A NEW TOOL FOR MENTORING, TRANSFER OF EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND EVALUATION TO UNDERSTAND THE COLREGS AND THEIR APPLICATION AT SEA

In spite of passing more than 42 years on the implementation of the international rules for preventing collision at sea ‘’ known as ColRegs’’, introducing several amendments since then till now, the improvements in navigational aids such as Automatic Radar Plotting Aids (ARPA), Electronic Chart Display Information System (ECDIS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) and attempts to raise the standards of training through Standards of Training, Certification & Watch keeping (STCW-78) convention and its amendments, collisions still occur. Many studies and accident reports indicate that the accidents are caused by either human error or are associated with human error as a result of inappropriate human responses due to wrong understanding of ColRegs. This paper reviews a comparison between the traditional style of evaluation and modern evaluation style using media and simulations to identify the deficiencies in the application of Collision rules at sea. This paper will also touch on the deficiencies in the maritime education and training. Finally, will suggest a set of standards and study units for testing the understanding of seafarers in applying the ColRegs rules. The standards will be developed from real accident cases while testing the potential navigators’ understanding with real time situations. This would improve the application of the ColRegs rules at sea environment.