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Old 08-13-2010, 10:24 AM   #27
VtSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jrc View Post
While Mr. Morris's opinion is interesting and contains some good general advice, it is far from law or common practice to have dedicated look-out with no other duties on private recreational vessels. Anybody who sails alone violates the letter and spirit of this excerpt, as no sailing boat has an all around view from the steering position.

Is it your opinion that sailing alone is always a violation of Rule 5?
Yes, it probably is a rule violation. If the sailboat cannot keep a proper lookout due to the proximity of the sail and the skipper, and he hits a stationary object, yes, it is a violation. What else would you call it?

Mr. Morris's opinion is based on pure common sense, but seems geared more towards larger vessels where the skipper cannot reasonably be relied on for a lookout. Either way, his logic makes sense if taken in context.
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