Collision Case Study - Fishing in a Traffic Separation Scheme?

Introduction

North’s loss prevention guide Collisions: How to Avoid Them includes a series of collision case studies intended to generate discussion about the International Regulations for preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). Further case studies are published in Signals from time to time and here is the latest of them. Each case study is set out as simply as possible, with the minimum information necessary to describe a developing situation. The case studies ask a number of questions but answers are not provided. The case studies are intended to promote wide-ranging discussions about collision avoidance.

Scenario

You are the Master of the ‘blue ship’ heading south west down a busy Traffic Separating Scheme.  On your port bow a ‘red fishing vessel’ is steering north west to cross the Traffic Separation Scheme.  It is proceeding very slowly and is showing the shapes and lights of a trawler.

Questions

You are the Master of the ‘blue ship’:

1. Is the fishing vessel complying with COLREGs?

2. Who has right of way?

3. What should you do?

4. What should the fishing vessel do?

Further Information

Members can obtain electronic versions of North’s loss prevention guide Collisions: How to Avoid Them by emailing: loss.prevention@nepia.com

To obtain hard copies of North’s guides, please download the loss prevention order form from our website: www.nepia.com/lp-publications