Browsing: Rules of the Road

Cruising Life
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How Did This Happen? See Video Reenactment

August 17, 2018, was a clear, calm day on the Chesapeake when a 34-foot powerboat ran into the side of a 35-foot sailboat near Annapolis. Fortunately, none of the seven people on the powerboat, or the two people on the sailboat, were seriously injured. But once the picture of the accident, taken by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, was released, it went viral. Boaters and non-boaters alike asked, how did this happen? The powerboat, a 34-foot deadrise charter boat named Hunter, was brand new. It was on its very first day in the water, with a licensed captain on…

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Sound Signals: A Primer at the Start of the Season

Now that boating season is (almost) here, at least for those of us in the north, it’s a good time for a quick review of sound signals – the signals that will help you keep safe on your cruises this summer. We all need a refresher course now and then. The basic sound signals for powerboats are easy to remember. They will help you stay out of trouble in passing situations on the open water and particularly on the narrow waterways that you’ll find on many stretches of the ICW and the Great Loop, among other places. They are particularly…

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Take This Boating Safety Quiz from the Coast Guard. Let’s Hope You Pass

How good is your memory? Do you remember all the basics, and the nuances, of the rules of the road from your Power Squadrons or Coast Guard boating courses a few years ago? Now that the spring boating season is here, it never hurts to brush up, to give all those brain cells a refresher course. Here are some questions about basic boating safety from the U.S. Coast Guard. See how you do. (You’ll have to click below for the answers.) 1.You’ve left the dock well before dawn on an offshore trip to fish the canyons. It’s still dark, but…

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Charter Fishing Boat Rides Over Top of Sailboat in the Chesapeake; No Serious Injuries. Plus: First-Person Account of What Happened

You don’t see this very often. But here’s a startling picture showing the results of a collision between a sailboat and a powerboat on the Chesapeake near Thomas Point, just south of Annapolis. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. About noon on a summer Friday, Hunter, a 37-foot charter fishing boat out of Kent Island, ran into Levitation, a 35-foot J/105 out of Annapolis. Levitation had its sails up, but authorities don’t know if its engine was running. Seven people were on board the fishing boat; two on the sailboat. The fishing boat ended up basically straddling the sailboat, with its bow…

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Five Short Blasts: Danger, Doubt, or What? A Pro’s Look at the Rules

If you don’t remember any other sound signal, you really do need to know that five (or more) short blasts signal danger. Something is wrong. Your vessel and another vessel are in danger of a collision. The danger signal is clearly spelled out in COLREGs, the Rules of the Road, but even so, in the real world, it can lead to some confusion. The problem lies in failing to understand the actions or intentions of the other vessel, and knowing, even if you have the right of way, when to take action to avoid a collision. Drawing from the COLREGs,…

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“Nap Time” Cruiser Runs into Ferry While Captain Using the Head

You’ve got to see this. Nap Time, a recreational cruising boat, runs into the starboard side of a huge Washington State ferry going from Tacoma to Vachon Island in broad daylight, while the ferry is sounding its horn. Hard to believe. Yes, the boat on the right has the right of way, but it’s supposed to give way to a commercial ferry, no? And what was Nap Time’s captain thinking? Well, it turns out, according to a local TV station, that Nap Time’s captain, the only person on board at the time, was below, using the head. Still, a great video:…