The Gravity of Rule 5
Last April, West Coast sailors, and everyone else, were shocked by the loss of the S/V Aegean and crew in a race from Newport, CA to Ensenada; the second tragedy in as many weeks. The investigative report on the Aegean incident has been released.
The SPOT Connect track ends at 0136 PDT on April 28, 2012, at North Coronado Island....... Aegean hit the Island about 0134 PDT, or about 2 minutes before the last SPOT location transmission
Rule 5 of the Navigation Rules states that "Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out 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."
Had the crew of Aegean not violated that rule, they would probably be alive today. The report from the United States Sailing Association Independent Review Panel corroborates what most everyone was speculating.
R.I.P.
