Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Ask anyone who has taken the U.S. Coast Guard exam to get a captains license and you’ll probably hear that one of the hardest parts of the test is the section covering “rules-of-the-road,” and as an instructor for a captain’s school I can confirm that it certainly is the most challenging part of the course for most students to get through. There’s many reasons why even experienced boaters might have trouble learning these rules, but the bottom-line is that since the rules were written to address all sizes and types of vessels in all navigable waters, many of the rules address situations, events, and vessels that few recreational boaters will encounter even after years of boating experiences. Nonetheless, if you wanna-be a captain – ya gotta learn your rules-of-the-road!
What frustrates many students is when they encounter rules that don’t seem to make any sense. They can read the rule in their manual, what is supposed to occur is right there in black-and-white, but they conclude that, “In real life no one follows that regulation, it’s stupid to even have it on the books”! While I would concur that at first glance some rules might seem a bit silly, but if you can learn and understand the reasoning behind the different rules, a lot of them will start to make better sense. The following are examples of rules that many boaters are unaware of and some of the reasoning behind them.
Rule-5 “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision”.
By stating “all available means” Rule-5 tells us that we must use every resource available to us that might help avoid a collision. This means that if a vessel is equipped with radar - that radar must be on so that it can provide the skipper with contact information even on clear sunny days. So even though you may not be required to have radar, if you have it, you’re required to use it – even if you don’t think you need it. I know that sounds silly, but remember, the rules were written to cover all vessels, not just sport fishing boats running off Delmarva. If you think about the configuration of vessels with enclosed wheelhouses where visibility abeam and aft is often restricted, it can make more sense; even on a clear day, radar can be like a set of rear view mirrors and could help prevent a collision.
Rule-6 “Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions”.
I doubt that too many will argue with Rule-6 as it’s simply stating that all vessels must proceed at a speed that will allow them to avoid collision. It doesn’t say exactly what that speed is because that all depends upon the visibility, local traffic, maneuverability of the vessel, wind and sea conditions and available draft. But it’s important to note that Rule-19 states that in times of reduced visibility (fog, heavy rain, snow) that “Every vessel shall proceed at a safe speed adapted to the prevailing circumstances and conditions of restricted visibility. A power driven vessel shall have her engines ready for immediate maneuver”.
Here they’re saying that, if it’s foggy out there, you can’t just go about your normal routine of doing what you want out on the fishing grounds, you must SLOW DOWN and proceed at a safe speed. Rule-19 also states that if you hear a fog signal of another vessel up ahead but are not sure exactly where that vessel is that you MUST slow down to the bare minimum (or stop) until it’s obvious that the other vessel is safely past. Operators of boats without radar should pay close attention to these rules and know that regulations allow them to do little more than operate at idle speeds.
Rule-30 “A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen: in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball …”
Most boaters are aware that at night they must display the standard white 360-degree “anchor-light,” but many are unaware that while anchored during the day we are also required to display a black ball somewhere in the rigging to warn other boaters that we are anchored. This rule applies both in the ocean and in bay waters. So let me ask you, do you even have a black ball to display should you decide to drop anchor up by the Rt. 90 Bridge to catch a couple croaker? Have you ever even seen a boat displaying such a signal while anchored? Probably not, but don’t sweat it as this is one of those rules that’s not likely going to be enforced here in our local waters.
Here’s another one for you, Rule-34 (Inland) “When a power driven vessel is leaving a dock or berth she shall sound one prolonged blast”. Since “prolonged” means a 4-6 second blast of your whistle or horn, following this rule would mean that just before pulling out of our slip in the morning we’re going to wake everyone up within ear-shot. This rule also states that captains are required to indicate with three short (1 second) blasts if they are operating in astern propulsion (in reverse), so backing out of a slip requires one prolonged followed by three shorts on the air horns. Imagine Harbor Island each morning of the marlin tournament if everyone followed Rule-34 to the letter!
While only those going for a captain’s license or taking a boating course will likely be tested on these rules, everyone who operates a boat of any size, for any reason, is required to follow them. Though some of these rules might seem silly and not applicable to the type of boating that’s done around here, others just require a better understanding to appreciate their importance to safe boating. With so many different regulations it might be somewhat easy to see why vessels over 12 meters (39.4 feet) are required to have aboard a printed copy of the rules of the road.
Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and Captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.