Large Vessel Awareness Sign
Brought to you by the Massachusetts Bay Harbor Safety Committee, the Large Vessel Awareness sign is a practical safety resource designed to help recreational boaters understand the hazards of operating near ships, tugboats, and commercial tows.
Use this sign as a quick visual reminder that large commercial vessels may be unable to see, stop, or maneuver around a recreational boat, even when a collision risk appears obvious.
What the Sign Covers:
- Why boaters should remain well clear of tugboats and submerged towlines
- Why vessels should never pass between a tugboat and its tow
- How far a large ship’s blind spot can extend beyond its bow
- Why recreational vessels should stay outside designated shipping channels
- How deep draft and limited maneuverability restrict a ship’s ability to avoid nearby boats
- Why boaters should never rely solely on seeing a ship’s sidelights to determine whether they are in danger
Sku: MBHSC-Signs-LrgVesselAware
Deep Draft Vessel Safety Awareness Video
Brought to you by the Massachusetts Bay Harbor Safety Committee, in collaboration with Coast Guard Sector Boston, the Boston Pilots, and Massachusetts State Pilots, this public safety video helps recreational and commercial waterway users operate safely around deep draft vessels.
Topics Include:
- The operational limitations of large, deep draft vessels
- Why ships must remain within narrow navigation channels
- How blind spots can prevent a ship’s crew or pilot from seeing smaller vessels
- Why deep draft vessels require significant time and distance to slow, stop, or change course
- How recreational boaters can avoid close-quarters situations and remain visible
- The importance of maintaining a safe distance and avoiding assumptions about a ship’s ability to maneuver
Featuring U.S. Coast Guard LCDR Jessica Hull, Chief of the Waterways Management Branch at Coast Guard Sector Boston, and Capt. Bob Blair, a Commissioned State Ship Pilot in Massachusetts Pilot District Two, the video provides an important overview of safe vessel operation around deep draft ships. It reinforces the shared responsibility of everyone using busy waterways.
