wrote in message
oups.com...

Scott Sexton wrote:
Does anyone know who was cited for this accident?

http://www.m90.org/index.php?id=11568

Was it the CG for not altering course to avoid an emminent collision, or
the PB for not paying attention?

*************************************************
Scott H. Sexton help@
www.sexton.com sexton.com
Eeyore's Birthday Party http://eeyores.sexton.com
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While the term "right of way" has fallen into general disuse among
modern mariners, if this were a situation involving two civilian boats
the boat approaching from starboard would be called the "stand on"
vessel and the vessel from which the video was shot would be the "give
way" vessel.

It would be incumbent upon *both* vessels to avoid the collision, and
under the COLREGS the prior understanding would be that the vessel
approaching from starboard would maintain course and speed unless it
became apparent that a collision was imminent. Under those same
COLREGS, the give way vessel would either change speed or (preferably)
alter course dramatically and visibly- normally to starboard to pass
astern of the stand on vessel.

It would take somebody better versed in the finite details of COLREGS
to say whether military, police, fire, or rescue vessels require all
other vessels to give way, but I would be surprised if that isn't the
case. By common sense alone, most of us avoid impeding fire, police, or
CG boats. I don't know whether the skipper of the CG boat could be
exonerated because he wasn't a civilian boat- but he or she should have
and could have avoided the collision with the little speed boat.
Obviously the small boat was in sight of the CG patrolboat and the risk
of collision was apparent.

That said, I can't understand why the skipper of the little speed boat
wasn't keeping a better watch. A single glance to port would have been
sufficient to alert him that even as the stand on boat (in a civilian
situation) he needed to do something to avoid wrecking his boat.

It's also another example of a problem that would have been resolved by
one of my pet crusades....recommending or requiring a VHF for every
boat operating in waters patrolled by the USCG.


I have a VHF on my 17' Whaler, but when I'm operating at or near WOT, I
can't hear a thing that's being said on it.