Exec. Director's Report: Rules of the Road

Executive Director's Report

by Jim Donofrio

If you grew up on the water, before you ever got behind the wheel of your first boat you probably had a good understanding of what are loosely termed the “Rules of the Road” and much of what is considered basic seamanship. Many years ago, my dad handed me a copy of Charles Chapman’s Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling. It was, and still is, the Bible that blueprints the techniques and strictures that form the basis for safe boat handling. The book instilled in me a respect for the seriousness of navigating a boat on public waterways and it should be required reading for anyone who plans on operating a boat. One of the most important theories we learned early on is that speed on the water can kill if it is not used prudently and judiciously.

Photo Courtesy: NBC 6 South Florida

Today, there is a new generation of fishermen and boaters that seem to ignore even that most basic rule. Many of them have a fascination with speed. They feel the need to go fast all the time, even in tight channels, crowded inlets and when overtaking or approaching other vessels. With the prevalence of multi-outboard boats built on hulls that just a few years ago were restricted to use on boats built specifically for racing the problem grows in complexity. Even today’s family cruising boats are capable of speeds that just 20years ago would have been considered radical. Operating fast boats in crowded waterways where you can encounter kayaks, paddle boarders and personal watercraft in addition to an armada of boats of all sizes and shapes has become commonplace. Incidence of collisions, groundings and increased injuries and loss of life are on the increase and it is often the result of too much speed in the hands of uneducated and inexperienced boat operators. The number of near misses has become far too commonplace. All of us at the RFA want to see a vibrant marine industry however more must be done to not just encourage new boat owners to learn and practice the rules of the road, but to further mandate their Too much speed in the hands of an inexperienced implementation. It is in the inoperator can cost more than your boat, it can cost lives. terest of everyone’s safety on the water.

A major problem is operating a vessel in reduced other vessels in reduced visibility conditions. visibility situations. Without radar its a gamble at best. But even with radar, which has become much more affordable and is found on most offshore capable boats, in the hands of someone not familiar its operation it can be confusing . If you are new to radar, make sure you use it every day, not just at times of reduced visibility, to familiarize yourself with every target type and the appearance of inland landscapes on the screen at various ranges. A simple mistake of not being aware of the range your radar unit is set for and believing another vessel is farther away than it actually is can cause a collision. Only through experience can you remain relaxed and in control when you do get socked in with fog instead of having to operate in panic mode or worse. I have fielded a growing number of complaints this year from very experienced operators, some professional captains, others seasoned private boat owners, taking to task this new generation of vessel owners. Some of the stories they tell are truly frightening and others were even witnesses to vessel collisions due to boats run too fast under questionable conditions by operators who obviously didn’t know the rules of the road or were too inconsiderate of other people’s safety to implement them. It seems far too many go fast boat owners are in too much of a hurry to get to the next bite to show consideration to other boaters and it is leading to more near misses, collisions and harm to themselves and others. They apparently have way more speed at their command If you are running offshore without the benefit of than common sense about how to use it and as radar you are putting yourself, your crew and our waterways become more crowded that is a other vessels in danger. GPS can only show you very scary proposition. your location on a chart, but not the location of

What it could look like after the fog lifts and you've been running without radar.