MacGregorSailors.com

I was reading the February Cruising World and their Hands-on Sailor feature talked about motorsailing. Although they were mostly looking at it from the standpoint of motorsailing to get to your crusing destination faster when the wind dies, the article brought up the COLOREGS (Collision-avoidance regulations) and the need to fly a flag indicating that your boat is motorsailing and not just sailing.

"Remember that when motorsailing, you're a power-driven vessel under the COLREGS rules, without the limited advantages of a pure sailing vessel in a potential collision situations. One piece of gear you should certianly add is a streaming cone-the inverted black cone shape that the COLREGS require a vessel proceeding under both sail and power to display to indicate to other skippers you true status"

Does any one fly this type of flag? I have NEVER seen one. I tried to find one on the net, but can't locate one even if I should have one.

any advice or comments?


Rich

These are called "day shapes" and are available a few places, such as here and here.

--
Moe

RichandLori wrote:...and the need to fly a flag indicating that your boat is motorsailing and not just sailing.

As Moe pointed out, they are not really flags. They are a cone shaped device that you fly from your flag halyard or forestay.

Under U.S. Inland rules, the shapes are optional on boats as small as ours; and to be honest, most of the boaters in the Sacramento Delta wouldn't know what the shape meant anyway.

Under International rules, the shapes must be hoisted when appropriate, no matter what size vessel you are on. This means that anyone sailing outside the COLREGS demarcation lines, that have sails up and the motor running are REQUIRED to hoist the cone.

--Mark

Moe wrote:These are called "day shapes" and are available a few places, such as here and here.

I just ordered a set from Landfall. I've been looking for an inexpensive set of mini day shapes. Thanks Moe.

--Mark

So if I spray paint my Davis Radar Reflector black it will serve two purposes and be useful day and night.

I had wondered if the Conch Cruisers or anyone else that has gone to the Bahamas use the cone while underway... or the black ball for anchoring during the day?

Greg wrote:I had wondered if the Conch Cruisers or anyone else that has gone to the Bahamas use the cone while underway... or the black ball for anchoring during the day?

For the Conch Cruisers, I've never seen either.

We haven't done a lot of motorsailing; most of the time it's either motoring or sailing. In any case, it seems to me that the only place it really makes much difference is in the more resticted area, shipping lanes, harbor approaches, etcetera. In the open ocean it's sort of irrelevant. Even when under sail alone, counting that the big guys will give way to your puny sailboat is asking for trouble.

I suppose the anchor ball would be of some use when anchored in the Bimini channel; if anyone anchored there displayed an anchor ball, I never noticed it.

I just ordered one of each as well.

Will I be the only one in my area that uses them? YES Will anyone know what the hull the anchor ball or the motoring cone are? No But I try to not base my standards of operation off of the lowest common denominator, in boating and life as well. So if I serve to educate others by displaying the proper signals, I will be happy to do so, besides it is COOL.


Rich

I have had a set for 3 years and use them in the Channel Islands and Ventura harbor area all the time. Do get questioned as to what the heck are those shapes for

Good to hear that steve, I take my 26M over Channel Islands Harbor from Bakersfield and am looking forward to my first trip out to the Islands. So there will be two Macs with the flags.

Rich