2017 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 25-33
Navigational equipment is used to render accurate numerical data to Officers on Watch (OOW) so that they can maneuver well and navigate vessels safely. However, from the aspect of OOW, sometimes the large amounts of information and data generated by navigational equipment can be difficult to understand. COLREGS aren't always as useful as they need to be; they are collision avoidance rules that lack technical advice, which can occasionally cause problems for OOW during navigation. For example, COLREGS Rule 19 is generally defined as “Conduct of vessels in restricted visibility”. However, COLREGS do not provide any numerical standard for restricted visibility conditions that are necessary for the OOW, such as the specified values or numbers for vessel maneuvering. A brief summary of missing information from the COLREGS is as follows: ① Vessel size creates different time lags of reaction between ships or vessels after a “risk of collision” has been identified, ② The confusion of applying Rule 18 or Rule 19, ③ The failure to clarify current visibility as good or poor; and ④ Over-reliance on the information and data generated by navigational equipment. These four interconnected factors contribute to collision accidents under restricted visibility conditions. After an introduction to the legal background in this paper, the authors will further analyze the data collection from real collision cases, and finally conclude with some proposals to solve the problems outlined, as well as the directions for future research.
