Capt. Neal® wrote:
....
It does not! The COLREGS were not even a gleam in some
lawyer's grandfather's eye when the legendary Joshua
Slocum was plying his manly trade.


Wrong again, Neal. Your batting average is only slightly better than
jaxie's.

The current Colregs (adopted in 1972) obvious did not exist, but most
of the major seafaring countries had rules by the 1860's. The first
international rules were drafted in 1889, 6 years before Slocum left
on his famous voyage. They are surprisingly similar to the current
rules, with many of the same phrases.

Regarding lookouts:
"Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner,
master or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to carry
lights or signals or of any neglect to keep a proper look-out, or of
the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary
practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case."

This was worded the same in the 1948 version, and then lookouts were
moved to Rule 5 in 1972.

But they weren't the COLREGS and it was the COLREGS about
which I made my true statement.

You can do better than that, Neal. Didn't you notice the change in
wording? Do I have to do everything for you?