Rules of the Road – Part 2 - Steering & Sailing Rules

You must understand the steering and sailing rules and be able to apply them to various traffic situations. Although all rules of the road are important, the steering and sailing rules are the most essential to know to avoid collision. Knowing who is the stand-on or give-way vessel is essential to operating your boat safely. There are various rules that apply to specific situations. Here are some important examples….

LOOKOUT

All vessels are required to maintain a proper lookout at all times by using both sight and sound. In addition the lookout must use any additional means available such as using radar or VHF-Radio in the prevailing circumstances and conditions to fully assess the situation and determine if risk of collision is present. The lookout must consider all relevant factors including, but not limited to, the state of weather, conditions of visibility, traffic density, and proximity to navigational hazards.

SAFE SPEED

Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed. This rule alerts you to the need to set a safe speed in all conditions of visibility. This obviously does not mean the same “safe speed” applies in good as well as restricted visibility. Under this rule you must use your best judgment to determine safe speed for your vessel to be able to take proper and effective action to prevent collision.

It is important to note that the present rule contains no requirements to stop a vessel’s engines, reduce speed to bare steerageway, or to go at a “moderate” speed. Safe speed may very well require these or other actions in good as well as restricted visibility. Under this rule you must use your best judgment to determine the safe speed for your vessel to be able to take proper and effective action to avoid collision.

RISK OF COLLISION

As a boat operator you are required to use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances to determine if a risk of collision exists.  If you have any doubt at all you are to operate your boat with the assumption that a risk of collision does exist.

Many vessels are not equipped with common navigational devices including a compass, radar, depth finder, etc. that are in good working order. You should recognize all of the possible dangers that could exist and be especially alert to any approach between vessels at a close range. The bearing of an approaching vessel should be determined and monitored by frequent visual observation.

ACTION TO AVOID COLLISION

Any action you take to avoid a collision must be taken early enough to be effective and must be large enough to be readily apparent to the other vessel. Always remember that changes in a vessels course are usually easier to identify and are apparent earlier on radar than are changes in a vessels speed. Consequently, Rule 8 advises against making a series of small course or speed changes that may not be detected soon enough by other vessels. All actions taken to avoid collision should result in passing at a safe distance. Therefore, you must carefully check the effectiveness of your actions until the other vessel finally passes you and is clear.

OVERTAKING

Any vessel overtaking another must keep clear of the overtaken vessel. An overtaking vessel is one that is approaching another vessel from any direction more than 22.5 degrees abaft its beam. When in doubt, assume you are overtaking and act accordingly.

This rule recognizes than an overtaking vessel should have less problems in keeping clear and avoiding collision than the vessel that is being overtaken. Even in the event that the overtaken vessel agrees by sound signal or radio transmission to allow the maneuver.

HEAD ON

When two vessels meet head on, or nearly so each boat must change course to starboard and pass port-to-port. In inland waters, a whistle signal is sounded when the vessels are in sight and within 1/2 mile of each other. If the meeting vessels are already far enough off each other to pass clear on their present courses, no signal is sounded.

Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead by night she could see the masthead lights of the other inline or nearly inline and/or both sidelights and by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the vessel.

CROSSING

When two power-driven vessels are crossing and involve risk of collision the vessel having the other to starboard must keep out of the way and will avoid usually by turning to starboard and passing astern of the other vessel or, if circumstances permit, speeding up and crossing ahead of the other vessel.

GIVEWAY AND STAND-ON VESSELS

In practically all situations, a stand-on vessel must maintain course and speed. The give-way vessel in a crossing situation is required to alter course and/or speed to pass astern of the other.

Overtaking vessels, regardless of the method of propulsion, are always give-way vessels.

A vessel on the starboard side in a crossing situation is the stand-on vessel, and one on the port side is the give-way vessel unless it is a sailing vessel crossing a power-driven vessel. Vessels driven by machinery are always required to stand clear of sailing vessels unless being overtaken.

RESPONSIBILITY

This rule states that nothing in the rules shall exonerate any vessel owner, master or crew, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these rules or of neglect of any precaution, which may be required by any situation not covered by the rules.

In short this rule requires you to use your experience, judgment, and principles of “good seamanship” to supplement the rules or even to take action that may appear to conflict with the rules in a circumstance not covered by the rules if necessary to avoid collision. This rule recognizes that no body of rules can address every possible situation that arises on the water.

