wrote in message
oups.com...
But my point is that NOBODY obeys the rules, even the people on this
forum who say we should obey the rules!

When was the last time you heard somene sound a horn for passing or
other encounters with other boats?

i think anyone who actually obeyed the rules for sound signals would
look and feel a bit ridiculous, thus my question.

Understand that I'm not saying people should disobey rules such as the
rightmost boat hs the right of way, the big boats have the right of way
over small boats and so on. I'm just wondering about the rules that
are never observed in practice, except possibly by commercial vessels.

D


On the contrary, plenty of people obey the rules ..... you just may not have
run across them.
Regarding whistle signals ..... very few people, including commercial
vessels, use whistle signals anymore.
For most commercial vessels, they will generally make passing arrangements
via VHF, but beware, the knowledge of the signals is still required as they
will frequently do this with something like, "I'll pass you on your one
whistle side".
In many case of small boats, the traffic density is so great that the use of
a whistle signal could lead to confusion for vessels other than the
intended.
Personally, when dealing with small recreational vessels, I rarely use
whistle signals, other than the danger signal or a long blast.
As for your basic premise, sorry, but the Rules are all inclusive...... you
need to know them all, whether or not you use them.

otn