BOATING SKILLS AND SEAMANSHIP

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BOATING SKILLS AND SEAMANSHIP

• Lesson 6
• The Rules We Must Follow

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Lesson Objectives (1)

• The importance of Navigation Rules
• The rules and where they apply
• How the rules apply to boaters in different
  situations
• The differences between the inland and
  international rules
• The General Responsibility Rule

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Lesson Objectives (2)

• How liability for an accident is assessed
• Your responsibility for helping other people
• Safe conduct for your vessel
• Proper sound signals for different situations
• The proper light configuration for your vessel

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Lesson Objectives (3)

• The rules of operation and sounds to be made in
  restricted visibility
• What lights and shapes tell you
• Legal distress signals

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Navigation Rules

• Purpose - Prevent Collisions
• Apply to - Everyone
• Two sets - Inland and International
• Divided by - Line of Demarcation established by
• USCG Commandant

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Demarcation Line
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Definitions

• Power driven vessel
• Any vessel propelled by machinery
• Underway
• Not anchored, not aground, not made fast to shore
• Making way
• Being propelled
• Others
• Fishing vessel
• Restricted in ability to maneuver
• Not under command
• Constrained by draft

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General Responsibility Rule

• Two principal aspects
• Rule of Good Seamanship
• Basically
• Follow the rules, but
• Use good seamanship to depart from the rules to
  avoid immediate danger

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General Responsibility Rule

• Consider all dangers to navigation
• Consider special circumstances
• Immediate danger

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Assessing Legal Liability

• All parties usually share some responsibility for
  an accident
• If you violate the rules, and have a collision,
  you may be at least partly responsible no matter
  what the other skipper does

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Your Responsibility

• Any damage your boat wake may cause to other
  boats or injuries suffered by your passengers or
  others.
• Anything your boat does or anything that happens
  to your boat

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Federal Law

• You must provide whatever assistance you can to
  anyone at sea in need of help
• GOOD SAMARITAN CLAUSE
• You cannot be held liable for anything you do or
  dont do when rendering assistance in good faith
  provided there is no objection

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General Considerations

• Large vs Small vessels
• Give large vessels room
• Maintain a lookout
• Have a designated lookout
• Safe speed
• Slow enough to avoid collision
• Radar
• An extra set of eyes
• Increased responsibility

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Operation in Narrow Channels

• Keep to right
• Dont cross in path of other vessels
• Dont anchor except in emergency
• Inland only
• Downbound vessel has right-of way

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Traffic Separation Schemes
International Rules Vessel Traffic Services
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Hierarchy of Maneuverability
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Stand-on vs Giveway

• Stand-on
• Vessel on right(sees green light)
• Vessel being overtaken
• Must maintain course and speed
• Giveway
• Sees red, red green, or white light
• Must keep out of way
• Rules for sailing vessels
• Wind on Starboard side is stand on
• Give way if windward of another sailboat

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The 3 Situations
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Constant Bearing

• Constant bearing decreasing range collision
  course
• Make course change large enough to be evident (at
  least 60 degrees)

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Sound Signals

• SHORT BLAST (1 Sec)
• A MANEUVERING SIGNAL
• PROLONGED BLAST (4-6 Sec)
• ALSO A MANEUVERING SIGNAL
• ATTENTION GETTER, USE WHEN
• LEAVING A DOCK
• APPROACHING SHARP BEND
• IN FOG OR RESTRICTED VISIBILITY

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Sound Signals

• Sound signals underway
• Intl Inland different words, same result
• 1 short pass with you on my port
• 2 short pass you on my starboard
• 3 short operating in reverse
• 5 or more short danger/doubt
• International meeting
• Signal action Im taking
• No response required unless danger/doubt
• Inland meeting
• Signal intention
• Respond same if agree, danger/doubt if not

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Passing Situations

• Meeting
• Head-on or nearly so
• No right-of-way
• Port-to-port preferred
• Crossing
• Side light visible
• Rights right - pass astern
• Overtaking
• No side lights visible
• White stern light
• Overtaking - stay clear

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Meeting Situation
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Crossing Situation
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Overtaking Situation
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Overtaking in Narrow Channels, Intl Rules
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Restricted Visibility

• When not in sight
• No vessel is stand-on
• Sound signals - underway
• Every 2 minutes
• Power boat - 1 long blast
• Sailboat - 1 long blast, 2 short blasts
• Not making way - 2 long blasts

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Sound signals not underway

• Anchor
• 12 meters or greater ring bell rapidly for 5
  seconds every one minutes.
• Less than 12 meters make sound every 2 minutes.
• 100 meters or more bell in forepart followed by
  gong in aft part every one minute.
• May also sound one short, one prolonged and 1
  short whistle.
• Aground Same as at anchor with 3 distinct
  strokes of bell immediately before and after
  rapid ringing of bell.
• Special anchorage vessels less than 20 meters do
  not sound signals.

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Vessel Lights

• All boats
• Side lights
• Red port, green starboard
• 112 1/2 degrees each
• Stern Light
• White
• 135 degrees
• Power boats, add
• Masthead light
• White
• 225 degrees
• If less than 12m, can combine stern and mast-head
  lights with one 360 degree white light

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Light Sectors
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Light Sectors
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Light Sectors
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Light Sectors
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Rowboat/Small Sailboat Lights
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Light Requirements
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Special Lights

• Fishing Vessels
• Vessels constrained by draft
• Towing vessels
• Vessels at anchor

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Day Shapes
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Visual Distress Signals
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Visual Distress Signals
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Night Visual Distress Signals
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Other Distress signals

• Gun fired every minute
• Continuous sounding of fog signal
• Voice radio signal - MAYDAY
• Signal flags - N C
• Fire on vessel
• EPIRB signal

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Diving Flags
Near Diver During Diving
On Boat during Diving
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Drawbridges

• Limitations
• Signals

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Homeland Security Measures

• 1-877-24WATCH
• 1-800-424-8802

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Summary

• Purpose of rules
• Inland and International
• General Responsibility
• Liability
• Proper sounds and lights
• Restricted visibility
• Lights and shapes
• Distress signals