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Most collisions result from the inability of one vessel to understand the
intentions of another.While crossing the Gulf Stream and heading to the Bahamas you sight a north-
bound tanker traveling at 30 knots. Th e vessel appears to be headed straight for
you! How many minutes do you have to maneuver? Which of the two action
steps must you take to avoid collision?
In Th is Chapter, You’ll Learn How To:
D Track any vessel, day or night, with visual drift bearings
D Avoid collisions using the magic of E.A.S.A. solutions
D Maneuver to safety if you are caught in a ship’s blind spot
D Use three steps to decide when to cross a tug and tow
D Plot fast collision-avoidance solutions using your radar
Th e English Channel maintains a reputation as one of the busiest shipping lanes
on earth. Th e Straits of Florida, which run between the Florida Keys and Cuba, are
a close second. One of the Coast Guard captains I served under stated that every
conning offi cer should experience at least a year in the Straits. He said it was as
close to a baptism under fi re as a pilot would ever experience.
He wasn’t kidding. Piloting a vessel in the Straits is like riding a bicycle on an
expressway. I ended up serving three years there and encountered every situation
imaginable. Our 14-knot buoy tender encountered 20- to 30-knot tankers, cruise
ships, tugs and tows, yachts, and commercial fi shing fl eets. Let’s look at a few of
the best techniques you can use anywhere to avoid collision.
Bearing Drift: A First Sign that Danger Exists
To judge the potential for a collision with another vessel, you need to know the
bearing between your vessel and the other, and whether and how that bearing
changes over time. Take a series of bearings, called drift bearings, to some fi xed
point on the other vessel such as its bow, stern, or—at nighttime—a light.
AVOIDING
COLLISION BY
EYE OR RADAR
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