Here we are again.
For those of you that drive, what do you consider to be safe speed? Do you adhere to the 2 second rule? Do you look behind you when reversing or look behind you before you drive off or when you are turning? This week we are going to consider a few COLREGS.
You are in your cruiser out doing a few drills and tasks you have been set by your friendly instructor in order to hone your skills. You see a vessel roughly the same size as yours about 30º off your port bow, about a mile away travelling from left to right, you estimate that the angle on their bow is about 30º and you appear to be doing roughly similar speeds. There are a couple of Gigs ahead of you around 45º on your Stbd bow about 1 mile away, they appear to be going slowly left. There is a yacht behind you crossing your stern and one off your stbd quarter that you slowly passed a few minutes ago. Behind them off your Port quarter, on the same course as you, there is a small hovercraft about ¾ of a mile away going quite fast and fine on your Stbd bow around a mile and a half away, you see a vessel through your binoculars that has what looks like a blue and white pennant flying, you can t be 100% sure as it is flapping gently in the wind.
What are you going to do?
What COLREGS apply?
What is safe speed?
Tell me all the things you are going to do before you execute a turn (if you are going to).
Is there such a thing as a give way vessel?
What COLREGS apply to the Gigs?
The what is the mystery vessel and flag - is it doing the right thing?
My thoughts next week.