Understanding Marine Weather – The Marine Layer

Somewhat similar to the sea breeze, the marine layer also represents a difference between a cool, moist air mass and a warmer air mass. Unlike the sea breeze, which reforms almost everyday along the east coast in summer, the marine layer can persist for days and weeks along the west coast, particularly Southern California.

The reason is that the water along the west coast of the United States comes from the Gulf of Alaska and is much cooler than at the same latitude along the east coast, where the Gulf Stream brings tropical water north. The surface temperature of the water off the California coast can be as much as 30°F or more lower than at the same latitude on the east coast. The colder water means the air in contact with the water is colder and therefore is denser.

When the air well above the water is warmer than the water, as it is normally for all seasons except winter but most common in late spring/early summer, a temperature inversion develops, where instead of the air cooling with increasing elevation the air actually increases in temperature with height. The cooler air below the inversion is called the marine layer and is cooled to the point that clouds form. Because of its persistence in early summer, the people in Southern California it is often refer to it as the “May Gray” or “June Gloom”.

However, it is not just a West Coast phenomena, it can occur near any large body of water such as the Great Lakes region when the water temperature is significantly colder than the air moving over it.

The depth of the marine layer depends upon the large-scale weather patterns the pass overhead. High-pressure systems (at 15,000 to 30,000 feet) tend to squish the marine layer down near the surface. When the inversion is very strong and relatively shallow, the coastal clouds and foggy weather will be confined to the beaches with warm, sunny conditions beginning just a mile or so inland.

In Summer, it is not uncommon for someone to drive across the San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge in fog with a temperature in the upper 50s to lower 60s only to go to the top of Mount Tamalpais, just a few miles north of the bridge (elevation 2,600 feet), and have clear skies with a temperature in the 80s or even the lower 90s because of moving above the cool marine layer.

As the pressure aloft decreases, the downward forcing on the marine layer decreases and the marine layer begins to lift. Near the beach, the fog lifts into a low cloud layer. The leading edge of the marine layer extends farther inland pushing the fog inland.

Further lifting of the marine layer will allow the cooler air to spill over the mountains into the interior valleys. Sometimes, if the air in the low-pressure system aloft is cold enough, the inversion that defines the top of the marine layer will dissipate and so will the marine layer. Because of this, often the maximum daily temperatures in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys of California will undergo a roller coaster effect.

So You Want To Be a Captain – Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC)

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is a vital security measure that will ensure individuals who pose a threat do not gain unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime transportation system.

TWIC was established by Congress through the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and is administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast Guard.

TWIC cards are tamper-resistant biometric credentials issued to workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports, vessels, outer continental shelf facilities and all credentialed merchant mariners. Over 1 million workers including USCG Licensed Captain’s, longshoremen, port employees and others are required to obtain a TWIC card.

To obtain a TWIC card, an individual must provide biographic and biometric information such as fingerprints, sit for a digital photograph and successfully pass a security threat assessment conducted by TSA. Pre-enrollment is recommended as it is designed to save the applicant time by enabling them to provide their biographical information and make an appointment for in-person enrollment.

The fee for TWIC is $132.50 and is valid for five years. Workers with current, comparable background checks will pay a reduced fee of $105.25. If workers are eligible to pay the lower price, their TWIC will expire 5 years from the date of the comparable credential. The cost of a replacement TWIC, if the original is lost, stolen, or damaged, is $60.

Understanding Marine Weather – Wind Chill

Just as there are persistent hot places around the world, there are persistent cold places. The cold air alone can be deadly but when the air is moving if feels much colder. The wind chill is the effect of the wind on people and animals. The wind chill temperature is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold and is to give you an approximation of how cold the air feels on your body.

As the wind increases, it removes heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. If the temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill temperature is -19°F. At this level, exposed skin can freeze in just a few minutes.

The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as car radiators and water pipes, is to shorten the amount of time for the object to cool. The inanimate object will not cool below the actual air temperature. For example, if the temperature outside is -5°F and the wind chill temperature is -31°F, then your car’s radiator temperature will be no lower than the air temperature of -5°F.

The Wind Chill Chart

To determine the wind chill temperature, find the value closest to your outside air temperature. Find the value that most closely represents your present wind speed. Your wind chill temperature is the value where lines drawn from the air temperature and wind cross.

What is important about the wind chill besides feeling colder than the actual air temperature? The lower the wind chill temperature, the greater you are at risk for developing frost bite and/or hypothermia.  Frostbite occurs when your body tissue freezes. The most susceptible parts of the body are fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. Hypothermia occurs when body core temperature, normally around 98.6°F falls below 95°F.

