Boating Courses; Basic Seamanship; Visual Obstructions; Meeting Situations - Chris-Craft 2015 21 Carina Owner's Manual

Boating Courses

Operating a boat requires a greater skill than operating a car or truck. To enjoy a pleasurable and safe
boating experience you must acquire these skills.
Some recommendations are:
1. Take a Coast Guard, United States Power Squadron boating safety course.
For information go to:
2. Take a boating safety course offered by local colleges or boating clubs.
3. Obtain "hands-on" training from qualified personnel on how to operate your vessel.
Boating courses help you to gain knowledge and experience in such areas as, but is not limited to:
navigation, seamanship, rules of the road, weather, safety at sea, survival, first aid, communications,
and pollution control.

Basic Seamanship

As the owner/operator it is your responsibility to learn the "rules-of-the-road" and understand
basic seamanship rules and standards, as only rudimentary information is repeated here.
In practical terms boats that are less maneuverable have the right-of-way over more agile vessels. In
general a power-driven vessel must give way to the following:
1. A sailing vessel under sail only (engines not running).
2. When the sailboat is under engine power, it is considered a power-driven vessel.
3. Vessels propelled by oars or paddles.
4. A commercial fishing vessel engaged in fishing.
5. This does not apply to sport fishers or party boats.
6. Vessels with restricted maneuverability, such as:
a. Tow boats.
b. A vessel engaged in dredging activities or work that restricts it to a specific area.
c. A vessel engaged in the transfer of supplies from one vessel to another.
d. A vessel not under command, broken down.

Visual Obstructions

When piloting the boat, the operators vision may be obstructed by high trim angles and the sea state.
Other factors that can affect operator vision include, but may not be limited to:
1. Acceleration
2. Darkness
3. Fog
4. Interior Lights
5. Load Distribution

Meeting Situations

When meeting in various situations the give-way vessel must take action to avoid a collision and
maintain a safe distance. The stand-on vessel should maintain course and speed.
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Safety And Operations Safety And Operations
http://www.usps.org/
1.
6. Obstruction in Field of Vision
7. Propulsion-Engine Trim Angles
8. Rain and Weather
9. Speed
10. Obstruction in Field of Vision
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