Chichester Yacht Club Magazine January 2019 | Page 21

Chichester Harbour Local Notice to Mariners
No. 5 of 2018
“ Notice is hereby given that all vessels,
including leisure vessels, are strongly advised
not to depart their berths if visibility is less than
one cable (0.1nm / 185.2m).
Vessels may proceed at the Master’s discretion
but are advised to do so with extreme caution,
taking into account the tidal conditions, other
traffic in the vicinity, how their vessel may
appear to other traffic and the availability of
suitable aids to navigation including operational
radar.
19. It’s not a particularly long or complicated
rule, but when the visibility closes in, it
completely replaces all others and means that
all the usual stuff about power giving way to
sail, overtaking boats keeping clear, giving way
to vessels approaching from your starboard
side and such like does not apply.
In particular, it is important to appreciate that
there is no such thing as a “stand-on” vessel in
fog.
Finally, as we’ve also all seen recently, the
incidents in poor visibility can extend to vessels
on a swinging mooring and at anchor too! Until
recently, all vessels over 12 metres in length
were required to carry a bell. In reality, and
regardless of the rules, relatively few small craft
ever did so, so in 2003 the lower limit was
Small boats are to avoid the possibility of
extended to 20 metres. This means that all
hampering larger vessels, which are navigating vessels under 20 metres long are exempt from
with the use of radar, and can only operate
bell-ringing in fog, but they must make “some
safely within the confines of the channel.
other efficient sound signal” instead.
When operating in restricted visibility vessels
must proceed at a safe speed, sound
Perhaps it’s worth keeping your New Year’s
appropriate fog signals and display navigational Eve party horn handy........wishing you all a
lights
Happy New Year
”
Probably following a number of
incidents involving ferries in poor
visibility, Lymington Harbour has
recently joined Cowes and the
other major Solent harbours in
issuing LNTMs to cover vessel
movements in restricted visibility.
As expected the onus on whether
it is safe to proceed rests with the
Master’s discretion and their
boat’s crew and equipment.
The third and final section of the
Steering and Sailing rules is
made up of just one rule: Rule
21