Incident at the Hatchery on Thursday, July 14th

[WEISDA]

If anyone knows of a guy named "Wind Mtn. Pete" who sails vintage Northwave sails on a blue Open Ocean board, please ask him to contact Terry at 509-637-5138 to discuss the damage he caused to my board when we ran into me on the water at the Hatchery on Thursday, July 14th.

[isobars]

We all know Pete from the forum, and many of us know him personally. However, we DON'T know the details of the incident and I don't know how to contact him. I'm sure someone here can point you to him.

[WEISDA]

There were at least a dozen people on shore who witnessed the incident. I didn't see much as he came VERY FAST from behind and upwind of me. Any help getting in touch with Pete would be appreciated.

[GarryW]

You should post this in the Northwest/Canada section of this forum.

[U2U2U2]

This is posted on the NW site, with continued posts

[isobars]

As one who loves to blast downwind in big terrain for 10 yards or a kilometer, I disagree that a collision obvious to observers 10 seconds in advance is just an "honest dumb mistake". There are several things one can do to reduce its risks, including:
1. Keep your head on a swivel, constantly looking in every direction for obstacles on, in, and above the water.

2. As our swiveling reveals obstacles (most of which are other sailors on a beam each), the first onus is ours, and is to avoid interfering with them, regardless of which tack anyone is on. Our crooked, misaligned path throws port and tack privileges out the window, and our speed enhances the confusion of flatlanders mowing the lawn. The solution is for me to turn 45-90 degrees to blend with the flow to signal four things:
a. I see ya.
b. I'm not gonna hit ya, or even interfere with you.
c. If you just keep on keepin' on, I'll clear you safely and politely, then *I'll* keep on keepin' on.
d. If you are doing the same unpredictable stuff I'm doing, keep on doing it; I'll give ya extra room so there's no chance of interference.

3. Stay away from crowds. That alone entails several explicit adjustments discussed years ago.

4. Keep in mind the fact that we, not the folks mowing the lawn, are the interlopers and thus share more than half the burden of avoiding collisions. Anyone, especially Gorge newbies from Flatlandia, on or near a beam reach is just not expecting others -- WSers, kiters, jet skiers, SUPs, anything on a foil, etc. -- to cross their path at speed. Many tourists' heads are fully occupied with just getting across the Columbia River on a windy day (whether they should be doing that at all at a busy and windy venue is a whole 'nuther debate long since beaten to death); assume they are even less predictable than the folks sailing upwind and downwind.

5. If outliers do all that and more, THEN maybe collisions are honest AND dumb AND a mistake, rather than recklessness. At some point in trying to sail in expert conditions (as determined by venue, crowding, wind, terrain, equipment, experience, and more), the onus for one's safety and peace of mind swings back towards himself. Just as I have no right to complain if someone lassoed me and hauled my lame ass out of such venues as the Hatchery's Kodak Point or any pro-level ocean venue on a crowded day, I at least hope that sailors overwhelmed at ANY spot would take it upon themselves not to interfere with or complain about how the locals sail. One doesn't to be VASTLY challenged to advance his skills and confidence, and perhaps crowds should be a big factor.

The following part definitely justifies taking or even moving this thread to the NW/Canada forum simply because Pete lives in the Gorge:
This incident SOUNDS like many of those common sense steps were missing. At the very least, Pete, it's time to step up to the plate and talk to the OP. I'd think it would go a long ways towards mitigating public condemnation and converting possible legal action to a modest cash outlay ... IF you were at fault.

[U2U2U2]