Before I begin, let me be perfectly clear that I am not singling out anybody in particular and I'm not trying to attack anyone, but I'm about to express an opinion that some may not like.

I don't want to believe it, and I'm not happy to say so, but it seems to me that people are trying to excuse poor seamanship by blaming the rules. The argument goes "I can't see other boats, and I can't control mine, so other people should be obligated to avoid me". The fact of the matter is that ALL boats, whether they have right-of-way or not, must avoid contact if reasonably possible. That means everybody must watch out for other boats, and maneuver safely when boats meet.

Let's face it. If you cannot keep a good lookout, or you cannot control your boat, then YOU are the safety problem. No amount of rule changes can correct that.

Regretfully,
Eric