed down the river was going pretty fast since it was only one empty fuel barge. Since I am ridings wells and jumping I am always looking up wind and down wind for downed sailors and other obstructions.

I heard later on the beach that a sailor passed under the bow of the fuel barge and was quite shaken up by it. It was a very close miss.

With it summer now there are also more boats running the river now.

And wearing corrective lens also helps avoid crashes.

Earlier today there was a single barge headed up the river at a fast clip with a huge cylinder on it. There as a guy on the front of the barge and the tug was blowing his whistle quite a bit.

A few years ago the tug barge companies agreed to have a lookout on the front of the barge through the Swell/Hood River area but I have noticed that they don't do that much anymore. Maybe CGWA can comment on that?

Smile

mik377 · Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 55

I talked to a barge pilot this summer and asked him why they dont always use their horns when approaching ws'ers. His reply was: "sometimes they cant hear it anyway" It's clear from his answer that there's no standard policy in place. This might be a good thing to pass along their safety directors.

pirat · Joined: 02 Jul 2000 Posts: 14

westender · Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge

Ya need glasses??

That's one of my favorite stories to tell. Musta been Iso. Years ago someone sailed when they could see "the" barge coming and they left enough room for "it" to pass. When they finally turned around to see the "other" barge about to run them over they dropped in the water between them to avoid death.

Then there was the time at Rufus we were taking bets as to whether the dope was going to sail into the side of the barge or be run over. It was neither but he almost took me out a half hour later when he got on a big swell and didn't know how to turn and almost T boned me. As we lay in the water after the bail out and I realized he was the blind guy I asked why he almost rammed the barge. He said he didn't see it. He also didn't notice that every other sailor had left the water.

Then there was the time I saw a barge do a 360 to avoid someone off the hatchery/wells. It never ends.

Open your eyes.