A yacht, a trawler and you
Responsibilities between vessels. Advanced level, about 4 min. COLREGs Rule 18.
The situation
You are under power, heading north. Solstice, a yacht under sail alone, is crossing from your port side. Harvest, a trawler with her gear down, is crossing slowly from your starboard side. Their tracks meet ahead of you, close to yours.
What do you do?
- Alter boldly to starboard, well astern of the trawler: Swing right round behind Harvest and her gear.
- Stand on: the yacht is on your port side: Leave it to Solstice to keep clear.
- Ease a little to starboard: Just enough to pass behind the trawler.
Lookout: Rule 18 sets an order: a power-driven vessel keeps out of the way of sailing and fishing vessels, and a sailing vessel keeps out of the way of a vessel engaged in fishing.
Each vessel’s duty
Solstice: Keep out of the trawler’s way, stand on for you
Under Rule 18(b) a sailing vessel keeps out of the way of a vessel engaged in fishing. Towards you, a power-driven vessel, she is the stand-on vessel.
Harvest: Keep her course and speed
Both of you keep out of the way of a vessel engaged in fishing, so Harvest is the stand-on vessel towards both and keeps her course and speed. She still keeps a lookout and acts if collision cannot otherwise be avoided.
Your sound action
Alter boldly to starboard, well astern of the trawler
As a power-driven vessel you keep out of the way of both a sailing vessel and a vessel engaged in fishing. A bold starboard alteration takes you far astern of Harvest and her trawl, and away from Solstice, who turns to port to keep clear of Harvest.
Why the other options fall short
Stand on: the yacht is on your port side
The crossing rule applies only between two power-driven vessels. A yacht under sail has you as the give-way vessel whichever side she comes from, and the trawler does too.
Ease a little to starboard
A small alteration takes you close astern of a trawler, right where her gear is towed, and is too small for either vessel to read as giving way. Keep well clear of both, with an alteration nobody can miss.
Rule 18 · Responsibilities between vessels
A power-driven vessel keeps out of the way of vessels not under command, restricted in their ability to manoeuvre, engaged in fishing, and sailing. A sailing vessel keeps out of the way of the first three. A vessel engaged in fishing keeps out of the way of the first two, so far as possible.