Marine Communications – Part 1

Today most marine communications are accomplished by using voice radio transmissions.  These radio systems are similar to having a conversation on the telephone, but with significant differences that boat operators must understand. Typically, voice radio communications are “simplex,” or one direction at a time – when one person is talking, the second person may not speak.  This differs from face-to-face and telephone conversations we are accustomed to where voices may overlap.  Simplex communication is the primary reason for many of the procedural regulations for speaking on a marine radio. As a boat operator, using a marine radiophone will be an occasional responsibility. It is important to understand and be comfortable with the proper operation of your vessels marine radio. In this Blog we will take a look at some standard procedures and protocol as they relate to the proper operation of your boats marine radiophone.

First we must realize that there are several different types of marine radios.  On boats, they are frequently MF/HF and VHF-FM, and usually, are identified by the radio’s mode of transmission.  Understanding the basic differences of the types of radios and their use will assist you in determining the best solution to your personal/professional boating needs:

VHF-FM (156-162 MHz) is used for local, short-range marine communications. Frequencies in this band operate on the line-of-sight (LOS) principle.  Effective communications range depends mainly on the height of antennas of both the receiving and transmitting stations, and somewhat on the power output of the transmitting station. VHF equipment is called “line-of-sight radio” because its radio waves travel in nearly a straight line, meaning, if one antenna can “see” another antenna, communications between the two is possible. Occasionally, atmospheric conditions allow VHF signals to bounce or bend in their line of travel, increasing the transmission’s range farther than normal.

Boats use the MF band typically to communicate when out of VHF radio range.  The MF band uses low frequencies, so the ground wave travels along the surface of the earth, permitting communications at

distances up to 200 miles during daylight hours.  The low frequency also makes communications at much greater distances at night easier. MF and HF radios of any modulation type always have greater range than VHF.  The operating range for MF and HF radios can shift as conditions change, and the conditions that affect the operating range will typically vary from hour to hour.  As a consequence, communications between two vessels can be lost due to a number of factors, including changing weather.

Next we must understand how to properly use your marine radio phone.  The following steps and procedures are the same for either mounted or portable marine radios:

• Check the radio setting: Be certain the marine radio is set on the proper frequency and band width. While on a vessel underway you are required to keep a listening watch on 2182 kHz or channel 16.
• Squelch control: Squelch control blocks out weak signals.  Adjust the squelch control until the noise (static) can be heard, then adjust it slightly in the opposite direction until the noise stops.  Setting the squelch control adjusts the receiver so only signals strong enough to pass the level selected will be heard and reduces the amount of static noise on the speaker.
• Do not interrupt others: Before beginning a transmission, listen for a few seconds to avoid interrupting other communications that are already in progress.
• Microphone placement: Keep the microphone about 1 to 2 inches from lips.  When transmitting, shield the microphone by keeping head and body between noise generating sources (such as engine noise, wind, etc.) and the microphone.
• Know what to say: Before keying the transmitter, know how to say what is going to be said.  Keep all transmissions short and to the point.  Never “chit-chat” or make unnecessary transmissions on any frequency.
• Speaking: Speak clearly, concisely, and in a normal tone of voice, maintaining a natural speaking rhythm.
• Proper prowords: Use proper prowords, ending each transmission with “over” and the last with “out.” Never say “over and out.”
• Prowords for pauses: In cases where a pause for a few seconds between transmissions is necessary, use the proword “wait.”  If the pause is to be longer than a few seconds, use prowords “wait, out.”  Do not use “wait one” or “stand by.”
• Messages are not private: Remember, voice transmissions may be heard by anyone with a radio or scanner.

Bad Weather and Rough Water – Part 2: Dealing with Current and High Winds

When learning to deal with bad weather and rough water it is important to learn how to understand andanticipate the flow and direction of the waves. If a wave looks like it is going to break, your only out may be to back down before the wave gets to the vessel. Stay extremely aware of any wave combinations and avoid spots ahead where they tend to peak. If they peak ahead in the same place, chances are they will peak there when you and your vessel are closer. Do not let a slightly different wave or wave combination catch you by surprise!

In a situation when the current and seas are going in the same direction, current has the effect of lengthening the waves. Longer waves are more stable, with the crests farther apart, with this said… You still need to use caution.

While heading into the seas and current, your boats forward speed over the ground (SOG) will be lessened; this in turn will require more time transiting the entrance. Increasing your boat speed may be necessary to maintain forward progress. However, do not increase your boat speed to a point that makes negotiating the waves hazardous. If you have increased your overall boat speed to maintain forward progress you will need to reduce the boats speed as you approach each wave crest individually to maintain control.

