On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:14:44 -0400, "Sal's Dad"
wrote:

What am I missing?

What you are missing is the "prudent man" thing. If it looks like you
may be on a collision course with another vessel, and if you have time
to do so, it is prudent to attempt communication of some sort to clear
things up. VHF is the communications medium of choice in most coastal
areas, even with smaller boats.