[Airwaves]

You are partially right about the civil aspect of the COLREGs however penalties do exist if Marine Patrol chooses to enforce them. As far as the rules not being able to be used to regulate velocity? Rule 6 specifically deals with speed.

"Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.

In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among those taken into account:

(a) By all vessels:

The state of visibility;
The traffic density including concentrations of fishing vessels or any other vessels;
The manageability of the vessel with special reference to stopping distance and turning ability in the prevailing conditions;
At night, the presence of background light such as from shore lights or from back scatter from her own lights;
The state of wind, sea and current, and the proximity of navigational hazards;
The draft in relation to the available depth of water."

so while there are no posted speed limits, if someone is doing 25 miles an hour, at
night, in the fog, a marine law enforcement officer could rightfully determine the vessel
is being operated at a speed that is unsafe in violation of rule 6.


First the civil penalties:

"VIOLATIONS OF INLAND NAVIGATION RULES AND REGULATIONS (33 U.S.C. 2072)
Whoever operates a vessel in violation of this Chapter, or of any regulation issued thereunder, or in violation of a certificate of alternative compliance issued under Rule 1 is liable to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each violation.
Every vessel subject to this Chapter, other than a public vessel being used for noncommercial purposes, that is operated in violation of this Chapter, or of any regulation issued thereunder, or in violation of a certificate of alternative compliance issued under Rule 1 is liable to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each violation, for which penalty the vessel may be seized and proceeded against in the district court of the United States of any district within which the vessel may be found.
The Secretary may assess any civil penalty authorized by this section. No such penalty may be assessed until the person charged, or the owner of the vessel charged, as appropriate, shall have December 19, 2005 d an opportunity for a hearing. For good cause shown, the Secretary may remit, mitigate, or compromise any penalty assessed. Upon the failure of the person charged, or the owner of the vessel charged, to pay an assessed penalty, as it may have been mitigated or compromised, the Secretary may request the Attorney General to commence an action in the appropriate district court of the United States for collection of the penalty as assessed, without regard to the amount involved, together with such other relief as may be appropriate.

If any owner, operator, or individual in charge of a vessel is liable for a penalty under this section, or if reasonable cause exists to believe that the owner, operator, or individual in charge may be subject to a penalty under this section, the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the request of the Secretary, shall with respect to such vessel refuse or revoke any clearance required by section 4197 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (46 App. U.S.C. 91).
Clearance or a permit refused or revoked under this subsection may be granted upon filing of a bond or other surety satisfactory to the Secretary."

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Now, there are also criminal penalties for what are deemed negligent operation
they are:

"2301 Application

This chapter applies to a vessel operated on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and, for a vessel owned in the United States, on the high seas.

§ 2302 Penalties for negligent operations

A person operating a vessel in a negligent manner that endangers the life, limb, or property of a person is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000.
A person operating a vessel in a grossly negligent manner that endangers the life, limb, or property of a person shall be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
An individual who is under the influence of alcohol, or a dangerous drug in violation of a law of the United States when operating a vessel, as determined under standards prescribed by the Secretary by regulation-
is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for a first violation and not more than $5,000 for a subsequent violation; or
commits a class A misdemeanor.
For a penalty imposed under this section, the vessel also is liable in rem unless the vessel is-
owned by a State or a political subdivision of a State;
operated principally for governmental purposes; and (3) identified clearly as a vessel of that State or subdivision."
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So the tools are there if Marine Patrol wants to use them and if they can't enforce the existing law how will they enforce additional regulations?