Tip of the Month
August, 2010 - Rules of the Road
The IRPCS (International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea) are as close as we can get on the water to having a highway code.
The ‘Coll Regs’, as they are often called, are hard work to wade through, but try dipping in and out from time to time to keep yourself up to speed. It is advisable to have a complete IRPCS on board your boat at all times.
The ‘Coll Regs’ cover lights, day shapes, sound signals and general rules about avoiding collisions and responsibilities towards other water users. Some of the general rules include:
• It is the skipper’s responsibility to maintain a good look-out at all times
• Vessels of less than 20m should not impede the safe passage of large (>20m) vessels in a narrow channel
• Overtaking boats must keep clear
• Power gives way to sail
• Vessels should keep to the starboard side of a
narrow channel
• There is a risk of collision if the bearing of an
approaching vessel remains constant
• When boats under power are crossing, the vessel with another vessel on its starboard side must give way
• There is no such thing as ‘Right of Way’
The more obvious rules are no doubt clear to most of us, but there are some rules that don’t seem to be common knowledge. For instance, did you know that if a sailing boat overtakes you, he is obliged to keep clear of you? Did you also know that the Solent, starting at the Needles, is regarded as a narrow channel to vessels over 20m in length?
Keeping a good lookout is common sense - it means looking behind you on a regular basis and using your radar if you have one fitted. A ‘radar induced collision’ could see you in court as a result of not being able to operate/interpret your radar equipment correctly. We are all obliged to avoid a collision at all costs.
Here’s a little ditty for you: ‘If to starboard red appear, ‘tis your duty to keep clear’. That should help decide who the ‘stand on vessel’ is and who the ‘give way’ vessel is.
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