Engines on

Engines on
Posted 2015, Jul 27 23:22
So what if your engine is on but not engaged in gear? Are you still a sailboat or a powerboat? BTW this is really Grant @ NauticEd. Testing this out but also posing a legitimate question. What does everyone think?
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Reply 2015, Jul 27 23:35
Well - engines are on and they are being used so if I wanted to keep myself out of court. I'd just stay out of the way if I had my engines on.
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Reply 2015, Sep 14 01:19
Rule 3c : The term “sailing vessel” means any vessel under sail provided that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used. Interpretation : A sailing vessel is a ship whose propulsion is provided only by its sails. Its displacement is determined by the strength and direction of the wind. These are all sailing vessels, including sailboard. The word machinery does not necessarily imply the propeller, which is the case of a sailboat whose engine is fitted with a clutch. Thus the engine can turn to neutral while the propeller is not engaged and that the sailboat is moving and running under sails only. When the propulsion machinery is running and the propeller is engaged, a sailing ship becomes a power-driven vessel. A sailing vessel at anchor is not under sail and propelling machine is not engaged. Under the Regulation, it is considered a power-driven vessel.
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Reply 2018, Dec 25 11:27
Nope. Its a sailboat. Lets clear the fog a bit by using a boat with an electric motor instead of a diesel motor. According to many of you here, it then would always be a power boat because the motor is "always on"? Or perhaps only when it has a generator onboard running? What if they are using the little Honda to recharge their batteries while under sail, is the Honda powering the motor or the cabin? Don't be ridiculous. The equipment in question is NOT the motor, but rather the propeller / jet / paddlewheel / surface drive / caterpillar drive that transfers the energy to the water. As described in the question, you have an engine onboard the vessel running, but NOT your propelling machinery. Even if there were a collision, and preceding said collision I did engage my engine (presumably reverse), I would be confident defending myself in a court of law using Rule 17 (b) as I took "such action as would best avoid collision". Of course this is predicated on the assumption that I had turned my vessel to minimize the impact as best as able, had been calling on the radio, blowing my horn, yelling, screaming, and waving my arms, in short used ALL available means to avoid collision, all prior to the impact.
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Reply 2018, Dec 25 11:50
@Michel Boivin Quebec city (Quebec), QC, Canada "A sailing vessel at anchor is not under sail and propelling machine is not engaged. Under the Regulation, it is considered a power-driven vessel." No, it's not. I don't see anything remotely similar to that in the regs. I assume you are talking about rule 18 here, in which case, a vessel at anchor is not required to give way to a sail boat or any other vessel, whether or not it's engine's running. An anchored vessel does have responsibilities, for example it is required to exhibit appropriate lights or shapes, and it is prohibited from blocking traffic, but under no circumstances is a barge at anchor considered a power-driven vessel.
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Reply 2019, Sep 10 01:08
I believe you are a power boat
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Reply 2019, Sep 10 01:49
I'm not sure where the confusion is: the definition is pretty cut and dry! "Rule 3 (General definitions) (b) The term "power-driven vessel" means any vessel propelled by machinery." You can have all the machinery in the world running, if it's not propelling the vessel, its not a power driven vessel. Grant is right in saying this will still end up before a court, since if you have a collision, you will still need to prove that you did your duty under rule 2. And since your engine was running, it will be hard to prove that you did not "neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case." If your engine is already running, powering the water maker, washer/dryer, scuba tanks, air con, and whatever else, (none of which are propulsive), then the expectation would be for you to shift your boat into gear and avoid the collision, or give good reason in a court of law why you were unable.
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