bedouin
Well-Known Member
Re: You should be aware
This is not a power/sail issue as it applies equally well between PDVs as well. You seems totally hung up on rule 18 which I have not mentioned at all. If you want a more extreme case you can consider a vessel fishing in a TSS (not a very sensible thing to do, but it is not expressly forbidden by the rules).
Try reading all the rules - you can't just quote one rule out of context., you have to consider all the rules as they interact with each other. What I posted is a slight paraphrase of the definition given in Colregs Rule 8:
(f)(i) A vessel which, by any of these rules, is required not to impede the passage or safe passage of another vessel shall when required by the circumstances of the case, take early action to allow sufficient sea room for the safe passage of the other vessel.
(ii) A vessel required not to impede the passage or safe passage of another vessel is not relieved of this obligation if approaching the other vessel so as to involve risk of collision and shall, when taking action, have full regard to the action which may be required by the rules of this part.
(iii) A vessel the passage of which is not to be impeded remains fully obliged to comply with the rules of this part when the two vessels are approaching one another so as to involve risk of collision.
To expand yet again:
(i) Clearly states the sum of the obligations - i.e. to ensure that the vessel of passage has sufficient sea room to manouevre (i.e. you are obliged to avoid getting to a close quarters situation if the vessel of passage could not safely take the actions required by colregs)
(ii) Makes it plain that the requirement "not to impede" acts at greater distances than "risk of collision" and that at some stage there is a transition between the two.
(iii) States explicitly that once "risk of collision exists" the normal rules apply - i.e the vessel of passage may be the give way vessel and the not impeding vessel may be the stand on vessel.
I think your confusion comes from trying to use the conventional every-day definition of "impede" when in Colregs it's definition is clearly laid down and does not precisely correspond to everyday usage.
BTW I would be interested to hear any concrete example where the CG has been critical of forcing a boat to alter course where it could safely do so - one of the problems in a crowded area like the Dover Straits is that the big commercial ships have very little scope for course or speed alterations.
This is not a power/sail issue as it applies equally well between PDVs as well. You seems totally hung up on rule 18 which I have not mentioned at all. If you want a more extreme case you can consider a vessel fishing in a TSS (not a very sensible thing to do, but it is not expressly forbidden by the rules).
Try reading all the rules - you can't just quote one rule out of context., you have to consider all the rules as they interact with each other. What I posted is a slight paraphrase of the definition given in Colregs Rule 8:
(f)(i) A vessel which, by any of these rules, is required not to impede the passage or safe passage of another vessel shall when required by the circumstances of the case, take early action to allow sufficient sea room for the safe passage of the other vessel.
(ii) A vessel required not to impede the passage or safe passage of another vessel is not relieved of this obligation if approaching the other vessel so as to involve risk of collision and shall, when taking action, have full regard to the action which may be required by the rules of this part.
(iii) A vessel the passage of which is not to be impeded remains fully obliged to comply with the rules of this part when the two vessels are approaching one another so as to involve risk of collision.
To expand yet again:
(i) Clearly states the sum of the obligations - i.e. to ensure that the vessel of passage has sufficient sea room to manouevre (i.e. you are obliged to avoid getting to a close quarters situation if the vessel of passage could not safely take the actions required by colregs)
(ii) Makes it plain that the requirement "not to impede" acts at greater distances than "risk of collision" and that at some stage there is a transition between the two.
(iii) States explicitly that once "risk of collision exists" the normal rules apply - i.e the vessel of passage may be the give way vessel and the not impeding vessel may be the stand on vessel.
I think your confusion comes from trying to use the conventional every-day definition of "impede" when in Colregs it's definition is clearly laid down and does not precisely correspond to everyday usage.
BTW I would be interested to hear any concrete example where the CG has been critical of forcing a boat to alter course where it could safely do so - one of the problems in a crowded area like the Dover Straits is that the big commercial ships have very little scope for course or speed alterations.
