Big Ships, Little Boats

• Paddling Safety
• Big Ships, Little Boats
• In-Water Survival
• Island Hazards
• Mooring
• Safety on the Trail
• Tying It All Together - Three Great Knots For Use Out On The Trail
• Weather

Better Understanding for Better Boating

Areas around Portland, Penobscot Bay, and Eastport have deep draft channels where you may encounter deep sea vessels and large tug and barge units. Follow these guidelines to stay safe in busy waters shared by a diverse array of commercial and recreational craft.

• Rules of the Road. When in doubt, yield to common sense. When on the water, always assume that a larger vessel is more difficult to maneuver and that its deep draft confines it to mid-channel. Tugs, tows, fishing vessels, ferries and other large commercial vessels have the right of way over all other vessels. When possible, keep outside of a deep draft channel by traveling in shallower areas near the shoreline. Know the Rules of the Road, including lights and sound signals. Five or more short blasts of the horn signals danger.
• Visibility. Crews on large ships often have difficulty seeing small craft—even when small boaters wear bright colors and reflective material. It’s best to assume that another vessel cannot see you. Operate defensively and be extra cautious at times of reduced visibility.
• Wake. When operating a motor vessel, you are responsible for the effects of your wake—wherever it goes. Be aware of boats, docks and ferry landings that may be affected as you pass by. Observe speed and wake limits in harbors and around landings. Remember that your wake will travel ahead of you even after you’ve slowed down to headway speed. Be particularly conscious around self-propelled craft and lower your speed to minimize wake.
• VHF Radio. If you were listening, you would know. Commercial vessels announce their intentions on channel 13 (nationwide) when approaching busy harbors and when getting underway from berth or anchorage. Monitor this channel as a means of avoiding larger ships. Only in an emergency should you contact the pilots of commercial vessels on this channel to alert them of your intentions.
• Tugs & Tows. If you see a tug and barge or freighter, it’s safe to assume that they’re connected by a hawser. Never attempt to pass between them, and stay far away as a tug can have little if any control over its barge!
• Lobster Boats. Always at work and sometimes hard to predict, lobster boats can present a variety of potentially dangerous situations. These boats will often travel in erratic courses from buoy to buoy, and while working on a string of traps, a lobster boat cannot maneuver at all. Lobstermen working on a trap may also have their attention focused on the next buoy rather than nearby traffic, which is why staying clear of their boats is the safest course.
• Ferries. While big and stable, ferries are vulnerable to wakes while at dock transferring passengers and cargo. To compensate, ferries will usually hold themselves against the dock by staying in gear, generating strong wash currents. They can also generate strong propeller wash while maneuvering into and away from the ferry landings. Give them a wide berth to avoid these currents.
• Deep Draft Vessels. Stay clear. Do not assume that a vessel at anchor is stationary. Large vessels at anchor may veer unexpectedly under the influence of wind, current, or a hidden, assisting tug. Great care should be taken when operating in their vicinity. Large vessels passing through a bridge must “set up” well before they approach the bridge and cannot maneuver during transit of the bridge. To avoid serious incident and injury, stay clear of the bridge during this process. Also avoid tankers at berth surrounded by floating booms, as those anchoring systems may extend several hundred feet out around the vessel.