Collision avoidance action
In general, early and positive action should always be taken when avoiding collisions, and once action has been taken, the OOW should always check to make sure that the action taken is having the desired effect.
VHF radio should not be used for collision avoidance purposes. Valuable time can be wasted attempting to make contact, since positive identification may be difficult, and once contact has been made misunderstandings may arise.
Collision avoidance detection
In clear weather, the risk of collision can be detected early by taking frequent compass bearings of an approaching vessel to ascertain whether or not the bearing is steady and the vessel is on a collision course. Care however must be taken when approaching very large ships, ships under tow or ships at close range. An appreciable bearing change may be evident under these circumstances but in fact a risk of collision may still remain.
In restricted visibility, conduct of vessels is specifically covered by the COLREGS. In these conditions, radar and in particular electronic radar plotting can be effectively used for assessing risk of collision. The OOW should take the opportunity to carry out radar practice in clear visibility, whenever it is possible.
Recording bridge activities
It is important that a proper, formal record of navigational activities and incidents, which are of importance to safety of navigation, is kept in appropriate logbooks.
Paper records from course recorders, echo sounders, NAVTEX receivers etc. should also be retained at least for the duration of the voyage, suitably date and time marked if practicable.
In order to allow the ship's actual track to be reconstructed at a later stage, sufficient information concerning position, course and speed should be recorded in the bridge logbook or using approved electronic means. All positions marked on the navigational charts also need to be retained until the end of the voyage.
Periodic checks on navigational equipment
Operational checks on navigational equipment should be undertaken when preparing for sea and prior to port entry.
