BajaMike
09-29-2003, 08:44 PM
Does it seem sometimes, even on a big, almost empty lake, that other boaters coming at you practically aim for your boat? In aviation and commercial shipping, pilots and professional captains know that they are on a collision course with another aircraft or ship if the approaching craft stays at a “steady bearing, closing range” over a period of time.
It would be good if all boaters and jet skiers where aware of this simple principle. In other words, if you see a boat approaching in the distance, and heÂ’s at your 11:00 position, and a few minutes later, heÂ’s still at your 11:00 position (steady bearing), but now heÂ’s closer (closing range), you are on a collision coarse. If nether of you change speed or direction, you will probably collide.
On the other hand, if he is now at your 10:00 position, he will pass to your left (port), or if heÂ’s now at your 12:00 position, he will pass to your right (starboard), assuming you both keep the same heading and speed.
If you are on a collision coarse, and still some distance away from the approaching craft, changing your heading 5 or 10 degrees to the right should take you out of the collision course. You should make the change slightly dramatic so the other boater can see the change, so he doesnÂ’t turn the same direction. The closer the distance and the greater the speeds the more dramatic the changes in direction have to be.
On a small, narrow body of water like the Parker Strip, where speeds are high and distances are small, you donÂ’t have minutes, only seconds, to determine if you are on a collision course and take evasive action.
Most of the long time boaters on this site know the above intuitively from years of experience on the water. With all the collisions lately, most involving at least one boat driven by an in-experienced driver, it would be great if the new boaters new this simple rule:
Steady bearing, closing range = collision course.
By the way, it works the same for jet fighters, when attacking enemy aircraft at mach 2, only they are deliberately on a collision course.
Make sense??
:confused:
Mike
It would be good if all boaters and jet skiers where aware of this simple principle. In other words, if you see a boat approaching in the distance, and heÂ’s at your 11:00 position, and a few minutes later, heÂ’s still at your 11:00 position (steady bearing), but now heÂ’s closer (closing range), you are on a collision coarse. If nether of you change speed or direction, you will probably collide.
On the other hand, if he is now at your 10:00 position, he will pass to your left (port), or if heÂ’s now at your 12:00 position, he will pass to your right (starboard), assuming you both keep the same heading and speed.
If you are on a collision coarse, and still some distance away from the approaching craft, changing your heading 5 or 10 degrees to the right should take you out of the collision course. You should make the change slightly dramatic so the other boater can see the change, so he doesnÂ’t turn the same direction. The closer the distance and the greater the speeds the more dramatic the changes in direction have to be.
On a small, narrow body of water like the Parker Strip, where speeds are high and distances are small, you donÂ’t have minutes, only seconds, to determine if you are on a collision course and take evasive action.
Most of the long time boaters on this site know the above intuitively from years of experience on the water. With all the collisions lately, most involving at least one boat driven by an in-experienced driver, it would be great if the new boaters new this simple rule:
Steady bearing, closing range = collision course.
By the way, it works the same for jet fighters, when attacking enemy aircraft at mach 2, only they are deliberately on a collision course.
Make sense??
:confused:
Mike