Rule 5 -- Is Single-Handing Illegal?

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by surf_km55

... the 2012 Newport-Ensenada race.... NOTHING beats or substitutes for a set of eyes/ears, period.

"A yacht involved in a race off the coast of California and Mexico apparently collided at night with a much larger vessel, leaving three crew members dead and one missing,..." - ironic indeed; point taken.

[Chas.7]

Hello,
I didn’t read all the replies. So someone may of said, it’s good not to have a Coast Guard license, and of course no accidents. Passenger vessels for hire must comply with the rules. If your commercial you have to follow the rules, but the average recreational sailor in most cases will not be prosecuted.
You may get sued, but no jail time.
Many commercial vessels can’t comply at all times. Take Tug Boats, when they are handling a barge or shifting a barge, at that time they are in violation. There are not enough crewmembers to handle a barge and keep a proper lookout.
Of course on their CG certificate the Coast Guard determined the number of crew members for the safety navigation of the tug. So everything is okay as long as there is no accident. Just try to follow the rules as best you can.
Good luck

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

"A yacht involved in a race off the coast of California and Mexico apparently collided at night with a much larger vessel, leaving three crew members dead and one missing,..." - ironic indeed; point taken.

Actually they drove into an island in the Coronados.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Actually they drove into an island in the Coronados.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...anel-says.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr...-race-20140403

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by roverhi

FWIW, the only time I've come close to being run down wasn't solo and we were maintaining a watch. We were under sail at night with my wife on the helm while I was asleep. She saw the ship but misjudged its speed and course. By the time she woke me up, the ship was nearly on us and an Oh Sh*t tack had us surfing away off the bow wave probably less than 20' from the ship. The ship obviously wasn't maintaining a watch as a few degrees course change would've had them clearing us easily. It wasn't that my wife was playing chicken with the right of way rules, she was fairly new to sailing though had stood night watches in heavily trafficed areas before, and just misjudged the closure rate until it was almost too late to get out of the ship's way.

Glad you escaped with your lives. For the same situation, I ask my wife to simply wake me up immediately whenever ANY lights or radar contact is seen, or AIS indicates a CPA less than 5 miles. It does keep me awake sometimes, but usually there is no action needed and I explain why, as part of her learning process (she's only been sailing a couple years now).

[Beco]

Originally Posted by David M

Good point Sailorchic.

Someone might argue that not all laws need to be enforced when it makes no sense to charge the violator.

In a different scenario, if a watch officer on a ship went below to take a nap and there was a collision then that person should sure as hell be charged with violating the law, the COLREGS.

The Coasties and other authorities may see the difference as the potential of doing a large amount of damage and/or causing a large loss of life on whether or not to enforce the law.

Also when the COLREGS were re-written back in 1972 from the 1960 rules, the IMO may not have even taken into consideration the scenario with single handers, since that organization is more larger vessel/commercial shipping based.

The COLREGS have been wisely written to not define everything down to the most minute detail, such as what defines a proper watch. This lack of detailed definitions gives countries more latitude in going after the worse, most egregious of the offenders........which solo sailors are not.

Watch officers on a ship don't need to go below, they have radar watch. Other than military vessels, no visual watch is kept on large vessels.

[KJThomas]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Absolutely correct; and I don't think anyone disagrees about that.


If you show NUC while hove to and sleeping, you cannot claim that you are fulfilling the letter of the law in regard to conditions for NUC status.


That does not mean, however, that it's a bad idea. In my opinion, if you do not have the crew resources to fulfill Rule 5, it is far better to slightly abuse NUC status than to carry on under way while sleeping and showing normal nav lights, which implies that you are alert and looking out and capable of maneuvering as required by the Rules.

Simply set your AIS to vessel under sail. The majority of vessels in the open ocean are power driven. In coastal waters seamanship dictates keeping a lookout.


Off course long distance single handing is illegal. it violates the collision rules, obviously, but in reality it is normally only dangerous to the singlehander. The ships he is likely to hit in the open sea will not even feel the impact. Probably why authorities tend to turn a blind eye. However when singlehanded yachts get up to larger sizes, then i think it should be discouraged.
Risking yourself in sports is acceptable. Sailing around without a lookout, in vessels large enough to do real damage if they hit another, is not.

[KJThomas]

Originally Posted by Beco

Watch officers on a ship don't need to go below, they have radar watch. Other than military vessels, no visual watch is kept on large vessels.

I have been a watch officer on merchant ships most of my life. Any that are run properly, have a constant visual lookout.
As well as by all available means appropriate........

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by KJThomas

Off course long distance single handing is illegal. it violates the collision rules,

I thought there were rules to avoid collision, not to collide. I'm fine with everyone violating collision rules

[KJThomas]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

I thought there were rules to avoid collision, not to collide. I'm fine with everyone violating collision rules

Collision rules or colregs, are commonly used abbreviations.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by KJThomas

Collision rules or colregs, are commonly used abbreviations.

Never heard "collision rules" before so reckon in down under?

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by KJThomas

Off course long distance single handing is illegal. it violates the collision rules, obviously, but in reality it is normally only dangerous to the singlehander. The ships he is likely to hit in the open sea will not even feel the impact. Probably why authorities tend to turn a blind eye. However when singlehanded yachts get up to larger sizes, then i think it should be discouraged.
Risking yourself in sports is acceptable. Sailing around without a lookout, in vessels large enough to do real damage if they hit another, is not.

Typically sized singlehanders vessels may pose no risk to large commercial ships, but I’d sure hate to be sailing my boat well heeled over on starboard tack in reduced visibility with a sleeping singlehander upwind of me running downwind at 5 knots in his 30’ sailboat. I’d be the stand on vessel and even if I was diligently attempting to keep a proper watch,since my radar antenna isn’t on a gimbal and visibility is reduced I’d probably have a hard time detecting him looking over the high side of my sailboat until it was too late to avoid a collision. His stainless steel stem fitting would likely impact my hull right about at the level of my boot stripe, not good.

It could fairly be argued that no collision would have occurred if I had been keeping a proper watch but situations like this show why it’s important for both vessels to at least attempt to keep a proper watch at all times.Despite our best intentions, it’s possible for us to unintentionally allow another vessel to sneak up on us. But the Colregs take this human fallibility into account by requiring EVERY vessel at ALL times to have a proper lookout so at least one of them will detect the other in time to avoid a collision. Singlehanders have no special (legal or moral) right to put all the responsibility of collision avoidance onto others while they sleep, no matter the size of their vessel.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

Never heard "collision rules" before so reckon in down under?

You never heard the term 'colregs', either?

[Lodesman]

[QUOTE=surf_km55;2704272]Are you kidding me?
You must be, because RADAR & AIS ARE WORTHLESS WITHOUT EYES AND/OR EARS UPON THEM]/QUOTE]

Agree completely

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Beco

Watch officers on a ship don't need to go below, they have radar watch. Other than military vessels, no visual watch is kept on large vessels.

Why do you possibly think this? You clearly aren't talking from experience.