The Alexandra 1 and Ever Smart [2021] UKSC 6:
This case is a leading decision by the UK Supreme Court on the application of the Collision Regulations when navigating in a narrow channel. In this case, the appellant’s vessel (Ever Smart) had a collision with the respondent’s vessel (Alexandra 1) in a narrow channel. The primary dispute between the two vessels was whether the “crossing rules” in the Collision Regulations applied.
The Supreme Court unanimously allowed the appeal and established that the Crossing Rules apply to an encounter between an outbound vessel and a vessel on her port bow within a narrow channel, provided that the latter is approaching with the intention of and in preparation for entering the channel. The Court held that the crossing rules should not be overridden in the absence of express stipulation, and in this case there was no need to do so because the approaching vessel was already approaching on a steady bearing.
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