Read an Excerpt
1 QUESTION OF COURTESY
Not all boats that race are flat-out ‘Grand Prix’ jobs. Many a cruiser enjoys the odd weekend’s sport with the local club. Such a boat could easily be taken for a cruiser, which on any other day she may well be. Today, however, she isn’t flying an ensign, and this is the international sign that she’s racing. As soon as she finishes or retires, she should hoist her ensign again so that her fellow competitors and anyone else around knows that she’s no longer subject to the racing rules. Right now, those of us who are cruising might like to give her clear wind. It could be us one day.
2 HOSE RIGHT OF WAY?
A useful aide-mémoire when crossing another vessel in daylight with both boats under power, is to ask yourself which of her sidelights you would be seeing if it were dark. A red (port) light would suggest that you are to take care, so stay out of her way. Green is for ‘go’, so if you see her starboard bow you can stand on carefully.
3 DENTIFYING A COLLISION RISK
Out at sea, collision risk is checked by ascertaining whether or not the vessel in question is maintaining a steady bearing relative to you. Initially, this is spotted by keeping your head still and seeing whether a distant ship remains in place over a particular stanchion, shroud, or other likely item. If it looks like a possibility but you are uncertain, you will take the ship’s compass bearing, and keep checking as range closes. You might even use the electronic bearing line on your radar.
In confined waters, it is more convenient to note whether or not the other craft appears steady relative to its background. While difficult to prove mathematically, this old rule of thumb works every time unless the other craft is almost on the beach. If the other vessel stays in front of the same far-off field, chimney or parked car as you approach, you are on a collision heading, so watch out!
