Safe speed

Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.

In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among those taken into account:

By all vessels:

the state of visibility;

the traffic density including concentrations of fishing vessels or any other vessels;

the manoeuvrability of the vessel with special reference to stopping distance and turning ability in the prevailing conditions;

at night the presence of background light such as from shore lights or from back scatter of her own lights;

the state of wind, sea and current, and the proximity of navigational hazards;

the draught in relation to the available depth of water.

Additionally, by vessels with operational radar:

the characteristics, efficiency and limitations of the radar equipment;

any constraints imposed by the radar range scale in use;

the effect on radar detection of the sea state, weather and other sources of interference;

the possibility that small vessels, ice and other floating objects may not be detected by radar at an adequate range;

the number, location and movement of vessels detected by radar;

the more exact assessment of the visibility that may be possible when radar is used to determine the range of vessels or other objects in the vicinity.