I'm very new here, having just been told about this (FANTASTIC) site. We're back here in So. California and training for an upcoming kayak expedition, meaning I'm paddling 10-20 miles a day. To make it interesting we're paddling often from San Diego Bay. So, I have to share my observations about ships and the seeming lack of common sense in many boaters.
Many times in the past couple months I've watched various ships coming in or out in the shipping channel and see boats cut across the bows, mostly sailboats tacking, though a couple times powerboats cutting close to the pointy end of the big steel cliff. The true winner was when a Hunter 45 sailboat tacked in front of a cruise liner, while escorted by the USCG's RHIB! I couldn't not notice, there was the repeated blasts of the ship's horn. First, the sailboat violated US and international law. Second, this violates the security zone established around cruise liners by US law (33 CFR part 165). Third, that they put a nice sailboat and themselves, the careers of the cruise ship in harm's way, and in front of the USCG... The thing that I found even more astounding was that the Coast Guard did nothing about it though penalties are clearly defined (33 USC 1232 and 50 USC 192)
In a perfect world of Darwinian natural selection, they should be run over including the offspring, too. After all, bad genes need to be taken out of circulation. Pity it would ruin careers and a perfectly fine sailboat, too... Of course I'm being a bit harsh but whenever we're back in the US we are astounded by relatively higher examples of utter stupidity. After all, anyone with their eyes open cannot miss seeing a giant ship coming along, and to put themselves in the path of a ship is beyond criminal but well into the realm of genetically flawed.
The US Navy ships that come in and leave the Bay have this procedure of slowing down to around 5 knots rounding the entrance buoy well offshore and as they enter the channel, creep along with one of the anchors ready to release, most often with security escort.
On the other hand, our home in New Zealand, rarely does one see boats crossing in front of ships. I wonder if there's a pattern here? Perhaps there's a real need for certification prior to being allowed to own or operate a boat?