Which operators are required to maintain proper lookout?
It is the responsibility of every boat or PWC operator to: Keep a proper lookout. Failing to keep a sharp lookout is the most common cause of collisions.
Who keeps lookout while boating?
vessel operator
There are many distractions on the water. As the vessel operator, it is your responsibility to constantly monitor your surroundings, on all boats at all hours. You should assign another person on board to act as a lookout as well. Make sure no passengers or equipment can impede your line of sight.
Why should a vessel operator keep a proper lookout?
Keep a proper lookout. Failing to keep a sharp lookout is the most common cause of collisions. Every operator must keep a proper lookout, using both sight and hearing, at all times. Watch and listen for other vessels, radio communications, navigational hazards, and others involved in water activities.
What is required to keep a proper lookout while boating?
Rule 5 requires that every vessel “shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.” As boat operator, that’s your responsibility.
What is proper lookout?
The legal obligation on the part of a vessel or motor vehicle operator to keep an ongoing watch of its path and other traffic or obstacles. In the law of motor vehicles (traffic law), the court’s have imposed a common law duty on all drivers to keep their eyes on the road at all times.
Who needs to depart from the navigation rules?
In complying with the navigation rules, operators must consider all dangers of navigation; risk of collisions; and any special conditions, including the limitations of the boats involved. These considerations may make a departure from the navigation rules necessary to avoid immediate danger.