How safe are small vessels if large vessel don 't keep a decent watch.


http://www.maritimepropulsion.com/news/the-human-aspect-the-499922#%2EV8AqrZMpCtA%2Elinkedin

Based on my experience I can 't agree.

I have given up counting the amount of times I have had to make a collision avoidance maneuver.

Normally I sail a steel ketch that is always spotted from far off on a radar. My VHF gives a strong and clear signal, but often gets no reply to from commercial vessels on a collision course.

SOLAS already requires commercial ships to have Radar and AIS and manned watches. I recently had a captain of a commercial vessel for dinner and he confirmed that actually although regulations require that Radar and VHF be turned on and monitored, since the advent of AIS OOW rely nearly exclusively on AIS. For unless small boats have AIS the risk of collision is actually higher than before. I remember the days when OOW actually kept a visual look out, but then that was last century.

Regarding insurance claims , if I get hit by a container ship they will probably not be aware of the collision and the chances are that I ll either sink and if not, will not be able to establish a successful claim from their insurance company.

Recently I read a notice to mariners issued by an authority in the US, stating that they were no longer required to carry paper charts, which is frankly shocking. I must find it and post it here.

Since the advent of GPS, the numbers going to sea in small vessels has increased enormously and as world trade expands commercial traffic is also increasing. I have been shocked at the lack of understanding of some of these small boat skippers. Indeed I recall when asking a skipper why did he hit the reef, his reply was because it was not on the chart plotter.

This link is some interesting reading
https://www.shipinsight.com/knowledge-base/what-solas-requires-and-permits/


I argue that with increased traffic out there there is a stronger argument for proper watch keeping by that I mean keeping a regular look out as a central part of our watch keeping systems. And I think it would be wonderful if commercial captains were required to do at least one ocean passage in a small craft and that small craft captains were required to make an ocean passage as a petty officer on a large commercial vessel.