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    Re: Lights etc.
    From: Trevor Kenchington
    Date: 2003 Oct 9, 22:25 -0300

    Doug Royer wrote:
    
    > Stephen stated in his post of his "all around white light"on his mast he
    > uses while underway.I've been reading more of this practice in other papers
    > and I am witnessing it more on small sail and power vessels when I am at
    > sea.Did the rules change or am I misunderstanding something?I looked in my
    > copy of the rules and the only "all around white light" on a mast alone and
    > not used in combination with other lights is to be used while anchored or
    > aground with running lights out, not while underway.Can someone
    > explain?Apperently it's legal to do.
    
    
    I don't think anything has changed for the past good many years.
    
    Rule 25(d)(i) of the U.S. version of the international ColRegs allows
    vessels  under sail of less than 7 meters length, and vessels under oars
    of any length, to show a white light in sufficient time to avoid
    collision, in lieu of side and stern lights. (The U.S. inland rules
    allow the same thing. So do the Canadian and I think most other versions
    of the ColRegs.) Continuous display of an all-round white light would
    seem to meet that requirement.
    
    Also, Rule 23(c)(ii) of the U.S. version of the international ColRegs
    allows a powered vessel of under 7 meters length with a maximum speed of
    under 7 knots to display only an all-round white light. That does not
    seem to be allowed in U.S. inland waters. It is not in any Canadian
    waters and I think not in British waters either.
    
    
    > To end the story my vessel at 1 point was surrounded by 18 yachts within a 1
    > nm radius.Most alot closer than that.I'm showing the lights for a tow > 200
    > m,barely underway and RAM to boot.The whole crew is up now with spots and
    > flares if needed.I had 1 small boat(18-22 ft)go between the tug and tow
    > under the tow cable while never heading the ch. 16 warnings!All the other
    > close yachts turned from thier courses only when they were less than 1/8 nm
    > from the tow or tug!
    > This is one reason I have not that much patience or respect for most small
    > boat drivers.Some have no idea what rules or lights mean nor do they seem to
    > care if they do.
    
    There certainly is an unacceptable level of ignorance -- among
    small-boat commercial fishermen as well as the recreational side.
    
    But that isn't the whole story. Many small powerboats can turn on a dime
    and get out of the way quickly. A skipper who is alert can get close to
    a big ship (_very_ close from the perspective of the man on the bridge
    of the big fellow) and yet can turn away with no danger at all -- except
    to the blood pressure of the men responsible for the big ship. It is a
    shame that we don't have a single-letter signal that would say:
    "Maintain your course and speed. I waive my right of way and will keep
    clear of you."
    
    Then again, perhaps there should be a flag signal for: "This ship does
    not alter course or speed to avoid any vessel of less than 10,000 tons."
    Some captains could just paint it onto their superstructures -- much
    like commercial fishing boats come from the shipyard with their fishing
    daymarks (two cones, points together, or a fish basket) permanently
    mounted in the forward rigging, and some recreational dive boats leave
    the dock already flying code flag Alpha.
    
    
    Trevor Kenchington
    
    
    --
    Trevor J. Kenchington PhD                         Gadus@iStar.ca
    Gadus Associates,                                 Office(902) 889-9250
    R.R.#1, Musquodoboit Harbour,                     Fax   (902) 889-9251
    Nova Scotia  B0J 2L0, CANADA                      Home  (902) 889-3555
    
                         Science Serving the Fisheries
                          http://home.istar.ca/~gadus
    
    
    

       
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