Rule 26: vessels engaged in fishing.

What does COLREGs Rule 26 say?

Rule 26(a): a vessel engaged in fishing shows only the lights and shapes in this rule, underway or at anchor. Rule 26(b): a vessel trawling. Rule 26(c): a vessel fishing other than trawling. Rule 26(d): the additional signals in Annex II for vessels fishing close to each other. Rule 26(e): a fishing vessel not engaged in fishing shows none of them.

Which vessels count as 'engaged in fishing'?

Rule 3(d): only while her nets, lines, trawls or other fishing gear restrict her manoeuvrability; trolling lines, or other gear that leaves her free to manoeuvre, do not count. Rule 26(e) adds that a vessel not engaged in fishing shall not show the fishing lights or shapes, 'but only those prescribed for a vessel of her length'. A trawler on passage to her grounds shows the lights of a power-driven vessel.

Does a vessel fishing at anchor show anchor lights?

No. Rule 26(a) says a vessel engaged in fishing, 'whether underway or at anchor', shows only the lights and shapes in Rule 26. Her sidelights and sternlight are shown only 'when making way through the water' (26(b)(iii) and (c)(iii)), so at anchor she shows the all-round pair, and the gear light if she has one. In restricted visibility, Rule 35(d) has her sound one prolonged followed by two short blasts rather than the anchor bell.

What counts as trawling?

Rule 26(b) defines it as dragging through the water 'a dredge net or other apparatus used as a fishing appliance'. Fishing that does not drag gear through the water — with drift nets, lines or a purse seine, for example — comes under 26(c), provided the gear restricts her manoeuvrability (Rule 3(d)).

What lights and shapes does a trawler show?

Rule 26(b)(i): two all-round lights in a vertical line, green over white — or, by day, a shape of 'two cones with their apexes together' in a vertical line, one above the other.

Rule 26(b)(ii): a masthead light, 'abaft of and higher than' the green — compulsory at 50 metres or more, optional below that.

Rule 26(b)(iii): when making way through the water, sidelights and a sternlight as well.

Does every trawler show a masthead light?

Only one of 50 metres or more must. One under 50 metres may show it or not. So a trawler with no masthead light may be any length under 50 metres, and one with a masthead light may be any length. A vessel fishing other than trawling has no masthead light in Rule 26 at all.

What lights and shapes does a vessel fishing other than trawling show?

Rule 26(c)(i): two all-round lights in a vertical line, red over white — or, by day, the same shape as a trawler: two cones with their apexes together. Rule 26(c)(iii): when making way through the water, sidelights and a sternlight as well. No masthead light.

What does the extra white light or cone mean — Rule 26(c)(ii)?

It shows outlying gear. If her gear reaches out more than 150 metres horizontally from her, she shows an extra all-round white light — by day, a cone, point up — in the direction of the gear.

Annex I, section 4(a), places that light 2 to 6 metres horizontally away from the red and white lights, no higher than the all-round white and no lower than the sidelights. As we read it, the light or cone tells you which side the gear is on, so you pass on the other side.

How do I tell red over white from white over red?

Red over white is a vessel engaged in fishing other than trawling (Rule 26(c)). White over red, at or near the masthead, is a vessel engaged on pilotage duty (Rule 29(a)). The two are easily swapped under pressure. A memory aid: 'red over white, fishing at night'; 'white over red, pilot ahead'.

What does Annex II add for vessels fishing close together?

Rule 26(d) applies Annex II to a vessel engaged in fishing 'in close proximity to other vessels engaged in fishing'. Its lights are at least 0.9 metre apart, below the 26(b)(i) or (c)(i) lights, and visible all round the horizon at a distance of at least 1 mile, but at a lesser distance than the fishing lights.

A trawler of 20 metres or more shows: shooting her nets, two white lights in a vertical line; hauling, white over red; net fast on an obstruction, two red lights in a vertical line. In pair trawling, each vessel of 20 metres or more also directs a searchlight by night forward and towards the other vessel of the pair. A trawler under 20 metres may show these signals.

A purse seiner may show two yellow lights, one above the other, flashing alternately once a second — but only while her gear hampers her.

Who keeps out of the way of a fishing vessel?

Under Rule 18, 'Except where Rules 9, 10 and 13 otherwise require', a power-driven vessel underway and a sailing vessel underway keep out of the way of a vessel engaged in fishing, and a vessel engaged in fishing when underway keeps out of the way, so far as possible, of a vessel not under command and one restricted in her ability to manoeuvre. A fishing vessel must not impede the passage of any other vessel navigating within a narrow channel or fairway (Rule 9(c)), or of any vessel following a traffic lane (Rule 10(i)).

In restricted visibility she sounds one prolonged followed by two short blasts (Rule 35(c)).

How might Rule 26 come up in an MCA oral?

It may come up as a lights or shapes picture, then the conduct that follows. Examples of the kind of question to be ready for:

“At night you see green over white all-round lights, a white light abaft and above them, and a red sidelight. What is she, and what can you say about her length?”

“Red over white, with another white light off to one side. What does the second light tell you?”

“By day you see two cones, points together, in a vertical line. What is it, and what do you do?”

“A trawler is showing two red lights below her green and white. What is happening?”

“A vessel is fishing at anchor. What lights does she show?”

Where do candidates go wrong on Rule 26?

The common slips: giving a masthead light to a vessel fishing other than trawling; putting the trawler's masthead light threshold at 20 metres instead of 50; showing sidelights when not making way through the water; confusing the gear cone, apex up, with the motor-sailing cone, apex down (Rule 25(e)); swapping red over white with the pilot's white over red; reading a trawler's Annex II two reds as not under command; and showing fishing lights on passage.