Head on collision

[TrentePieds]

Liebe Tickles:

Kommen Sie vieleicht aus Deutschland, und sprechen Sie vileicht am liebsten Deutsch :-)?

I ask because Rule 5 of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea , (COLREGS for short), which it appears that you did not observe, is very, very explicit, but it contains a grammatical subtlety that may not be obvious to people whose first language is NOT English, regardless of how proficient they may be in English as a "second language"

The rule says:

[I]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 a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.

The words "..by sight and hearing AS WELL as by all AVAILABLE means...
[/I compel you to use "sight and hearing" as your PRINCIPAL tools at all times. You MAY, if you have them, AUGMENT "sight and hearing" by sundry electronic devices, but you may NOT rely on those devices as your principal tools for satisfying the requirement for constant look-out.

I would like to add that in a cruising boat, a "deck sweeping" Genoa has no place. A deck sweeping Genoa can be tolerated in a boat actively engaged in racing because active racing proceeds according to rules that are in ADDITION to COLREGS, but do not replace them.

Anyway, I'm glad you came to no harm. When on the helm you really have to have a "rubber neck". If you have blind spots, for any reason at all, where you sit or stand at the helm, then post a crew member as a look-out. If you are sailing alone, then change your headsail to one that doesn't give you blind spots.

If my opening surmise is correct, do you have the COLREGS translated into German?

All the best to you :-)

TrentePieds

[rslifkin]

To some of the points above, there's also the modern solution: add a camera to give a better view of blind spots. If it's hard to move around enough to see past something, a camera or 2 with a display somewhere visible can help a lot.

I see plenty of pilothouse trawlers with cameras to see behind them, for example.

[svtickles]

Yes, I like the idea of a camera facing the front. The issue is getting it to show up on the chartplotter so it's easier to use it; and ultimately actually we use it.

[catsketcher]

A front camera seems like a good idea but so does the 15 minute look around. Every 15 minutes you look at a cloud up front and then scan the horizon until you get to see the same cloud - move if you need to, heck you will need to move anyway, scan the rig, look for whales then go back to your seat, but don't obscure your view forward or back and don't stay seated.

Sail on some race boats on a crowded harbour like Sydney Harbour - you haven't had a good look until you clock the same points from windward and leeward - it is drummed into a racer because we get so close to each other. Getting as close as the OP did to a boat doing 8 knots means no one saw anything for about 20 minutes which is pretty dire.

When I was a sailing instructor I asked the couple sailing if we were clear. They had just got certification from our school and I was on for the day. We were on starboard tack and sailing on Sydney Harbour on a weekday with few boats about. I was legs on the rail on the windward side when I saw the bow of a yacht on port crossing us about 10 metres away. I jumped up, rammed the tiller off the helmsman jammed it to leeward and we ended up parallel about 2 metres away from each other with huge eyes and nothing spoken. Get off your bum and do the full sweep every 15 minutes or get someone responsible to do it. If you are the skipper and you don't sweep every 15 minutes you are sadly an irresponsible skipper.

[catsketcher]

I come across as a bit of a know all in the above message - I got the tone wrong. I consider myself responsible for everything that happens on a boat I am in charge of - but that is a personal thing.

[GordMay]

FWIW: The only thing worse, than a head on collision, is a head-off collision.

[TrentePieds]

Catsketcher:

I'll back you up on everything you said in post #64! And furthermore, you needn't apologize for the "tone" of that post at all :-). I think it was spot on, and I particularly liked you last sentence!

TrentePieds

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Catsketcher:

I'll back you up on everything you said in post #64! And furthermore, you needn't apologize for the "tone" of that post at all :-). I think it was spot on, and I particularly liked you last sentence!

TrentePieds

Definitely, plus one for post #64, nothing to apologise for in that post and a lot to be gained from reading it.

[Lewis Harry]

Every 15 minutes? Excuse me, but imho the person on the helm needs to be looking around constantly. AND when there is a blind spot, someone needs to be sitting where they can see in that direction, And be awake and alert. Situations change quickly every time someone else tacks their boat.
Most bays have all kinds of traffic on them mostly all going in different directions.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by Lewis Harry

Every 15 minutes? Excuse me, but imho the person on the helm needs to be looking around constantly. AND when there is a blind spot, someone needs to be sitting where they can see in that direction, And be awake and alert. Situations change quickly every time someone else tacks their boat.
Most bays have all kinds of traffic on them mostly all going in different directions.

That's for higher trafic and coastal areas. Open ocean you might sail days without any other vessel in AIS or radar range so 15 to 20min is good as long as visibility is good and eye balling is done properly.