SMALL BOAT CHANNEL
The Small Boat Channel (SBC) on the western side of the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour is only 50m wide and all vessels under 20m LOA are obliged to use it. We were entering the harbour on a very busy summer’s afternoon with the usual swarm of yachts returning after a weekend away, and a few other vessels making a dash out of the harbour to catch the first of the west-going tide in the Solent.
One of these was a bright yellow 9m fishing vessel. As soon as she was past the watchful eyes of the Harbour Patrol, she started making small alterations of course to port in order, it seemed, to cut across the main channel to the east – well before No4 Bar buoy which marks the southern limit of the SBC and which must be left to port. We were comfortably on the starboard
(eastern) side of the
SBC but the Colregs required us to alter course to starboard to keep the FV on our port bow. She continued to alter to port; we continued to alter to starboard. Eventually, by the time we were outside the SBC and therefore in the Main Approach Channel, I decided to turn to port and leave the FV on my starboard side. In the circumstances, it was a perfectly safe manoeuvre as I knew I could turn very much more quickly than the FV – even if she had decided to do so – and a turn to starboard would have taken me even further into the Approach Channel. However, did I contravene Rule 14 (headon situation)? Yes. Did I contravene Rule 17(c) (don’t alter to port for a vessel on your port side)? Yes. Was there imminent risk of collision (Rule 17(b))? No. So how can I justify my actions? See Rule 2. I believe that both parts of the rule were applicable.