Gerald wrote:
.... I my lifetime of sailing, many thousands of miles inland and
offshore, I have never "had" to make a maneuver that forced another vessel
to take an action in response

I guess you never sailed a boat with no engine in channel.



True on the one hand the wind does shift. As a sailing vessel you are
normally the stand on vessel relative to a power vessel. As a stand on
vessel you are REQUIRED Rule 17(a) to maintain your course and speed.

Unless, of course, that is impossible.

... Note that the rules do not say that you must maintain your
course and speed except when the wind shifts, or the water gets too shallow,
or whatever else your problem may be.


What a stupid thing to say. If the water "becomes too
shallow" then
1- you will most certainly not maintain speed, no matter hwo
you try to maintain course
2- under the rules, you are then constrained by draft.

DSK