The Importance Of Rule 5 And Situational Awareness

As boaters, we can stay out of harm’s way by gaining a better understanding of commercial ships. Whether in confined waters or at sea, ships have their own operational challenges, mainly because of their size, speed, lack of maneuverability and limited visibility.

 

- Pat Mundus

Maintaining a proper lookout, as described in COLREGS Rule 5, is perhaps the most important part of seamanship. A merchant ship’s watch officer handles navigation, traffic targets, the ship’s performance and an array of VHF radios, displays, alarms and phones. Many ships do not have manned engine rooms on the open ocean. It’s sobering to realize that a container ship at an average sea speed of 20 knots covers 2 miles in six minutes, usually with a substantial blind spot dead ahead — sometimes as far as a quarter-mile or more. Suffice it to say, the ship’s crew is often busy handling its own burdens.

 

We boaters need to maintain our own alert lookout, even if we have all the newest technology on board.

In high-traffic scenarios, have a second person to watch for targets, and use good, clean binoculars. Make your vessel as visible as possible. Recreational boats are not the most robust radar targets, so carry a good radar reflector mounted as high as possible. Prevent your navigation lights from becoming obscured, and make sure they are properly displayed; ships often say they have difficulty discerning the navigation lights of small craft.