Good Lookout Copy

A good lookout must be maintained (rule 5) by you and your crew at all times by:

• Sight
• Sound
• All available equipment

Good lookout by sight

Things to look for:

• Other vessels and people
  • Vessels that are clearly moving (wash)
  • Vessel lights (at night)
  • Smoke from exhaust stacks
  • Seafarers working lines on the deck
  • Swimmers and divers
• Navigational hazards
  • Rocks
  • Shallows
  • Big waves
  • Jetsom
  • Buoyage and lights

Good lookout by sound 

Things to listen for:

• Sound Signals from a ship’s whistle.
• Engine noise.
• Deck machinery.
• Anchor chains.
• Boat wash.
• Laughter, screaming, music.
• VHF channel 16 and local port control.

Sound Signals (Rule 34)