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Subject: Re: Relative plotting vs Geographical plotting
From: Herbert Prinz (hprinz@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sat Jan 12 2002 - 17:07:16 EST
Brian asks:
>> Now who's right? <<
That's easy. Capt. Kliment is 100% right under inland rules, and you are wrong
under COLREGS!
An overtaking vessel (i.e. coming up from more than 22.5 deg abaft the beam) has
to keep clear of the vessel being overtaken (no matter what kinds of boats are
involved)
Under COLREGS, if the cooperation of the vessel being overtaken is required
(such as in a narrow water way), agreement must be reached first via the
exchange of special "overtaking" signals (NOT "turning" signals, as you say!).
If the vessel being overtaken decides to change course, it must sound the
respective maneuvering signals _in addition_ to the former.
It is interesting to note that this is the one single case where the COLREGS
deviate from the concept of "signal of execution" and adopt the "signal of
intent" from the inland rules.
The notion of "windward" never comes into play in an overtaking maneuver.
Unfortunately, the error to assume that it does, is common. There were some
disappointed sailors in the Long Island Sound who thought they could force me
into the wind by mis-applying Rule 12.a.(ii), when all they got from me was 5
blasts of my horn. Private yacht club racing rules have no application on public
water ways.
Speaking of Rule 12... It is beyond my comprehension why we still have this
rule. It made good sense at the time of square riggs, but it is totally
anachronistic nowadays. Wouldn't life be so much simpler for everybody if Rule15
applied to sailboats too? This discussion here originated from a radar plotting
exercise. How, I beg, is radar navigation on a sailboat different from that on a
power boat. If I am sailing in dense fog and see a plot on my radar, not only
must I guess power or sail, but even what tack this plot is on! This is plain
silly.
As to whether "one might assume that a person attending a traditional navigation
list might [...] be operating a sailing vessel", let me say this:
"Navis" means "ship". No connotation of sail, whatsoever. "Traditional" is a
weakly defined concept. But, most important, almost all the sailing vessels that
I see on the Long Island Sound are, by COLREG standards, actually power vessels
at least twice a day, and particularly so when engaged in an overtaking
maneuver.
Best regards
Herbert Prinz (from 1368950/-4603950/4182550 ECEF)
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