An increase in large-ship traffic in the Chesapeake has prompted the Maryland Sea Grant Program to publish a comprehensive brochure offering practical advice on collision avoidance for mariners navigating on the bay. The six-page brochure discusses some of the operating limitations large vessels face when they are restricted in their ability to maneuver, traveling at slow speeds, reversing engines, etc.
The brochure lists a number of things the prudent mariner can do to avoid collisions and provides a short collision-avoidance checklist. There is also a handy lighting diagram for identifying ships and tow configurations in the bay. For follow-up study, they have compiled a list of reference publications and websites.
The brochure is available free from the Maryland Sea Grant Program, Publication Number UM-SG-PI-2002-01 and also available on the Web at www.mdsg.umd.edu/CB/keepclear.html.
