Lights and wrongs

[jamesjermain]

This is a pre-emptive strike!

The Yachtmasters among you will no doubt be caning your keyboards as I write over the light recognition drawings on page 89 of the April issue - and this is not an April fool! We've cocked up.

Partly this is due to trying to condense captions beyond the point absurdity but there are also some error.

Have a go yourselves and see if you can spot the wrong 'uns.
There are two actual mistakes, one which is only partly true and at least one more which needs a bit of further explanation.

By the way, Paul (Ed) Gelder has asked me to point out that the errors were generated entirely within the editorial office and are not the fault of the author, Jack Gush.

Apologies all round

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[tome]

I'd spotted the extra red light on the bow of the restricted manoeuvrability, but will take a closer look...

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Tug over 50m should have 2 lights plus 3 for the tow over 200m = 5 lights (4 shown)
Tug under 50m 1 light plus 3 for tow = 4 lights (3 shown)

Plus a tow alongside should be lit as one vessel.

I make that 4 CU's<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by tome on 11/03/2004 18:20 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Fill]

extra red on restricted m, and if it's constrained by draught surely a white somewhere or even 2 - towing seemed ok.

Restricted by gear I'd have thought should have said the vessel was engaged in underwater ops or dredging and given the side to pass.

james - should you be showing - in the day that is - the shapes for aground and especially the usual mnemonic? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[snowleopard]

the towing lights are ambiguous from dead ahead:

2 vert whites could be (a) vessel over 50m (b) tug under 50m, tow under 200m

3 vert whites could be (a) tug over 50, tow over 200, (b) tug under 50, tow over 200

restricted manoeverability has gained an extra red

constrained by draft is missing his steaming light(s)

and now you've taken away the monthly prize quiz, what do we win for this?

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[claymore]

Heads Must Roll

Whilst my copy of YM has not yet reached the sleepy backwaters of my village newsagent - this matter is obviously a serious one and action should be taken to ensure this never happens again. The whole of the editorial team must obviously be replaced immediately.
So -
TCM for head honcho
Para as he has plenty of time on his hands now
Mirelle as he doesn't get things wrong
Jimi - for the alternative angle
Sailbad - the extra cash will help in the light of impending fatherhood.
April 1st start?


<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[maxi]

I know it's April, but James sounds like a confused chinaman.

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[jamesjermain]

No coconut for you, I'm afraid.

Tug under 50m carries two masthead lights if the tow is under 200m, three if it is over. It may carry a second masthead light aft and higher than the forward light Tug over 50m would have three lights showing vertically - two forward, one, higher, aft.

A tow alongside is only lit as one with the towing vessel if it is rigidly linked to is as a composite unit.
@
@
@
Err... but I may be wrong!

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[jamesjermain]

Tick - vg

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[jamesjermain]

Double tick -vg.

No prize, just award yourself the order of the smug bastard! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[tome]

Nuts to you too/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[jamesjermain]

Re: Heads Must Roll

No place on the team that star of the feature article - Ken de Twister?

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[TwisterJohn]

C'mon guys .... and I mean ALL of you. Suggest you read Rule 24 CAREFULLY (Plus the rest of the Colregs) before you go rabbitting on. I haven't seen an all correct answer yet!

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[peterb]

OK

The trawler is right, but it has to be less than 50m long, since it has no masthead (steaming) light showing.

The fishing vessel not trawling is right, and could be of any length, since such vessels show no masthead lights.

The pilot vessel is right, and as with the fishing vessel could be of any length.

The power vessel under 50m is right.

The power vessel over 50m is right, but could also be a small (<50m) tug with a short tow.

The "Tow over 200m, tug under 50m" is right, but could also be a tug over 50m with a tow under 50m.

The tow over 200m, tug over 50m is right.

The "Restricted manoeuvrability" should not be showing a red on the bow. If making way through the water she should be showing one or two masthead lights (depending on size; if not making way, she should not have sidelights.

The "restricted by gear" is presumably a vessel engaged in dredging or underwater operations, restricted in manoeuvrability and with an obstruction on one side. Since she has no masthead lights or sidelights, she is making no way through the water or could be anchored.

The "constrained by draught" should have one or two masthead lights.

The "towing alongside" is right, but the tug is under 50m.

That makes two wrong, two ambiguous, and several incomplete descriptions.

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[claymore]

Re: Heads Must Roll

Indeed - I thought technical editor with responsibility for decking - you could do a number with Alan Titchmarsh on this one

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[TwisterJohn]

Let's go back to the tugs....

Rule 24 states:

(a) A power-driven vessel when towing shall exhibit:

(i) Instead of the light prescribed in Rule 23 (a) (i) or (a) (ii) two masthead lights forward in a vertical line. When the length of the tow, measured from the stern of the towing vessel to the after end of the tow exceeds 200 metres three such lights in a vertical line.

Rule 23 (a) A Power-driven vessel underway shall exhibit:

(i) a masthead light forward.
(ii) a second masthead light abaft of and higher than the forward one; except that a vessel of less than 50 metres in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such a light but may do so.

Note the 'Instead of'.The length of the towing vessel is therefore immaterial. It's either 2 lights for less than 200m tow or 3 for greater.

I think that changes the score!

Oh, and if the restriced by gear vessel isn't underway it must either be at anchor or aground in which case ......

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[peterb]

Now have a look at Rule 24(d): "A power-driven vessel to which paragraph ... (c) of this rule applies shall also comply with Rule 23(a)(ii).", i.e. shall show a second masthead light abaft and higher than the forward one. So if she's only showing the two masthead lights and is towing, then she must be less than 50m long.

The only place in which the 'obstruction' lights (twin greens and twin reds) appear is in Rule 27(d), so we have to assume that this vessel is engaged in dredging or underwater operations. So she has to comply with 27(b)(i), (ii) and (iii), and in addition show the obstruction lights. 27(b)(iii) specifies that masthead, stern and sidelights are shown when making way through the water; since our vessel has none, she is not making way through the water. Rule 27(d)(iii) specifies that when at anchor the vessel shows the lights of 27(d) instead of the normal anchor lights of Rule 30; as a result, you can't tell whether she's anchored or just not making way. That's because dredgers often anchor using multiple anchors and cables, and manoeuvre whilst dredging by hauling in or letting out their anchor cables, i.e. they may be anchored, but they can still be moving. If she were aground, then she would fall under Rule 30 and show normal anchor lights together with not-under-command lights, so we know she isn't aground.

Score stays.

 

[jamesjermain]

Thanks, Peter.

Even though I only came into this in the guise of adjudicator, and admit that I am not word perfect in the Colregs, your conclusions are in agreement with mine. I must also admit, however, that you include much more detail than I would have been able.

Please accept the YM Editorial double tick, VG, with gold star - unless anyone else can knows better!! /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

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[TwisterJohn]

I surrender!


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[TwisterJohn]

I surrender!


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[peterb]

Don't worry. It just shows how badly written the Colregs are. To find out what lights an anchored dredger carries you read Rule 27(d)(iii). But this refers back to 27(d)(ii) and 27(d)(i), as well as to 27(b)(i), (ii) and (iii) (but not to 27(b)(iv)), and then tells you not to look at Rule 30, which of course you immediately do just to find out what you're not supposed to do. I spent a lot of time some years ago in rewriting the lights and shapes rules to make them more understandable and easier to follow; the result takes up a little more space but makes it very easy for me to answer questions like James's.

I reckon that Colregs must have been written by a committee of lawyers!

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