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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 36 Number 1
September 2008
Fog danger: Take steps to avoid collisions
Perhaps not surprisingly given this summer’s weather, several members of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Portland, ME recently asked me to use FISH SAFE to talk about the potential for serious collisions in rain and fog, especially in areas where large commercial shipping vessels are present.
Large vessels typically keep a good watch but often cannot see a small boat visually or on radar. And even if the watchstander does spot a boat in his path, a large vessel is unable to slow or alter its course within a short distance. That means it’s up to small boats to stay well away from large shipping vessels.
In a phone interview, Pilot Skip Strong of the Penobscot Bay and River Pilots Association observed that fishing boat captains are much more aware of the dangers than they were 10 years ago.
He emphasized, however, that it is extremely important that small vessels constantly monitor VHF Channels 16 and 13 and, equally important, respond via those channels to every radio transmission by a commercial shipping vessel announcing its presence. This response ensures the pilot of a large vessel that the smaller boat operator knows the big boat is there, where it’s going, and will stay well clear.
Large vessel radar effectively picks up “targets” within a six-mile range. However, if small boats, especially nonmetallic boats, want to be sure they are seen on the large vessel radar, they should carry radar reflectors whether or not they’re required to. Boats also should be equipped with navigation lights, and they should be turned on during periods of low visibility.
Big boat rules
In addition to announcing their presence on VHF Channel 16 and expecting a response from smaller vessels on Channels 16 and 13 regarding their routes, captains of these large vessels are required to check their radar and, most importantly, comply with Coast Guard-assigned transit routes or lanes.
The Penobscot Bay and River Pilots Association web site provides excellent information on lanes and features a chart of the shipping lanes for Penobscot Bay and surrounding waters. The chart is the result of a joint effort by fishermen, shippers, the Coast Guard, and others and is a model for safe passage that other coastal regions could replicate.
According to the chart, one route crosses inside of Monhegan Island, continues to Two Bush Channel, turns north, and proceeds to cross the ferry routes coming out of Rockland, then splits into east and west routes along either side of Isleboro.
It is extremely important that small boat captains know the location of the assigned shipping lanes in their fishing area and stay well away from traffic in those lanes.
Shipping lanes
Shipping lane information is available for computer download or printout on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey web site at <http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov>.
“Coast Pilot 1” covers the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and part of Massachusetts, from West Quoddy Head, ME to Provincetown, MA.
“Coast Pilot 2” covers the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod, MA to Sandy Hook, NJ encompassing part of the Massachusetts coast and all of the coasts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.
“Coast Pilot 3” covers the area from Sandy Hook south to the Chesapeake Bay, and “Coast Pilot 4” covers the coast from Cape Henry, VA to Key West, FL.
The first three volumes were updated in 2008. Staying current with lane updates is critical. In the Boston area, for example, the lanes were shifted last year in order to protect right whales.
Finally, large vessels are expected to sound a “danger” signal of five or more short blasts to warn other vessels to stay clear of their lane. In rain and fog conditions, keep an ear out but be aware that this signal is only used when vessels are in sight of each other. n
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