(a) Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel or the owner, master or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution, which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case.Meaning: There is no escaping the penalty of not following these rules. Everybody is responsible and no excuses are permitted that ‘I forgot’ etc. Also, there are some practices which are followed by seamen which may not be in the rules but they have been said and in use for many years, even these … [Read more...]
Rule 1 – Application
a. These Rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels.Meaning: All ships big or small are to follow the rules as given in Colregs. Small yachts, fishing vessels, and other barges all - as long as they sail on the seas. All waters connected to the high seas which include major rivers, having ports on their banks and which are visited by sea-going vessels. 'High Seas' means open seas, coastal waters or waters far away from land. All bays, and canals which are connected to the seas provided that they are sailed on by … [Read more...]
Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs)
The 1972 Convention was designed to update and replace the Collision Regulations of 1960 which were adopted at the same time as the 1960 SOLAS Convention. Technical provisions The COLREGs include 41 rules divided into Six Sections:Part A - GeneralPart B - Steering and SailingPart C - Lights and ShapesPart D - Sound and Light signalsPart E - ExemptionsPart F - Verification of compliance with the provisions of the ConventionThere are also four Annexes containing technical requirements concerning lights and shapes and their positioning; sound signaling appliances; … [Read more...]