I have the right of way… or do I?

As a kid growing up around boats I learned that the marine environment can be a wonderful and rewarding world in which to work and play.

Equally though, I learned that it can be harsh and unforgiving. I recall with vivid memory a very sad case of a fatal boating accident in Long Island Sound over 25 years ago that involved a large commercial ship and a small recreational vessel. Due to the disparity in size between the two vessels, everyone went home from the larger commercial vessel; two people from the smaller recreational boat did not. Three decades later I still think that leaving some distance between those vessels may have saved two lives.

Since boats can navigate virtually anywhere, provided there is enough water to float the boat, international and domestic navigation regulations were developed to organize "rules of the road" to help mariners safely negotiate traffic as well as better identify vessels both during the day and night. I offer, though, that there are other considerations-beyond the rules of the road-to assess situations involving ships, tugs, barges and other large commercial craft.

Going back to my youth, I picture my father at the helm of our 23-foot boat trying to calm my frantic mother by explaining that the big ship in front of us was required to get out of our path as we were under sail, availing us the right of way, assuring our safe passage. Well...not exactly.

Only in some cases do sailing and fishing vessels have the right of way over deep draft vessels. If a ship is in a narrow channel or otherwise constrained by its draft, for example, all bets are off for smaller vessels.

I'd like to offer other practical observations. Periodically, again as a kid, I would also hear that the crew of nearby ships had radar and that they had been monitoring us for an hour or more. Yes, ships closely monitor radar-but lower-profile boats, especially those made of fiberglass and wood don't appear on radar as well as larger boats made of denser materials.

Another consideration is eye-to-eye visibility of vessels underway, especially container ships and tankers. While ships vary, the aft house configuration on most modern ships creates a blind spot in front of the bow. In some cases, the blind spot can extend one-third of a mile directly in front of the ship. Crossing a deep draft ship's path, could take a boat into the ship's blind spot. Often this can be done without incident but not without first causing significant concern of the ship's pilot and bridge watch. As a boat disappears into the blind spot, the bridge watch is thinking, "We can't see the boat!"

Why does this matter? It's all in the physics. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Big ships are designed to carry big heavy loads, generally speaking, in a fairly straight line. While they can maneuver, they aren't as nimble as small boats. Let's take a tanker of 650 feet operating at a modest six knots coming into port. Because of its incredible size and momentum, it could require up to two miles to completely stop using emergency full astern propulsion. How about an evasive maneuver? If there is adequate sea room, which is doubtful for most ships entering a port, this same tanker could need a half-mile to complete a full 90-degree turn. Add darkness, bad weather or poor visibility and it doesn't take long to figure out this can be a losing proposition for the small boat.

Finally, communication is a quick and easy way to stay safe. If you were on my family boat in 1981, however, communication would not have been an option, as we didn't have a VHF radio. Operating a boat without a VHF radio is simply a bad idea. Early and effective communication will assure safe passage in most traffic situations. Deep draft ships monitor VHF channel 13 for Bridge-to-Bridge communication and make regular securité calls to advise other vessels of their presence. Most ships' crews will be happy to make passing arrangements over the radio.

Boating and commercial fishing are valuable and enriching segments of life on the coast. Understanding the risks and realizing the capabilities of the ships and commercial vessels will help ensure fun and safe boating and will continue to assure financial security for our fishermen. The commercial shipping industry is safer now than ever. Rigorous ship engineering and design standards, state of the art technology, and demanding international professional licensing requirements contribute to a strong safety record. Keeping our waterways safe and productive, however, requires everyone's cooperation. My advice is to stay safe by giving our commercial operators a wide berth; there's plenty of ocean for all of us.

Commander Brian J. Downey Jr. is the deputy sector commander, Sector Northern New England, for the United States Coast Guard