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I wish to state that I am not totally bad mouthing the majority of small
boat drivers.4/5 of them are courtious and try to do the right
thing.Also,since I am spending more time inshore now and getting to know a
few proffesional drivers of small boats I realise they can teach me things I
am not accostumed to.
By the way,my spelling is sometimes atrocious<-I probebly mispelled this and
appologise for sometimes spelling things wrong thus sowing confussion about
what I wish to get across.
What Trevor states is true and I understand it.What confuses me is what
Steven stated.Not only  Steven does it but other sail and especially power
vessels close to or over the size limit are doing it.I realise small power
boats are manouverable and many drivers count on that manouverability and
speed to get them out trouble.It does nothing to reduce the pucker or Jesus
factor of a person on the wheel of a less manouverable vessel.I like to give
and receive(in an open area)a 2 nm radius of distance between large vessels
and don't become overly concerned if smaller vessels come with in 1 nm but
start worrying when any vessel crosses that threshold with out voice comms.I
set a guard radius of 1/2 nm on the radar and if crossed start working VHF
ch. 16.If no responce is given by 1/4 nm the approved blasts from the horn
commence along with spot lights and voice warnings.If  the target gets with
in 1/8 nm or closer my insides turn to water because there is nothing more I
can realy do other than hope.
As for the incident off San Diego,that night the seas were fairly calm with
little wind and good visability.I slowed the tow because I could see the
problems ahead and thought it prudent.Underway only enough to keep the tow
line tight while the fleet passed.I still don't believe his antenna didn't
hit the cable.
Boaters in the U.S. don't need anything other than cash to buy a boat in the
morning and take it  out that same afternoon.I never could understand
this.One can't legally drive a car with out passing a competance test before
hand.A boat is no differant.
As for the LED nav. lights.A few 100 GT vessels I know of have had them on
for about a year.They appear as bright now as when they were installed.They
come with the prescribed angles of visability in each unit.The brightness
and color clarity is the same(at least to me)at the outer angles of the
units as when viewed at 90*.The current needed to produce the same lumins as
an incandesiant is very much less.I just bought a set of the size needed for
my 16 ft. skiff.Side lights with the needed viewing angles,masthead
light(220* even though I could use a 360* light),anchor light and stern
light with wireing harnesses.Each unit has what looks like 12 to 30 LEDs.I
haven't installed them yet.They come with a 1 yr. warrenty etc.$312.00.A
little steep but hopefully worth it from a reliability stand point.


-----Original Message-----
From: Trevor J. Kenchington [mailto:Gadus@ISTAR.CA]
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 18:25
To: NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM
Subject: Re: Lights etc.


Doug Royer wrote:

> Stephen stated in his post of his "all around white light"on his mast he
> uses while underway.I've been reading more of this practice in other
papers
> and I am witnessing it more on small sail and power vessels when I am at
> sea.Did the rules change or am I misunderstanding something?I looked in my
> copy of the rules and the only "all around white light" on a mast alone
and
> not used in combination with other lights is to be used while anchored or
> aground with running lights out, not while underway.Can someone
> explain?Apperently it's legal to do.


I don't think anything has changed for the past good many years.

Rule 25(d)(i) of the U.S. version of the international ColRegs allows
vessels  under sail of less than 7 meters length, and vessels under oars
of any length, to show a white light in sufficient time to avoid
collision, in lieu of side and stern lights. (The U.S. inland rules
allow the same thing. So do the Canadian and I think most other versions
of the ColRegs.) Continuous display of an all-round white light would
seem to meet that requirement.

Also, Rule 23(c)(ii) of the U.S. version of the international ColRegs
allows a powered vessel of under 7 meters length with a maximum speed of
under 7 knots to display only an all-round white light. That does not
seem to be allowed in U.S. inland waters. It is not in any Canadian
waters and I think not in British waters either.


> To end the story my vessel at 1 point was surrounded by 18 yachts within a
1
> nm radius.Most alot closer than that.I'm showing the lights for a tow >
200
> m,barely underway and RAM to boot.The whole crew is up now with spots and
> flares if needed.I had 1 small boat(18-22 ft)go between the tug and tow
> under the tow cable while never heading the ch. 16 warnings!All the other
> close yachts turned from thier courses only when they were less than 1/8
nm
> from the tow or tug!
> This is one reason I have not that much patience or respect for most small
> boat drivers.Some have no idea what rules or lights mean nor do they seem
to
> care if they do.

There certainly is an unacceptable level of ignorance -- among
small-boat commercial fishermen as well as the recreational side.

But that isn't the whole story. Many small powerboats can turn on a dime
and get out of the way quickly. A skipper who is alert can get close to
a big ship (_very_ close from the perspective of the man on the bridge
of the big fellow) and yet can turn away with no danger at all -- except
to the blood pressure of the men responsible for the big ship. It is a
shame that we don't have a single-letter signal that would say:
"Maintain your course and speed. I waive my right of way and will keep
clear of you."

Then again, perhaps there should be a flag signal for: "This ship does
not alter course or speed to avoid any vessel of less than 10,000 tons."
Some captains could just paint it onto their superstructures -- much
like commercial fishing boats come from the shipyard with their fishing
daymarks (two cones, points together, or a fish basket) permanently
mounted in the forward rigging, and some recreational dive boats leave
the dock already flying code flag Alpha.


Trevor Kenchington


--
Trevor J. Kenchington PhD                         Gadus@iStar.ca
Gadus Associates,                                 Office(902) 889-9250
R.R.#1, Musquodoboit Harbour,                     Fax   (902) 889-9251
Nova Scotia  B0J 2L0, CANADA                      Home  (902) 889-3555

                     Science Serving the Fisheries
                      http://home.istar.ca/~gadus

   

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