With following seas and current, your speed over the ground will be increased. Because the waves are farther apart, the effort required to ride the back of the wave ahead should be easier. With following seas the current is coming from behind your vessel, more forward way will be required to maintain steering control. As with all following seas, stay on the back of the wave ahead. Do not allow yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security. With higher speed over the ground and less maneuverability due to the following current, there is not as much time to avoid a situation ahead. Keep a hand on the throttle and adjust power continuously. When entering or exiting port less time will be spent in the inlet, canal, or fairway, stay extremely aware of any spots ahead to avoid. Maneuver early, as the current will carry the boat.

In addition to coping with the current and state of the seas it is also necessary to understand how to deal with high winds and the effects they will have on your boat when transiting harbors, inlets, or rivers.

Depending on your vessels design and sail area, it may be necessary to steadily apply helm to hold acourse in high winds. As a boat operator you should be able to “read” the water to identify stronger gusts. The amount of chop on the surface will increase in gusts, and extremely powerful gusts may even blow the tops off waves. The effect of a gust should be anticipated before it hits your boat. In large waves, the wave crest will block much of the wind when the boat is in the trough. Plan to offset its full force at the crest of the wave. The force of the wind may accentuate a breaking crest, and require steering into the wind when near the crest in head seas. Depending on the vessel, winds may force the bow off to one side while crossing the crest. For light vessels, the force of the wind at the wave crest could easily get under the bow sections (or sponson on a RIB), lift the bow to an unsafe angle, or force it sideways.

Though a light vessel must keep some speed to get over or through the crest of a large wave, do not use so much speed that the vessel clears the crest; most of the bottom is exposed to a high wind. Be particularly cautious in gusty conditions and stay ready for a sudden large gust when clearing a wave. If your boat is fitted with twin-engines, be ready to use asymmetric propulsion to get the bow into or through the wind. Early and steady application of power is much more effective than trying to “catch-up” by applying a burst of power. Vessels with large sail area and superstructures will develop an almost constant heel during high winds. In a gust, sudden heel, at times becoming extreme, may develop. This could cause handling difficulties at the crest of high waves. If the vessel exhibits theses tendencies, exercise extreme caution when cresting waves. Learn to safely balance available power and steering against the effects of winds and waves.

The Rules of the Road Part 1 - General Definitions

General Definitions

International Rules are specific rules for all vessels on the high seas and in connecting waters navigable by seagoing vessels. The Inland Rules apply to all vessels upon the inland waters of the United States and to vessels of the United States on the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes to the extent that there is no conflict with Canadian law. The International Rules were formalized at the convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972. These rules are commonly called 72 COLREGS.

Inland Rules vary from International Rules primarily because of the addition of certain extra precautions. In our discussion of basic rules, each rule stated is the same for both international and inland waters unless a distinction was pointed out. When the term power-driven vessel is mentioned, for example, it means in both International and Inland, any vessel propelled by machinery as distinguished from a sailing vessel.

For the purpose of these rules, except where the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply:

The term Inland waters means the navigable waters of the United States shoreward of the demarcation lines which divide the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other bodies of waters of the United States, and the waters of the Great Lakes of the United States’ side of the international boundary.

Demarcation lines are the lines that designate those waters upon which mariners must comply with the 72 COLREGS and those waters upon which mariners must comply with the Inland Navigation Rules. Nautical charts typically include a demarcation line that shows when the Navigation Rules transition from inland to international, so that boaters can be aware of changing standards of navigation. In general, these demarcation lines follow the coastline and cross-inlets and bays. On the seaward side of the demarcation lines, international rules apply.

With regards to the Rules of the Road the term Underway means that a vessel is not at anchor, made fast to shore, or aground.

The word vessel includes every description of watercraft, including non-displacement craft and seaplanes, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.

The term power-driven vessel means any vessel propelled by machinery.

The term sailing vessel means any vessel under sail provided that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used.

The term vessel engaged in fishing means any vessel fishing with nets, lines, trawls, or other fishing apparatus that restrict maneuverability, but does not include a vessel fishing with trolling lines or other fishing apparatus that do not restrict maneuverability.

The word seaplane includes any aircraft designed to maneuver on the water.

Restricted visibility means any condition in which visibility is restricted by fog, mist, falling snow, heavy rainstorms, sandstorms, or any other similar causes.