who cares about laws... if you see an accident coming, whoever is in fault, THE STEERING IS THERE TO STEER !!!!!!

From the Coastguard Navigation website, and yes I have the Coastguard training:

The International Navigation Rules do not confer upon any vessel the right of way however, Navigation Rules should be regarded as a code of conduct and not a bill of rights. They do not bestow rights or privileges, but impose the duty to either give-way or stand-on, dependent on the circumstances. What is important is not so much what things are, i.e. sailing vessel, operational, etc., but how to avoid collisions, e.g. although under sail yet able to be propelled by machinery, obtaining an early warning by radar, etc. Understand, the Rules are in place to prevent collisions not to define nautical terms or to be subjected to strict interpretation.


Common Sense Rule:The boat with less manueverability has the right of way, generally thats the bigger of the two. Although the rule 15 states that the Starboard vessel has right of way Rule 7 states every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. But looks like the smaller was on autopilot with idiots at the helm. Hope no one was siriously injured.

Also, does not anybody else notice that the large yacht is not moving, either at anchor or drifting. if it was moving forward it would have went right through the smaller yacht and then passed right by.

Holly Sh!t

does anyone have insight as to weather the larger boat was slowing or trying to aviod?? Might take a while to correct once each pilot understood that there may be a problem. However it seems that the smaller boat on starboard was moving at a higher rate of speed???

CDC

Boaters need to learn to give way. look farther ahead. if your racing you singed up for it, no quarter is the rule and i may run you off course in the future. But this equipment is heavy and you need to plan ahead.

It looks likes it's moving to me.

Theres no bow wake??? When the boat stopped there would be a wake moving away from the boat. I think the waves make it look like it is moving. I have been anchored several times in the Atlantic diving and sometimes it looks like the boat is moving forward just because of the waves while sitting still.

I was just about to post the same thing, if the larger boat was moving there should have been a secondary collision. I believe it was stationary or moving so slow that it could not turn.

The very first thing I thought was Holy Sh!t!!

The second thing was I hope nobody got crushed in the bow.

The third thing was what a couple of morons!

You guys may be right, or he was at the very least moving very slowly. Perhaps the larger boat slowed down and was just idling forward, and the skipper assumed the smaller boat would avert his course. If that's the case, he was wrong, and should have turned sharply to his own starboard to avoid collision.

I can't imagine the impact if he was moving at a fast clip.