Page 116 - Collision Avoidance Rules Guide

c. interaction between either vessel and the bank causing her to
sheer towards or away from the bank, again leading to collision or
grounding.
The judge accepted this advice and found the Ore Chiefnegligent
in overtaking where she did.

RULE 14
Head-on Situation

(a) When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or
nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision
each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall
pass on the port side of the other.
(b) Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees
the other ahead or nearly ahead and by night she could see
the masthead lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line
and/or both sidelights and by day she observes the corre-
sponding aspect of the other vessel.
(c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation
exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.

COMMENT:
Rule 14 is based on Rule 18 of the 1960 Regulations. It differs from
the other Rules in Section I1 in placing equal responsibility for keep-
ing out of the way on each of the two vessels involved and in stating,
specifically, what action should be taken by each vessel. It applies
only to power-driven vessels.

Application
Rule 18 of the 1960 Regulations contained three sentences specifying,
at what many people considered to be unnecessary length, the par-
ticular circumstances in which the Rule was to apply. Court decisions
were generally to the effect that only vessels whose courses were
within about 6" of being opposite (2 180") could be considered as
meeting end on or nearly end on. Rule 14 of the 1972 Regulations is
more concise and less limited in its application.
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