Doug and JimC,

If ships were to maintain a speed and distance that would allow them to
avoid all collision, no ship would leave the dock.

In Bill's situation, he would have been held partially responsible due to
the speed and distance he maintained in the overtaking situation. My point
is, there are many situations that occur in narrow channels with strong
currents/tides and winds that would not have allowed a powerboater to avoid
a collision under all conditions. It is possible that any boater can cause
an accident that the powerboater could not have avoided. The courts can and
do assign partial blame for most accidents, but there are situations where a
boater is 100% responsible for an accident.


"DSK" wrote in message
. ..
"Dr. Dr. Smithers" Ask Me about my Phd @ Diploma Mill .com wrote in
JimC,
If there is a collision and both boats could have avoided the collision,
both boats can be held partially reasonable. If the sailboat in a
passing
situation turns in front of another boat and it is not reasonable for the
other boater to avoid the collision, the powerboater will not be held
responsible.


Do you realize that your two statements are a direct contradiction of each
other?

Jim Carter wrote:
Dr. Smithers, the first part of your statement is absolutely correct.
The
second part of your statement is incorrect in as much as there is no such
thing as it being "not reasonable" for the powerboater to avoid the
collision in the way Bill has described the situation. In this case it
would have been the fault of Bill's judgement. He was too close and too
fast in the situation. He MUST stay clear in the overtaking situation.


But to most motorboaters, it is unreasonable to slow down and give other
boats a wide berth. They have a RIGHT to go blasting right past any
sailboat, close aboard, and by golly that durn sailboat better just stay
outta their way!

We can only hope that a maritime court would, in the event of tragedy, see
things in a slightly more adult viewpoint.

And it's probably not going to do any good to review the ColRegs, even
with a motorboater who knows what they are, because obviously 1- he can't
read them clearly and 2- has no concept that they are applied in order and
3- clings to the idea that he has no personal responsibility or
accountability.

DSK

Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:

Doug and JimC,

If ships were to maintain a speed and distance that would allow them to
avoid all collision, no ship would leave the dock.


???

Do you really have ANY concept of how big the oceans are?

DSK

Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:

Doug and JimC,

If ships were to maintain a speed and distance that would allow them to
avoid all collision, no ship would leave the dock.


???

Do you really have ANY concept of how big the oceans are?

DSK

Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:

Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.


Actually, that's VERY wide as channels go. Are you suggesting that you
cannot manage to drive your boat along a course and keep it within 100
yards or so of where it should be?

Are you also suggesting that going SLOW when close to other boat traffic
is not an option?

DSK

Doug,
I am able to manage my boat and go slow enough to avoid boat traffic, no
matter what the other boats do, but many ships are not. The ColRegs are not
written to regulate my actions but for all boat/ship traffic. I was
highlighting the obvious error you made when you said if any boat/ship is
involved in an accident, they are at fault. This is not correct.


"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:

Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.


Actually, that's VERY wide as channels go. Are you suggesting that you
cannot manage to drive your boat along a course and keep it within 100
yards or so of where it should be?

Are you also suggesting that going SLOW when close to other boat traffic
is not an option?

DSK

In article ,
DSK wrote:
Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:

Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.


Actually, that's VERY wide as channels go. Are you suggesting that you
cannot manage to drive your boat along a course and keep it within 100
yards or so of where it should be?

Are you also suggesting that going SLOW when close to other boat traffic
is not an option?

Don't know about St. Lawrence, but were we sail, the channel can be
less than 30 ft. wide in spots.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Jonathan Ganz wrote:
In article ,
DSK wrote:

Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:


Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.


Actually, that's VERY wide as channels go. Are you suggesting that you
cannot manage to drive your boat along a course and keep it within 100
yards or so of where it should be?

Are you also suggesting that going SLOW when close to other boat traffic
is not an option?


Don't know about St. Lawrence, but were we sail, the channel can be
less than 30 ft. wide in spots.

Is that the channel that you sail in? How small is your boat? In
channels like that it is even more important that you understand the
basic rules.
(b)In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had
to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special
circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which
may make a departure from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger.

Gary

"Gary" wrote in message
newsIWaf.404382$oW2.266485@pd7tw1no...
Jonathan Ganz wrote:
In article ,
DSK wrote:

Dr. Dr. Smithers wrote:


Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.


Actually, that's VERY wide as channels go. Are you suggesting that you
cannot manage to drive your boat along a course and keep it within 100
yards or so of where it should be?

Are you also suggesting that going SLOW when close to other boat traffic
is not an option?


Don't know about St. Lawrence, but were we sail, the channel can be
less than 30 ft. wide in spots.

Is that the channel that you sail in? How small is your boat? In
channels like that it is even more important that you understand the basic
rules.
(b)In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had to
all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances,
including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make a
departure from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger.

Gary

Depends on the day. We usually sail in the SF bay, and there are channels in
the area that are quite narrow. Some less than 30 feet. Two boats can just
make passage at the same time.

I don't own a boat at the moment, but I teach on a Yamaha 30.

Where we keep her, the speed limit is 5 mph. Other places have nothing
posted, but it would be highly stupid to do much more than that.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Dr. Dr. Smithers" Ask Me about my Phd @ Diploma Mill .com wrote in
message ...
Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.

Dr. Smithers, have you ever boated on the St. Lawrence Seaway?

This Seaway has HUGE wide channels in it. Large Freighter pass one
another regularly. I have 1000's of hours boating the Great Lakes System.
There are some area's where there are channels so narrow that only one boat
is permitted to proceed at one time through them. These are mainly in the
30,000 Island area of Georgian Bay and in some areas of the North Channel of
Lake Huron. In these areas the rule of Up Bound and Down Bound are in
effect. The speed limit is also in effect.

Jim Carter
"The Boat"
Bayfield

Yes I have and there are collisions between ships on the St. Lawrence Seaway
due to mechanical or human error. When this happens it is not necessary for
both ships to be at fault. One ship can assume 100% of the responsibility
even though the other ship was not avoid the collision.


"Jim Carter" wrote in message
...

"Dr. Dr. Smithers" Ask Me about my Phd @ Diploma Mill .com wrote in
message ...
Doug,
Do you have any idea how narrow many channels are?
Take a look at the majority of the St. Law. Seaway.

Dr. Smithers, have you ever boated on the St. Lawrence Seaway?

This Seaway has HUGE wide channels in it. Large Freighter pass one
another regularly. I have 1000's of hours boating the Great Lakes
System.
There are some area's where there are channels so narrow that only one
boat
is permitted to proceed at one time through them. These are mainly in
the
30,000 Island area of Georgian Bay and in some areas of the North Channel
of
Lake Huron. In these areas the rule of Up Bound and Down Bound are in
effect. The speed limit is also in effect.

Jim Carter
"The Boat"
Bayfield