Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave R
Unless you are both on the same heading (or 180 degrees off), that boat is headed toward a spot that you will have vacated by the time it arrives. It's a common and smart technique to turn directly toward the stand-on boat in a crossing situation, then hold that heading. The stand-on boat is obligated to maintain course and speed, so its bearing, relative to the give-way boat, will change and there will be no collision course. When you see a give-way boat change direction and head directly at you at a distance like that, it's usually a sign that the operator is smart and wants you to know they see you, they are not trying to intimidate you.
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That's pretty good. But I caution that sailboat speeds on the lake are highly variable, going up and down even more quickly than the breeze itself as the boat's position relative to islands, points, etc can change speed and direction of the wind. Further, sailboats change direction ("tack") more frequently than many powerboat captains realize in order to compensate for these wind changes and other navigational requirements. And of course, many sailboat pilots often have a blind spot when their sails obstruct their view of your power boat.
None of this is to suggest that sailors do not have right of way/stand on obligations, only to point out that the reason they usually have right of way is that they have a significantly tougher time navigating than a non sailor might think. So they should not be expected to be as easy to predict as a power boat.