Hey folks,
This is my first post here, but I’ve read the forum for quite a bit.
I’m just wondering, does anyone know why so many ships (especially international) run up the Galveston-Sabine fairway on the port side? (Taking this fairway to Galveston/Houston from the Gulf). I’m talking about the route you take when you jump into the fairway right near that rig “Enchilada”. It’s on the way to Galveston and Houston, and it’s not the one that you take which is pretty much North South. It’s North-Northwest, South-Southeast.
Generally I’ve seen that it’s usually foreign vessels doing this, and they ride the port side the whole way. Then I’m coming up on the starboard side, like I’d assume you’re supposed to do, and I’m getting squeezed. Lately I just call them on the radio and tell them to move over. They have over a mile to their starboard side, there’s no reason I should turn to starboard, risk going out of the fairway, so we don’t have a CPA of less than 1/4 mile or something ridiculous.
But does anyone have any idea as to why these guys ride the port side? I get it if you’re overtaking someone, but they stay on the port side the whole way. If you’re leaving Houston, there’s no reason to run the port side of the fairway. Every turn you make is to starboard until you reach that East-West Fairway which is a pretty decent distance.
Am I missing something? To these guys think they’re in England or Australia? Because they’re driving on the wrong side of the road.