The Kayak Forum is Sponsored By
|
|
|
| |
Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Sort of, yes and no
Posted By: Jerry In Response To: Correction Jerry (M. Hamilton)
Date: Monday, 11 December 2000, at 11:36 a.m.
: Jerry, While I appreciate your effort I think you need to re-visit what is
: International vs Inland waters. Three miles out typically? NO! In Alaska
: blurred destinction? NO! This is incorrect. Unless you see a line of
: demarcation on the chart you are in international waters. Rivers, lakes,
: bays, to the land side of demarcation lines are Inland. Great Lakes is an
: example, western rivers, lakes in general. It is absolutely not correct to
: state that in most areas of the world this line is three miles out. MANY
: people consider Puget Sound to be Inland rules. It is NOT!!Yes and No the IMO adopted the 3 mile (kind of sort of) rule of Demarcation separating inland from international rules for most of the world. There is also an international treaty to this effect but I forget its name, however, we were very much held to it in the Navy when visiting foreign and domestic ports of call. Every time we pulled in to a port the captain and the OOD and JOOD was notified when we were within 3 miles and to switch to inland rules. Or if the port of call was the exception he/they were notified that this port was an exception. Don't forget the 3 mile rule for casino ships; 3 miles out and you can gamble (that may or may not be an appropriate analogy) because you in international waters even if you're still in US territorial waters.
For the most part you are correct in stating that until you see a line of demarcation on a chart (dashed magenta line on a chart) you're still in international waters, or should at least assume that you are. However, there are many charts in which there is no demarcation line and you're in inland waters. The Great Lakes where I sail and kayak is one such example. They fall under the inland rules, but there are no lines of demarcation on the Great Lakes charts what so ever. A line on a chart is simply a visual representation of what was drafted up in legislation. That very same legislation can affect other areas in a different way regardless of whether or not it has a line. Am I splitting hairs, yes I am. But my purpose in doing to is to show there are exceptions to every rule.
I've no doubt that most of Alaska, and the Puget Sound falls within international waters rules so do the Florida keys and most of the Hawaiian islands. But for much of the world this may or may not be the case. The Colregs also affect other areas of the world beside the US. My purpose and intent was not to state the 3-mile rule as an absolute, I was trying to infer a general rule that has exceptions as all rules do.
For the
: kayaker the distinction is mute, as you correctly stated the differences
: are not great enough and really do not apply to kayakers. (whistle signals
: - tug lighting etc.) International rules do not allow for a strobe light,
: but as I said in my above post, in an emergency use it! This is a
: technicality and you should use whatever you have to attract attention in
: an emergency. Inland rules allow for a strobe 50-70 high intensity white
: all round flashes per minute.I'll agree with you completely when you state that any means you can use to attract attention should be used. I was incorrect in stating that the sub flashes a yellow light once per second. It's actually an Amber light (damn lawyers) that flashes once a second for 3 seconds then is off for 3 seconds. This is Morse code for "S" like in a submarine. I just looked up the hovercraft regulation. I knew it once but I've never seen one on the water so out of sight out of mind I guess.
: by the way. As for kayak lighting. As I said above a kayak is a paddle
: craft and as such is ONLY required to have an all round white light or
: lantern kept at hand to be deployed to prevent collision.(rule 25) You can
: display side lights and a sternlight if you wish, but this is not
: required, and is not practical. The other point that I'd like to make is
: that there is great confusion regarding rules on the water even among avid
: boaters. The Coast Guard does not inforce all the rules to the letter. For
: example in International rules all sailboats (under 12 meters are exempt
: in Inland rules) must display an inverted conical shape in the forward
: part of the vessel when under power with sails up. This is to tell others
: that the vessel is in fact now a POWER vessel. Very few sailors adhere to
: this, and in the Pacific Northwest it isn't inforced.
: Kayakers are often confused about right of way.You are correct that all we need in an all around light that can be deployed in time to prevent a collision. However, as was implied in the original authors post the all around light that he wanted to display all the time would indicate that he was a vessel 50 meters in length and at anchor. My purpose was simply to bring to his attention the possibilities at his disposal and the incorrectness of displaying an all around white light all the time. And in response to a prior post you made but not part of this thread you can use a flashlight. At least that's what chapmans is telling me, I don't know where specifically my colregs book is right now, my ferrets must have done something with it.
I don't think it so much confusion of the rules and lack of Coast Guard enforcement as it is ignorance and not making an attempt to learn the rules. Here in the Great Lakes when the girlfriend and I go sailing I am terrified to be out on the water with the other boaters. They really scare me in what they don't know, throw in a twelve pack and well you get the idea.
Even in inland waters I still display the inverted cone. I know I don't have to but the rules were drilled into me in the navy and dang nabit I'm gonna follow them. The custom here on the lakes is to bring in you forsail(s)and leave the main up when you motor a sailboat. It drives me nuts because if the winds are strong and all you have out is your main you really cannot tell if the other guy is motoring or sailing.
As a paddle craft we are
: considered just another vessel, and have no special rights over any other
: vessel!!!!!! The pecking order is as follows: (Rule 18)1. Vessels not
: under command, 2. vessels restricted in ability to maneuver, 3. vessels
: engaged in fishing, 4. sailing vessels (sails up-no engine power,
: otherwise not a sailing vessel at that time!), 5. power vessels. There are
: clarifications to these rules and exceptions in narrow channels etc., but
: my point is that many kayakers, like sail boaters believe for some reason
: that they have right of way over others, and this is dangerous.To add to that there's the law of gross tonnage: The rule clearly states that when a vessel weighs more than your vessel, the vessel with the greatest amount of tonnage or gross tonnage has right of way over you. Granted this is an unwritten rule, but an invaluable one that served us well in the navy.
What I usually tell other kayakers is this: the other guy has right of way over you, so stay out of his way and avoid where he goes, and can go, that way there's never a conflict. Now you and I both know there is and will be exceptions to this rule. However, for the paddler this isn't a bad mentality, and it's the one I use when I'm out there in my kayak. That way I just stay out of everybody's way by going where they can't go and there's minimal chance for a problem and I don't compromise my safety, or that of my group.
: I'm always happy to answer rules questions, and if I don't know the answer
: directly I'll find it. Last summer I had a Coast Guard ship captain on my
: water taxi as a customer. She laughed when she saw my cheat sheet for nav
: rules, and said she had the exact same one on the bridge of her ship!
: There is a lot to know and no one "who has a life" can remember
: all of it!
: Capt. M. HamiltonI do the same thing on the sail-boat and even on my kayak. Though it's not required I even carry a copy of the rules of the road when kayaking. My original home is a small town in Florida and when I go home and put my kayak in the boat ramp is right nect to a small coast guard station. Anyway one day I was throuwing my kayak back on the roof of my ride when some of the coasties came over just to shoot the breeze and chack out my kayak. Well my copy of the rules of the road fell out these guys were pretty impressed. Anyway I then had to rub it in their faces that I was a Navy man and I don't do things half assed like the Coast Guard. Anyway they got a kick out of it and so did I.
Peace and happy holidays
Jerry
| |
Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board is maintained by Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks with WebBBS 5.12.
|
Kayaking Technique |
|
|
|
