Coastguard Oops
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MeiLing
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Charlie99
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OP
cdiver2
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The RULES state if a vessel is crossing your bow and it is on your starboard side then YOU give way.
Size will negate this rule but, only if the vessel would be unable to change course or stop because of its size (not so in this case).
The same applies if the vessel is under sail (unable to change course or stop because it depends on wind for steerage).
It is your duty to avoid a accident even if you have right of way.
The only thing that MAY excuse the CG is if they had emergency lights on, I don't know what the rules are in that case.
Size will negate this rule but, only if the vessel would be unable to change course or stop because of its size (not so in this case).
The same applies if the vessel is under sail (unable to change course or stop because it depends on wind for steerage).
It is your duty to avoid a accident even if you have right of way.
The only thing that MAY excuse the CG is if they had emergency lights on, I don't know what the rules are in that case.
Oh, now that's sweet...This is flat out wrong! This exactly opposite of the actual rule.
Excellent. The water is a now a safer place.
However, if you want to get into a pissing contest:
How to Use Navigation Rules to Avoid Boating Collisions | eHow.com
For what it's worth, rules vary depending on whether you're open ocean, inland, or intercoastal.
(And I use the term "rules" loosely, since the "rules" we're talking about are not "rules" at all, but rather best practice/etiquette as opposed to enforceable ordinance -- unless, of course you go out of your way to ram someone).
Charlie99
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Not trying to get into a pissing contest. I just don't want bad info to be posted without challenge. The website you link to is wrong.
On both sides of the Colregs line, inland and international, the boat with the other on its port has the right of way in a crossing situation (unless some other rules such as fishing, towing, diving, sail powered, dredging, restricted to channel, .... apply).
Note that what is common in all of the exceptions is that the condition somehow restricts the manueverability of the boat, and therefore it gets greater than normal right of way.
The most significant difference between US inland and international rules is that whistle signals in international indicate what you are doing with the rudder. The equivalent whistle signals in inland waters are indicating and agreeing on how the boats will pass.
Another good thing to remember is to turn to starboard in most circumstances, and to make course changes big enough to be obvious to the other guy.
As I stated in my very first post, it isn't totally clear whether it is a crossing or an overtaking situation, but in either case the Coast Guard is the give way vessel and should have turned right to go astern of the other vessel.
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cdiver2
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OceanObsessed
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The order of right of way is:
Vessel not under command
Vessel restricted in ability to manuever due to the nature of her work
Vessel Constrained by draft
Fishing (commercial, not like hook & line)
Sailing Vessel
Power Vessel
Seaplane
The Rules of the Road can get fairly confusing with their defintions of terms and exceptions to the above order.
For example:
Power boats do not always yield to sailboats. An example is an overtaking situation.
A vessel dragging anchor is considered underway.
A power vessel overtaking a seaplane must give way to the seaplane.
A sailboat sailing with her sails up and the engine on is not considered a sailing vessel... it is considered a power vessel.
In this case it is simply two powerboats in a crossing situation.
International – Rule 15 (Crossing situation)
When two power driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel.
Inland – Rule 15 (Crossing situation)
When two power driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel.
The only exception to this situation is an overtaking situation which was not applicable in this case.
The Coast Guard vessel was at fault.
Here are the Coast Guards Rules of the Road. http://www.uscg.mil/vtm/navrules/navrules.pdf
Vessel not under command
Vessel restricted in ability to manuever due to the nature of her work
Vessel Constrained by draft
Fishing (commercial, not like hook & line)
Sailing Vessel
Power Vessel
Seaplane
The Rules of the Road can get fairly confusing with their defintions of terms and exceptions to the above order.
For example:
Power boats do not always yield to sailboats. An example is an overtaking situation.
A vessel dragging anchor is considered underway.
A power vessel overtaking a seaplane must give way to the seaplane.
A sailboat sailing with her sails up and the engine on is not considered a sailing vessel... it is considered a power vessel.
In this case it is simply two powerboats in a crossing situation.
International – Rule 15 (Crossing situation)
When two power driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel.
Inland – Rule 15 (Crossing situation)
When two power driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel.
The only exception to this situation is an overtaking situation which was not applicable in this case.
The Coast Guard vessel was at fault.
Here are the Coast Guards Rules of the Road. http://www.uscg.mil/vtm/navrules/navrules.pdf
Charlie, as usual, is correct. This is why the port running light is red, and the starboard running light is green. Inland, offshore or otherwise.This is flat out wrong! This exactly opposite of the actual rule.
