Rules of the Road referencing while on watch

[Quimby]

@"MandolinGuy"

When I was a deck seaman and a BM in the Navy, I noticed several of the OOD’s would constantly be cracking open the Rules of the Road international-inland book, some more than others. Some would use it to pass the time while steaming in open water and be productive, whereas some it seemed needed to look something up prior to executing any maneuver, regardless of how busy things were (or at least have someone look something up for them ) Is what I witnessed representative of a responsible mariner? Or does this show a lack of knowledge?

I still have my rules book from when I was an E3 and started striking BM in the coast guard. That was when they had the work book with cut outs and instructions on what to highlight and underline. It shows its years with electrical tape keeping the binding together. I used to have it memorized. Not anymore, so I read a rule everyday on my hitch. Just to refresh. I blame years of drinking on the remainder of the brain cells that don’t store information as well.