Collisions and How to Avoid Them 1 May 2013 Mr. Robert B. Fisher, Jr. (J.D., Tulane University, former U.S. Navy deck officer, partner) Mr. Thomas Forbes (J.D., Boston University, former U.S. Coast Guard legal officer, partner) Chaffe McCall LLP It has been said (in jest) that “a collision at sea can ruin your whole day”. This short paper will attempt to illustrate some navigation basics and is not intended to be a detailed review of the navigation rules. Continuing professional education, company ISM seminars, and training should also play a key role in collision avoidance. The International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (The “COLREGS”) are well-known by any competent navigating offi cer, since a thorough knowledge of these is required before receiving any type of Mate’s license. The Navigation Rules The Rules are divided into four sections: The “General” rules (Rules 1-3), apply to all vessels at all times , and give the defi nitions of terms used throughout the rules. The “Steering and Sailing Rules” for conduct of vessels in any condition of visibility (Rules 4 through 10). “Conduct of Vessels in Sight of One Another ”, includes Rules 11 through 18. In this section are the most basic and commonly-understood “Rules of the Road”, namely, the rules for overtaking (Rule 13), meeting-head-on (Rule 14), and “crossing situations” (Rule 15). Rules 16 and 17 describe the actions to be taken by “give-way” and “stand-on” vessels, while Rule 18 sorts out the priorities of vessel types (e.g. sail, power, fishing, restricted maneuverability, not under command). Finally, Rule 19 describes actions to be taken (or avoided) by vessels in restricted visibility, and the remaining rules (20-37) concern navigation lights, day shapes, and light/whistle signals. The Root Causes of Collisions Almost without exception, seagoing mariners know these rules, yet collisions still happen with some regularity. Why? Experience has shown that the greatest number of collisions ar