Page 25 - Case Book 2017 - 2020 April 18

close-hauled boat that is on the opposite tack. Rule 10 does not respond, the hailing boat can repeat her hail if
alone governs such a situation. time permits, or avoid the obstruction and protest.

RYA 2014/4 CASE 101
The test to determine whether a boat establishing an When a boat with right of way is required to give
inside overlap at a continuing obstruction is entitled to another boat room for a manoeuvre, right of way does
room requires the position of the outside boat to be not transfer to the boat entitled to room. When, in reply
frozen, but the positions of other boats in the vicinity to her call for room to tack when approaching an
are not frozen and must be moved forward in their same obstruction, a boat is hailed ‘You tack’, and when she
relative positions. does so and is then able to tack again to keep clear in a
seamanlike way, the other boat has given the room
RYA 2017/1 required.
At a mark laid adjacent to a continuing obstruction, the
obligation of outside boats to give room to pass the CASE 113
An explanation of the application of rule 20 when three
continuing obstruction continues to apply. There is no boats sailing close-hauled on the same tack are
requirement for boats to give mark-room to inside boats approaching an obstruction and the leeward-most boat
at the mark, who may only pass the mark on the hails for room to tack, but cannot tack unless both boats
required side while giving room for the continuing to windward of her tack.
obstruction and, if windward boats, keeping clear.
RYA 2016/1
Rule 20, Room to Tack at an Obstruction When a boat hails for room to tack and she is neither

CASE 3 approaching an obstruction nor sailing close-hauled or
A leeward port-tack boat, hailing for room to tack when above, she breaks rule 20.1. The hailed boat is
faced with an oncoming starboard-tack boat, an required to respond even if the hail breaks rule 20.1.
obstruction, is not required to anticipate that the
windward boat will fail to comply with her obligation to RYA 2016/2
tack promptly or otherwise provide room. A boat that hails for room to tack at an obstruction must
give the hailed boat sufficient time to respond before
CASE 10 tacking herself. The hailing boat is entitled to hail as
If a boat hails for room to tack when she is neither soon as safety requires her to act under rule 20.
approaching an obstruction nor sailing close-hauled or The hail must make the requirement clear and be as
above, she breaks rule 20.1. The hailed boat is required loud as necessary to be heard under the prevailing
to respond even if the hail breaks rule 20.1. conditions and should, if necessary, include additional
signals. If the hailed boat does not respond, the hailing
CASE 11 boat should repeat her hail. The lack of a response
When boats are overlapped at an obstruction, including from the hailed boat does not require the hailing boat to
an obstruction that is a right-of-way boat, the outside hold her course.
boat must give the inside boat room to pass between her
and the obstruction.
Rule 20.1, Room to Tack at an
CASE 33 Obstruction: Hailing
When a boat approaching an obstruction hails for room
to tack, but does so before the time when she needs to RYA 1973/5
begin the process described in rule 20 to avoid the A boat that hails for room to tack at an obstruction must
obstruction safely, she breaks rule 20.1(a). However, herself tack as soon possible. Hailing when safety does
even if the hail breaks rule 20.1(a), the hailed boat must not require a substantial course change breaks rule
respond. An inside overlapped boat is entitled to room 20.1. Not then tacking as soon as possible after the
between the outside boat and an obstruction under rule hailed boat tacks breaks rule 20.2(d).
19.2(b) even though she has tacked into the inside
overlapping position. RYA 1974/5
When a close-hauled port-tack boat needs to make a
CASE 35 substantial change of course to avoid an obstruction in
When a boat is hailed for room to tack at an obstruction the form of a close-hauled starboard-tack boat, she is
and replies ‘You tack’, and the hailing boat is then able entitled to hail a boat on the same tack as her, to
to tack and avoid the hailed boat in a seamanlike way, windward or clear astern, for room to tack, even though
the hailed boat has complied with rule 20.2(c). she has an alternative means of escape by bearing
away.
CASE 54
A boat is entitled to hail for room to tack at the time RYA 1984/11
when she needs to begin the process described in rule At an obstruction, a close-hauled boat is not entitled to
20 to avoid the obstruction safely. A boat that hails room under either rule 19 or rule 20 from another
must give the hailed boat sufficient time to respond close-hauled boat that is on the opposite tack. Rule 10
before tacking herself. The hail must clearly convey the alone governs such a situation.
hailing boat’s need to tack and be sufficiently loud to be
heard in the prevailing conditions. If the hailed boat
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