IRPCS - Differing Standards

[Guest]

I used to help Merchant Navy cadets prepare for their oral exams at what used to becalled 2nd Mates level. When facing the examiner they could fail for having a word out of place. The RYA demands a full working knowledge from their Yachtmaster candidates. Anybody who complains about fishermen's lack of IRPCS knowledge usually gets nowhere. Why the different standards? And what standard do you expect of your fellow mariners?

 

[Bergman]

In a word I guess predictability.

The rules, if followed, allow all of us to know what the other chap is going to.

Its the surprises that cause the problems.

 

[peterb]

Understanding

Actually, at Yachtmaster level, the RYA asks for a 'full knowledge' of COLREGS. The 'working knowledge' is asked for at Day Skipper level, and even there a full knowledge is required of the 'steering and sailing' rules.

I don't think that the ability to repeat the rules parrot fashion is really that useful. What is really needed is an understanding of the rules, and of the ways in which they inter-relate. In my experience most small boat sailors have a fair working knowledge of the rules as between small boats in good visibility. Where most of them fall down is in the rules relating small boats to big ships, and in the rules relating to restricted visibility.

Mind you, some of the big ships don't help. I was on the bridge of a Condor ferry entering Poole one day, and saw some atrocious behaviour by some of the small craft in the deep channel, where the ferry had to be. So I asked whether the ferry was flying the 'constrained by draught' signal. The answer was that they knew she should be, but that they had no access to the mast to hoist it!

 

[Guest]

Re: Understanding

Thanks for that. Let me tell you another "horror" story. I once had a near miss in fog with a ferry which plied between Ireland and France. She was sounding NO signal. On my return I quizzed some ferry officers I knew who said that they didn't sound fog signals either because "it upsets the passengers"!

 

[peterb]

Fog signals

It's worse than that. If they sound fog signals, then it should be logged. And then, of course, they have to reduce speed as required by Rule 19, and thus fall behind their schedule. So by not sounding fog signals they can keep their speed up, and, after all, everyone's got radar, haven't they?