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Once upon a time, someone on a ship told the chief cook that
his food, though very good always have a little bit of extra salt.
Next day onwards he found the food with absolutely no salt in
it.
Each rule of the COLREGS has specified the exact actions that
need to be taken by each vessel on a collision course.
Instead, we can give the menu of the week to the chief cook
and ask the chief cook to use his common sense to prepare the
food that would taste good.
But there is something more that this line of the rule 2 implies.
You arrive at 6-mile range from this vessel only to find yourself
in this situation.
A situation where there is no room for alteration of course and
avoid the risk of collision with another vessel.
We cannot.
There are few vessels overtaking you from your starboard side
and there is no way you can alter your course to the starboard
side.
VLCC would have a limitation here. She cannot effectively alter
her course.
The departure from the rules is allowed only for a brief period
to avoid the immediate danger.
Conclusion
COLREGS rule 2 (Responsibility) is one of the most important
rules.
It sets the seriousness of the COLREGS compliance and warns
about the consequences for non-compliance.
Rule 2(a) requires that not only we need to comply with the
COLREGS, in doing so we also need to take precautions so that
we do not land in a situation where non-compliance with the
COLREGS is the only way to avoid danger.