THOUGHTS ON AVOIDING THE NAVIGATION PILES IN NELSON HARBOUR
This article is mainly for the benefit of yachts involved in racing, but relevant to all pleasure craft using the harbour.
The navigation piles are hard and dangerous!
A collision is invariably costly and time consuming to repair, usually taking months and many thousands of dollars. It is also likely that injury may result from the collision, especially if the rig fails.
The piles are difficult to see at night-time, or if shielded by sails or other vessels.. They are particularly dangerous in a strong wind or tidal flow. It is amazing how fast a boat bears down on to a pile whilst being pushed sideways due to a strong tidal stream, or strong wind causing excessive leeway.
Be particularly careful whilst beating across the harbour and tacking immediately in front of a pile. Tack in good time, or consider dropping below the pile to be on the safe side. Before negotiating the harbour, check the direction and rate of tidal flow and make your decisions accordingly.
When crossing a pile, eg Pile 10, or the two green piles off the southern end of the main wharf, allow plenty of clearance if the wind is strong and gusty. If the wind is from the east or southerly sectors it can be unpredictable, both in strength and direction. If you intend to pass to weather, be aware that, although you may think the boat's hull may clear, the mast, rigging and sails etc. may be well outside the hull, due to the angle of heel. This may easily hook the top of the pile.
A number of vessels have also been caught out by leaving excessive slack on the topping lift, which has blown to leeward and hooked a pile. This makes short work of a fractional rig!
Matters can be made worse if all this takes place during a race start, for instance. A large number of boats may be powered up, and although you may wish to alter course to clear a pile, in the heat of the moment you may not have the space to do it in the time available, due to other adjacent vessels. If you are hard on the wind, attempting to drop to leeward at the last minute may not be an option due to excessive weather helm in a gust, for instance.
Don't forget that the tidal stream does not always follow the pile line. For instance, the tidal stream will "cut the corner" at piles two, three and four. A vessel following the pile line may well be pushed sideways into the piles without the helmsman realizing it, if his view is blocked by a genoa. A vigilant crewman watching to leeward of the genoa and giving regular feedback to the helmsman would be prudent in these circumstances.
Much has been said about barging in on the pile line just after the start of a race. Any vessel approaching other vessels from behind, especially under spinnaker, must ensure there is adequate room to go between the pile line and other, slower vessels. "Adequate room" must include booms, sails, poles etc. and a margin to cover boats rolling.
If you decide the gap is not wide enough, are you capable of bearing clear away, or empowering sufficiently to remain safely behind?
The submerged rock continues to catch people out between pile two and three. It is positioned well inside the channel and any keeler passing over it anywhere near low water springs is in danger of hitting it. If you are approaching the stern of another vessel during a race and the other vessel has left some distance between himself and these two piles, and you wish to overtake, be aware he may be leaving a gap for a very good reason!
Be careful out there!
Chris Nieman
Training and Safety
