HOVE-TO

[Paul J. Rusyniak]

Warren…

Since I started this, I’m a little sheepish to admit that I don’t own and probably will never own dayshapes, at least as long as I continue to sail on Oneida Lake here in central New York.Maybe I’m not giving many of my fellow boaters all the credit they deserve, but, considering their conduct, I doubt that many of them know the rules.I really doubt dayshapes would be considered much more than “some kinda decoration, probably made in China”. In fact, the VROOOOM-VROOOOM types usually pass me going so fast that I can’t imagine they’d even see the dayshapes.Please let me take this opportunity to mention one more time how much I’ve learned from all of you - - - THANKS!!!Rules aside, common sense and courtesy still go a long, long way.Pauls/v The Lord Nelson

 

[Franklin]

Rule needs to be changed

"These circumstances would NOT include going below to take a nap or have lunch."That rule needs to be changed. The rule should be any boat not under way and not under command and has the proper dayshapes up posting this, then they should not have to give way. Inforcing the rule the way it is now is like giving me a ticket for jay walking when I cross the street in my subburb to get the mail. It's rediculous. If somebody is hove to and down below using the head because nature called and another sailor runs into him because he is too stupid and stubborn to change because he had the stand on way and the guy on the head gets dumped on in more ways then one, I would say that's a perfect example of a rule that needs to be changed.

 

[Steve Christensen]

Don't hold your breath....

...waiting for the COLREGS to be changed. Theye change VERY slowly, even when there is a need, which I don't really think there is here.If you really want to understand the rules, it is helpful to read something like Farwell's Rules of the Road, which not only explains the rules, but gives the rulings of maritime court cases when there is a collision. The most amazing thing is that when there is a collision, the court NEVER rules that the fault lies with just one boat. Regardless of what some yahoo is doing, if you hit him, or allow him to hit you, then you have yourself violated the rules by allowing the collision to occurr.If you want to go below to use your head with the boat hove to, but do not exhibit the lights and shapes of NUC, then you would probably be found more than 50% at fault in any collision that resulted. If you DO exhibit the correct NUC lights and shapes you would be partially covered, except that the court would rule that you had no justification to be claiming NUC status, and so created the risk of collision unnecessarily through your actions (no lookout, failure to give way, etc.) and you would still not be 0% at fault in any collision that resulted. Hove to all you want, but don't assume it gives you any special status. It appears that legally you are still a sailboat underway and making way, and if there is any possibility of traffic, you better have a lookout and be ready to respond.

 

[Mike Maddox]

Stand-on or Give way

Sailing vessels are not stand-on when overtaking. Power driven vessels, when trolling for salmon are only moving at 1-3 kts and are often overtaken by sailing vsl. In this instance, the power vsl is stand-on

 

[Mike Maddox]

Stand-on vsl

Under normal conditions, a sailing vsl is stand-on over a power driven vsl, regardless of length, unless the Captain-of-the-port has invoked rule 9. In that case, the commercial vsl, restricted to a narrow channel is stand-on. For example, all of San Francisco Bay has been designated a narrow channel and ALL pleasure craft must keep out of the way of commercial vsl.While the Law of Gross Tonnage is not part of the NavRules, it is a fact of physics. Plastic cannot win over steel.

 

[Mike Maddox]

NavRules

The complete NAVRules are available on the Coast Guard web site as a PDF. Vsl longer than 12M are required to have a copy on-board but every boat driver is expected to know them

 

[NevadaCityBob]

Day shapes

I sail a Mac 25 on inland lakes and fly a black ball (actually, two flat disks that join at right angles) when anchored or tied off. I bought it at W.M., and they had no idea what it was for and had never sold one before. This is only my second season sailing, but I've never seen one on another boat.