There are three main reasons why the rules for preventing collisions at sea need revising:
Rule 21 is unsatisfactory. This is particularly the case in encounters between vessels of widely different speeds and manœuvring capabilities when Rule 19 may require an unreasonable manœuvre from the slower and more ponderous craft and Rule 21 at the same time prohibits manœuvre by the more easily handled craft.
If in an encounter the giving-way vessel does not take action in good time, Rule 21 requires that the other vessel must maintain a collision course until the situation becomes so dangerous that action by one vessel is insufficient to prevent collision. For a rule which is intended to prevent collision this seems hardly credible, but in fact Rule 21 does legislate to maintain a risk situation from a time where disengagement might be comparatively easy to a point where it is almost impossible.
It is often suggested that moderate speed in fog should be a function of the performance of the ship in question, but if Rule 21 is to be observed when vessels sight one another, then it ought to be a function of the performance of the vessel required to give way. This of course may not be known until the sighting.
Because it is unnatural to maintain course and speed into a dangerous situation, Rule 21 is frequently disregarded, particularly by navigators of fast and highly manœuvrable craft.