Excellent. The water is a now a safer place.
Big problem regardless....
-STUPID to not have marine VHF radio. I don't care what rules say, it is IDIOCY to sail without one! Infact, on my family's smaller vessel we have one, and a backup handheld. On our bigger vessel (18' cat) we have two and a backup handheld. Both boats have two antennas. We also have speakers installed that let us hear people hailing us under most conditions.
-STUPID to not be aware of other boats! You saw in the video, and the person commentated, that the speedboaters were not looking around themselves at all. They appear to not be aware of the situation. Even if the CG had the right of way, those two idiots weren't going to give it, as they appear to not even be aware of any other vessel in the area.
-STUPID to not be wearing life vests! I know you don't have to in most cases, but stats say that most people don't have time to put them on in an accident. If you don't wear one, you will become a statistic.
-Confusing rules. 1. CG was heading out to help someone. Would that mean they were unable to change course due to their work? I know that rule is mainly for cable layers and dredging boats and whatnot, but I think that what the CG was doing was much more important than the speedboaters. 2. The boats weren't at right angles. It's difficult (somewhat) to figure out if maybe one was overtaking the other. Perhaps the CG thought they would cross first?
-STUPID of the CG boat to not reduce speed. Rule of the road: when you are unsure of what to do, take your foot off of the gas. That way if you need to slow down, you are already partway there, if you need to speed up, you are already partway there. In a boat, when you are not sure of something, cut your throttle. There seems to be no reason why the captain couldn't have reduced speed.
Anyways, the CG might be "at fault" according to the rules, but those speedboaters are clearly the idiots. The CG made a silly error, the speedboaters are practically looking to kill themselves. No radio, no life jackets, not paying attention, and moving at a high rate of speed--they also did not cut their throttle. Idiots like them get rescued every day, unfortunately (I guess, I don' twant them to not be rescued, that'd be mean. It's unfortunant that we can't get rid of the stupidity that cuased their (any idiot) mistake. ). And CG Captains who make idiotic mistakes or assumptions continue to be allowed to drive boats every day, unfortunately(if he keeps his license, he should have to take some tests again, or something) . I think the captain of that boat needs to be punished, and I think the speedboaters need to be punished, all of them showed a lack of smarts in this incident.
-STUPID to not have marine VHF radio. I don't care what rules say, it is IDIOCY to sail without one! Infact, on my family's smaller vessel we have one, and a backup handheld. On our bigger vessel (18' cat) we have two and a backup handheld. Both boats have two antennas. We also have speakers installed that let us hear people hailing us under most conditions.
-STUPID to not be aware of other boats! You saw in the video, and the person commentated, that the speedboaters were not looking around themselves at all. They appear to not be aware of the situation. Even if the CG had the right of way, those two idiots weren't going to give it, as they appear to not even be aware of any other vessel in the area.
-STUPID to not be wearing life vests! I know you don't have to in most cases, but stats say that most people don't have time to put them on in an accident. If you don't wear one, you will become a statistic.
-Confusing rules. 1. CG was heading out to help someone. Would that mean they were unable to change course due to their work? I know that rule is mainly for cable layers and dredging boats and whatnot, but I think that what the CG was doing was much more important than the speedboaters. 2. The boats weren't at right angles. It's difficult (somewhat) to figure out if maybe one was overtaking the other. Perhaps the CG thought they would cross first?
-STUPID of the CG boat to not reduce speed. Rule of the road: when you are unsure of what to do, take your foot off of the gas. That way if you need to slow down, you are already partway there, if you need to speed up, you are already partway there. In a boat, when you are not sure of something, cut your throttle. There seems to be no reason why the captain couldn't have reduced speed.
Anyways, the CG might be "at fault" according to the rules, but those speedboaters are clearly the idiots. The CG made a silly error, the speedboaters are practically looking to kill themselves. No radio, no life jackets, not paying attention, and moving at a high rate of speed--they also did not cut their throttle. Idiots like them get rescued every day, unfortunately (I guess, I don' twant them to not be rescued, that'd be mean. It's unfortunant that we can't get rid of the stupidity that cuased their (any idiot) mistake. ). And CG Captains who make idiotic mistakes or assumptions continue to be allowed to drive boats every day, unfortunately(if he keeps his license, he should have to take some tests again, or something) . I think the captain of that boat needs to be punished, and I think the speedboaters need to be punished, all of them showed a lack of smarts in this incident.
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