NYCkayaker Kayak safety meeting with NY Waterway

[Fischbein, Mike S (US SSA)]

See comments inline.

Thanks,

mike

__
Mike Fischbein - 703-668-4598 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nyckayaker-bounces at rockandwater.net [mailto:nyckayaker-
> bounces at rockandwater.net] On Behalf Of Geoff K.
> Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 13:19


> Is there some acceptable whistle pattern that kayakers may use when
> navigating around ferries, both docked and on the move

Look at the Rules of the Nautical Road for whistle signals.  Odds are
the ferries won't signal to you first, since very few kayakers know the
signals.  But you can signal to them.  I do recall one time when I was
able to make the "my engines are going astern" signal to the combined
amusement and relief of a Circle Line bridge crew.

> I would defer to the working boats' knowledge and opinion on this
> question. If there are some system of signals that already exist, I'd
be
> happy to use my whistle for signaling. 

> Rules of the road are just that, but we all need to understand what
they
> are before we can use them consistently.

Note that the COLREGS, aka "Rules of the Nautical Road," aka "Convention
on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea," are
not just common practice, but are the internationally agreed upon
"traffic laws" governing ship operations.  You can download the 229 page
handbook, including both International and US Inland rules, from the
USCG at <http://www.uscg.mil/vtm/navrules/navrules.pdf>.  I advise doing
a web search and finding one of the much smaller, easier to use
summaries unless you really want all the detail.