I don't think that's how that's supposed to work
Seems stupid on both boats parts. Neither thought of how they get out in the future.
The lighter sailing vessel did nothing wrong as near as I can tell. The larger commercial vessel on the other hand should have had either a local pilot or a local tug there to maneuver it to the dock rather than using its main engines.
I could be wrong as the heat commercial stuff wasn’t really my field of expertise but maybe @weergang can chime in and confirm or dispute my understanding here?
@rockyp77mk3 are you very familiar with rules of the road in navigable waterways?
@salt-n-tigers Not really. But you make a good argument from logic. There is a trained bridge officer @aber-flyingtiger who is on here once in a while. If he checks in he could tell us chapter and verse.
Well, there is a technical term used by professional mariners for this situation. It’s called a cock-up.
Regarding the rules, the sailing vessel was alongside and thus not underway. She therefore has no responsibility under the COLREGs.
As for the merchantman, she might well have had a pilot on board (I didn’t get a good look at her signal flags), or alternately her Master may have a PEC (Pilotage Exemption Certificate), which as the name suggests would mean a pilot is not required. Not all ports allow PECs but for those that do, they are issued to the Masters of ships which regularly call at that port and usually involve the Master or other deck officers being assessed on their local knowledge by a local pilot.
I wouldn’t expect a small coaster like this to take a tug for this sort of berthing scenario (she probably has a bow thruster), but different ports have different rules and there may have been a requirement for one here. This size of vessel is a regular sight in my port and they never take tugs unless forced to.
