Restricted in ability to maneuver?

[requiem]

Originally Posted by Adelie

For instance the whale watching boat. They are under obligation thru various treaties to maintain a minimum distance from the whales or to come to a stop. If the whales turn towards watchers and they engage propulsion in reverse to maintain a safe distance they are failing to comply with the requirement to stand on. In the event of a collision the courts will take that into account.

I suppose that's what I get for not going with a simple dinner cruise!

If we are to consider such additional rules, then we might also consider that many large ships benefit from security zones in the US which restrict other vessels from entering or remaining within a certain distance (e.g. 100 yards), and require they maintain minimum speed within (e.g. 500 yards).

[grantheadifen]

If you have an engine then you ARE able to get out of the way. Turn it on and get out of the way. The alternative is to claim your rights and die.

[DHLyman]

Red over Red = The Captain is Dead, means “not under command.” That’s one answer, at night. During the day, there are three visual signals that are displayed indicating some kind of inability to maneuver. Two invented cones, (fishing), two black balls above and below a diamond, or just two black balls in line, hoisted aloft. It’s in the book.

[georgeg305]

How about buying a radio?

[Jenneau Owner]

Sorry I have not read through the previous 10 pages and so apologise if my points are already made.

Res in ability to manoeuvre simply means “ For whatever reason YOU ARE UNABLE TO CONFORM TO COLREGS”. This can be due to a multitude of reasons.

COLREGS also give the ultimate answer. In all circumstance A Collision must be avoided in all circumstances. In other words we should all use some common sense. It would be ludicrous for a Jet Ski to expect to be the stand on vessel when approaching a large ship from either Port or Starboard.

Equally it would make sense for a medium sized/relatively small sailing vessel to recognise a potential problem with a larger ship and take early avoiding action. Ie slow down , alter course or tack.

Happy sailing.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jenneau Owner

. . . Res in ability to manoeuvre simply means “ For whatever reason YOU ARE UNABLE TO CONFORM TO COLREGS”. This can be due to a multitude of reasons.

No. Discussed extensively in the thread:



"The term 'vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre” means a vessel which from the nature of her work is restricted in her ability to manoeuvre as required by these Rules'"

Originally Posted by Jenneau Owner

COLREGS also give the ultimate answer. In all circumstance A Collision must be avoided in all circumstances. In other words we should all use some common sense. It would be ludicrous for a Jet Ski to expect to be the stand on vessel when approaching a large ship from either Port or Starboard.

Not ludicrous. A vessel of whatever size is obligated to stand on during a certain phase of a crossing as defined in the Rules and can leave off standing on only when that vessel has doubts that the large ship intends to give way. "Certain phase" is not 100 meters away; one must understand the time and distance frames. At 100 meters (or even 1 mile) it is clear that the large vessel won't maneuver and probably can't and might not even see you, so bug out of there, or better yet, don't get there in the first place -- the next point.

Originally Posted by Jenneau Owner

Equally it would make sense for a medium sized/relatively small sailing vessel to recognise a potential problem with a larger ship and take early avoiding action. Ie slow down , alter course or tack..

Agreed. Especially in restricted waters where it is possible to anticipate where the ship will be.



Also don't forget about Rule 9 and don't impede large ships which are following channels or fairways and cannot safely navigate outside them.


All this has been discussed a few times, but worth repeating however many times.

[clymbon]

Wow, this is all blowing my mind. I hear lot of radio communications while out on Puget Sound, which has a LOT of traffic of all kinds - everything from kite surfers to floating city cruise ships. A lot of these calls sound like this (on 16 in a panicked voice) "Coast Guard, we have an emergency!!! Our motor died and we are drifting! We are in the middle of Elliott Bay and there is a cruise ship coming! What do we do?". The CG comes on and calmly sorts things out. Usually they ask people if they have a cell phone on board and switch to that.

I think you guys are arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I mean, I realize there are real legal implications, but very few people out on the water are going to care whether RAM or NUC is the right status, or even know what those things are. For practical purposes, either would probably do the job of warning others away.

Right?

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by clymbon

..... I think you guys are arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I mean, I realize there are real legal implications, but very few people out on the water are going to care whether RAM or NUC is the right status, or even know what those things are. For practical purposes, either would probably do the job of warning others away.



Right?

If the distinctions didn’t matter then no one would have bothered putting them in the rules in the first place.

[lo2jones]

Dockhead (love the handle) is correct. “The nature of the work”, like dredging, towing fishing, etc. is what makes her restricted in her ability to maneuver. A broken rudder, dismasted and dead engine would my us NUC. It’s as simple as that. One may be in muddy water if it’s a recreational vessel towing another vessel in a crossing situation with, say, a commercial tug and her tow. Of course, the right of weight or common sense should apply in this situation.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by lo2jones

Dockhead (love the handle) is correct. “The nature of the work”, like dredging, towing fishing, etc. is what makes her restricted in her ability to maneuver. A broken rudder, dismasted and dead engine would my us NUC. It’s as simple as that. One may be in muddy water if it’s a recreational vessel towing another vessel in a crossing situation with, say, a commercial tug and her tow. Of course, the right of weight or common sense should apply in this situation.

VHF Communication would work even better..

[Feeling546]

I work on ocean going tug boats in Alaska, we pull barges up to1/4+ mile behind us and we’re not considered restricted in ability to maneuver. That rule is for vessels towing sonar gear up to a mile behind them and things like that. Not sure how big your boat is but I had a 28’ sailboat and it was CG requirement to have a paddle on board. Not really sure how I would have paddle it but those are the rules. If you think that you are restricted in the ability to maneuver you will need to fly the day shapes ball, diamond, ball of the proper size.
Good luck.

[jmh2002]

Based on some of the previous posts, hey, let's just do whatever we feel like...

I mean, the COLREGS aren't like laws, or regulations, or obligatory, or anything right?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by DHLyman

Red over Red = The Captain is Dead, means “not under command.” That’s one answer, at night. During the day, there are three visual signals that are displayed indicating some kind of inability to maneuver. Two invented cones, (fishing), two black balls above and below a diamond, or just two black balls in line, hoisted aloft. It’s in the book.

Find me someone with the cones or ball aboard. Maybe a commercial fisherman?

[grandma]

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

I've had a discussion here once before about this definition, and the arm-chair admiralty law attorneys screamed at me, and beat me over the head with their letter-of-the-law-not-its-spirit partial readings of the COLREGs.

So Sea Lawyers, put on your powdered wigs and black robes and tell me: what other options do you propose? Anti-gravity hovering over the surface, maybe? Shouting "sécurité" on the radio with long descriptions every few minutes when becalmed - for hours on end (until someone mercifully puts a torpedoe into my boat to make me stop)?


(It's easy to spot the folks who have little or no open-sea experience. They don't understand that the rules are solely intended as a practical set of guidelines to prevent collisions -- not to satisfy their pedantic proclivities.)

You dragging RAM as a red herring --- you are not RAM because you can't move at all. You should be showing Red over Red (Captain's Dead) i.e. Not Under Command. NOT RAM

[grandma]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Find me someone with the cones or ball aboard. Maybe a commercial fisherman?

We have them on board our boat. If you don't, it is your responsibility that you have abrogated.