Skip to main content

WHEN VESSELS ENCOUNTER

M16672.2D
Reading through some of the other maritime themed blogs is often interesting.  While we do see Posts about the latest adventures of "Lego-Man" - he was at Sarasota Beach, FL this past week - there are also more serious Posts.  There is one about vessel encounters entitled "When vessels encounter drunks".  It is by an experienced Master currently in Command of a large ocean-going car carrier if one remembers correctly.  No it is not wrong but the approach struck NAUTICAL LOG as a little different perhaps even strange.  But then NAUTICAL LOG does not have the greatest sense of humour or is even faintly amused when it comes to vessel encounters and the Navigation Rules not being followed. 


Living in South Florida on the edge of Biscayne Bay one encounters all too frequently BUI boaters and while the Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies do the best job they can the real answer is personal responsibility - unfortunately it is sadly lacking being in a large part due to the cult of 'machismo' prevalent to the area  That coupled with little or complete lack of knowledge of the NAVIGATION RULES as laid down in USCG M16672.2D (or latest edition).  This is the only book in the United States that counts to learn from, fully understand and follow.  Yes there are others designed to be helpful, make money for the author, however they are not the official word.


The article by the above mentioned Master quotes a Mr.Crawford's book who uses the medium of the theater as an aide memoire to the learning of the Navigation Rules.  The article quotes Rule 2 and then says, quote: "then be ready to 'ad lib' " when the Navigation Rules are not followed.

This is very bad advice indeed.  The Navigation Rules cover just about every situation that can occur between two or more vessels on the High Seas or Inland Waterways.  They even cover those situations where things go very wrong indeed, far from 'Ad Libbing' they give precise instructions on how to behave.  It is 'Ad Libbing' from those precise instructions that gets seafarers into serious trouble.  From appearing to be in the right they find themselves in left field and handing in their respective License/Certificate to their Maritime Authority.


So as well as following the Navigation Rules on what to do in a particular situation at sea know also what to do when things go wrong.  The solutions are found in Rule 2 (b), Rule 8 (e), Rule 17 (b) and of course in Rule 1 - General Application - how to follow the Navigation Rules as per USCG M16672.2D (or latest edition).


"A Collision can Spoil your whole Day."


Good Watch

There are still nearly 400 of our fellow seafarers held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia.  Simulation programmes, however well intended and useful for training, will not help a single one of them.  Skilled rescue using extreme prejudice would have a marked effect on piracy per se. NAUTICAL LOG fully supports armed vessel protection and response.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PAINT LOCKER FIRES

The photographs above are revealing in several ways, lets have a look. Clearly the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) vessel JS "Kurama" impacted the Korean container ship MS "Carina Star" just aft of the turn of the fo'cs'le on the Starboard side. Please note that's the Starboard side, thus it appears JS "Kurama" would have shown "Carina Star" the red port sidelight and "Carina Star" would have shown JS "Kurama" the green starboard sidelight. This impact point would tend to suggest that JS "Kurama" was the 'stand-on' vessel and the MS "Carina Star" is the 'giving-way' vessel. Until there is a complete plot of the tracks made good of both these vessels and the position in the Kanmon Strait of the point of collision no determination can actually be made. As a result of this impact there was severe bow damage to JS "Kurama" and in addition a massive f

HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style A popular European ferry style Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read. Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR). Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK. Good Watch

BOUILLABAISSE

TAAF Service vessel operated by CMA CGM TAAF Regional flag Well now let us see if here at NAUTICAL LOG we have got a grasp on things simmering in the pot. It seems that when the anti-whaling campaign started out some years ago it was between Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds and the Japanese whaling fleet. The Australians came down to their own Southern Ocean Territory in a chartered civilian vessel one year. Beyond taking photographs and returning some Sea Shepherds to their ship the MS "Steve Irwin" not much was accomplished. The Greenpeace crowd then dropped out and Animal Planet boarded the MS "Steve Irwin" to shoot 'reality TV' and so Whale Wars came into being. This resulted in some deplorable behaviour on all sides and some appalling exhibitions of seamanship - or rather total lack of seamanship by the Sea Shepherds. But now there was money coming in which could be spent on - well nobody really knows what the money is spent on. New Zealand made it q