Does anyone know definitively whether a vessel leaving a dock has to defer to boats already underway and how does size matter. I think I know that private boats shall not interfere with commercial vessel maneuvering, but still when leaving a dock I would think that common sense would require the departing vessel to wait for traffic already underway to clear before proceeding.
You are in the smallest and slowest craft on the water.
The only applicable “rule” is to be as defensive as possible.
Leaving dock they should blow horn 3 times.
1 prolonged blast (4-6 seconds)
Entering or exiting a blind turn
Nearing an obstructed area
Leaving a dock or a berth
My question didn’t involve anything I was doing; it was just an observation where a large ship was leaving a dock and seemingly neither the ship, nor the tug that was assisting it gave any heed to boat traffic in the channel the ship was entering. I thought it was comparable to a large truck just barging into traffic with no regard for right of way, or anything.
Law of tonnage. No matter who is right, the big guy wins, and often very large vessels cannot see smaller boats.
The captain has a duty to post a lookout when leaving the dock. The paddler also has a duty to avoid collision
Keep in mind that right of way rules only really matter in races. In the real world, if an accident occurs, whether you had right of way or not isn’t looked at so much as if you could have done something to avoid the collision. Even if you had right of way, if you could have taken an action to avoid the collision, you will be found as partial fault.
That said, it sounds like you are talking about a large, limited maneuverability ship leaving dock (you mentioned tugs). If the traffic in the channel already was all smaller, non-limited maneuverability boats (like motor boats), then the ship may have had right of way.
The boat in the channel has right of way, vessel un-docking required one prolong blast of horn before departure as warning. Usually commercial vessels will radio each other to coordinate movements, VHF Ch 13.
Whether you have the right of way or not; it is NOT in your best interest to get into a pissing contest with a boat that outweighs you by multiple tons.
In the final analysis maybe “you were right”?
But you’re dead now…
May be some consolation to you family; that you "stuck to your guns,“because you were right”.
But I doubt it…
BOB
@grayhawk said:
1 prolonged blast (4-6 seconds)
Entering or exiting a blind turn
Nearing an obstructed area
Leaving a dock or a berth
Yes you’re right.
There still has to be a written law I can’t find
They only vessel’s that I know of that have the right of way are sailboats. I agree with the above replies… I would say use common sense but here at the NJ shore weekend warriors make up their own rules to a sometimes tragic end even though channels are usually clearly marked.
@PaddleDog52 said:
@grayhawk said:
1 prolonged blast (4-6 seconds)
Entering or exiting a blind turn
Nearing an obstructed area
Leaving a dock or a berthYes you’re right.
There still has to be a written law I can’t find